Trapping a few neighborhood piggies

[Big Bend Brian]

Been having a bit of fun lately………the area around my neighborhood in Northeast Florida has a lot of hogs and they’ve again started rooting up more yards to include re-rooting some common grounds that the neighborhood just re-sodded from a previous rooting. Getting em one at a time isn’t making a dent so a couple of buddies brought me a pig trap to help correct the problem.


(I think it’s OK to have a little fun with your kids as you’re working on a neighborhood pig problem………)


After carting it out to a spot with some help from a neighbor the kids baited the area.

One hour later I went back to set up some game cameras and there already was a hog snacking on the bait. Looking good…..


After four days of baiting the hogs were comfortable entering the trap. With 3 different sounders and a couple of singles coming at different times of the day/night it looks like there are approximately 20-25 pigs.

 

[Big Bend Brian]

This trap is open on the top and dErE can jump out

With the hogs committed to entering the trap the rootstick was set and the trap made ready. The idea behind the rootstick is that the hogs enter the trap and first feed on the two thick rows of bait (one on each side of the interior edges of the trap). As more hogs enter some get displaced off the large piles and one pig will find/move to the small pile of corn that’s covering the rootstick. As that pig eats the small pile it “roots” the stick off it’s 2 points of contact thereby releasing the door trapping them.

 

[Big Bend Brian]

Trap & rootstick set

Rootstick ready to be tripped


Next morning:

As I started my walk to the trap I could see the door was down and as I approached the trap the 3 trapped pigs started ramming the hog panels HARD. The smallest of the 3 got its head and front shoulders out but became stuck. With it’s excited LOUD squealing a large pig ran out of the woods and charged the trap and I started backing off. The pig unstuck itself & stopped squealing and fortunately the pig (sow?) ran back into the woods.

3 hogs

Kapn Skinny & future sausages

 

[Big Bend Brian]

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A week later………….Over Spring Break my daughter & I spent a week in the Key West sailing an 80 foot sailboat so before we left I secured the door OPEN and while we were in the Keys my son kept the trap rebaited every couple of days…… now baiting only inside the trap to get them acclimated to entering without fear and concentrating their numbers in the trap:

 

[Big Bend Brian]

Now that the hogs are comfortably entering the trap…… the trap and the rootstick is set……

While I was typing this my neighbor nearest the trap texted me to note that there is a loud ruckus going on inside the trap……………

Hoo Yah!!

Brian


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The next set trapped 2 boars although the game camera photos showed that throughout the night there were multiple pigs in the trap but they didn’t trip the rootstick (I had set the rootstick in such a way as to make it more resistant to tripping).

 

[Big Bend Brian]

Walking up to them they are not happy campers. The black one broke one of the corner hog panel welds right in front of us.

2 boars

 

[Big Bend Brian]

My buddy just texted me and said that these 2 piggies were turned into Wild Turkey maple sausages and that they taste amazing.


The trapping continues………….


Brian


These mobile sausage factories continue to oblige…….

 

[Big Bend Brian]

Just set the trap for another round………………….


Brian


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Trap was sprung at 0233 hours by a lone 88 lb boar. Two minutes before that there were 6 pigs in the trap but he chased them out. Certainly luck of the draw as to how many you catch each time.

Interesting way to start your school day


Trap is set again.

 

[Big Bend Brian]

Trap was tripped at 0349 hours and prior to that it was visited by quite a few hogs but was not tripped.

Door about to drop…..

Door down

 

[Big Bend Brian]

Interestingly, this photo was taken just as the brown piglet was about to hit the hog panel HARD. It got partially through and hung up but then squirted out.

 

[Big Bend Brian]

We’ll continue to bait the trap but will keep the door tied open for a few days of rest to cool the area down a bit. After which the trapping will continue.


Brian

 

[Curly Shuffle]

Looks like a bunch of fun!! Nice going! BANG BANG!!

 

[Jake]

Nice job, putting a dent in them for sure now! I like the root stick idea. Looks like lots of good eaters!

 

[Ratdog68]

Looks like the plan is producing, congrats. And, a great way to keep the youngsters doing something worth while too. Tear 'em up !

 

[scrmblr1982cj8]

That's awesome!

I lived in Orange Park from 2002-2008, and still have many friends in the Jacksonville area. I remember there being lots of hogs, but I never really saw any big ones. Hopefully you catch a big boy!

 

[rob072770]

that size you are trapping are the best to eat.

 

[Chopperdrvr]

You are doing great in that one spot. We have found that they start shying away from the trap if you don't move it often. Don't forget to add your trapped hogs to the kill counter even if they are trapped first. Dead = Dead.

 

[rrv333]

Great photos and story

 

[RattlesnakeDan]

Whatever happened to this guy trapping hogs?

 

[slim_shady]

Very nice. Thanks for all the pics!