Hogs trapped.....sort of

[Drycreek]

Went to check my hog trap this morning, (a 40' corral trap with a 5' high and 8' wide drop gate), and as I got pretty close in my Ranger I saw that the gate was still in the "up" position so I figured I'd just turn around and attend to the other chores on the lease. A few feet farther and I saw two boars in the trap, they just hadn't rooted the trigger yet. Now, being a lightning quick thinker I'm just gonna drive up, block the gate and put them out of my misery. Unfortunately, my Jack Russell TERRORIST is not only a quicker thinker, he's quicker on the trigger. As soon as he saw those hogs he launched himself off the seat and into the pen ! Fearing for his safety I pulled my S&W .40 caliber Shield and prepared to defend him. About that time one of the hogs hit the cable which dropped the gate and he was trapped in the pen with two boar hogs three times his size !

No amount of screaming and cursing on my part could dissuade him from barking, biting, and generally terrorizing those hogs. If it hadn't been so scary, it would have been hilarious One shouldn't get as attatched to an animal as I am to this little fart, but......what can I say ? I love him like he's my child.

I knew the only thing I could do was to kill them or disable them as quickly as possible so I commenced to try to do just that. Picture this: two hogs running around and around in a 40' pen with the little snot biting their asses each time he could. Barking, squealing, snorting, screaming (me), and me trying to shoot hogs on the run through cattle panels without endangering my pup. It was a rodeo !

I finally got a decent shot on the smallest one, (about 100 pounds), he began to feel poorly and laid down, but the other one got tired of running and started trying to get Sarge. His only problem was, he wasn't nearly fast enough ! I shot my first magazine dry, dropped it, and reloaded. I finally got a couple through the front of the bigger boar, (about 125/135 pounds) and he began to slow down. About that time Sarge was tiring of his "fun", and I managed to get his attention long enough to lift up the gate and get him out. Now that he was safe, I administered a head shot to the smallest one, and walked around the trap to give the bigger one the same. He started popping his teeth at me when I got close, summoned enough gumption to jump up and charge I expected him to turn at the last second and I'd shoot him in the head as he went by. Instead, he hit the pen and bounced off, but spoiled my shot. He then went to the other side and I managed to ease up to him and put him down.

Whew ! That all lasted around 6/8 minutes I'd guess, but that's the most excitement I've had in a long time ! I wish I had it all on video (all but the part where I demonstrated less than stellar marksmanship), I could watch it over and over and over..........

 

[Native Hunter]

Great story. Glad your little friend came out okay!

 

[Fishman]

With a 3 inch barrel and adrenaline running through your system, I think you did pretty good with your shooting.

 

[Heart shot]

Wow what an adventure

 

[MarkDarvin]

Unreal.

 

[lakngolf]

Loved the story!!

 

[TheOldOak]

Great story, amazing how quickly things can go from quiet to complete chaos at times. Glad it turned out well.

 

[SwampCat]

Could you post a picture of your drop gate setup. That is a big drop gate. Something that wide should make them not so fearful entering the trap.

It can get crazy when you get near the trap. First trap I ever made was out of standard four ft cattle panel. Walked up to it to check it - without a gun. Hogs went nuts. Two jumped out and the other six or eight just tore through the side. Dont use cattle panel.

Glad your dog was able to steer clear.

 

[Drycreek]

I

Could you post a picture of your drop gate setup. That is a big drop gate. Something that wide should make them not so fearful entering the trap.

It can get crazy when you get near the trap. First trap I ever made was out of standard four ft cattle panel. Walked up to it to check it - without a gun. Hogs went nuts. Two jumped out and the other six or eight just tore through the side. Dont use cattle panel.

Glad your dog was able to steer clear.

Swamp, I actually do use panels, utility panels, and I've caught hogs up to 250 lb. and never had one get out. My trap is 40' across and round, so there are no corners for them to pile up in. I put a T post at each overlapping joint and one in the middle of each panel, T posts on the outside. When they hit the panels, there's a lot of give and they just bounce off. About the largest hog I've ever had do the full blown charge (like the panels weren't there) weighed around 175/190 lb. but I nailed him between the eyes right before he hit the panel.I have had a couple 150 pounders hit it like a freight train with no ill effects.

My drop gate I made with square tubing covered in panel. I made the frame, or track, out of angle iron welded together like channel iron. It naturally has to extend up taller than the panels in order to accomadate the gate in the open position. I welded some sguare tubing "loops" on it to slide T posts in and that's where I start when putting it up. Naturally the "track" is tied together top and bottom with angle iron cross bracing.

I've had lots of trouble in the past with deer eating the corn but I solved that by souring the corn for a week or so in five gallon buckets. Hogs love soured corn, coons and deer, not so much. Plus....they can smell it for a much greater distance ! I didn't reset it Friday because of the severe weather predicted, (and recieved), on Saturday, but I'm resetting and rebaiting tomorrow so I'll take some pics. My trigger is a nail under the edge of the gate with a cable attatched going through a pulley mounted to short T post then running down to a small tire. You can see the T post, the pulley, the tire, and the nail on the end of the cable in the pic above. Pour corn in the tire, and a little in the pen. The hogs can't get to all the corn until they root the tire and it's held in position by a sucker rod driven into the ground. When they root the tire, the cable pulls the nail out and the gate falls. It's too heavy for anything except a hog to move so nothing triggers it except hogs. I used to put a cell camera on it but at this place it's a little too close to a road and I don't want to chance losing a $450 camera. Later this year, when it dries up a little, I'm gonna put it in a better place and put the camera back on it.

To everyone: Thanks for the kind words about Sarge. If I had lost him or he were seriously hurt, it would have been a bad day indeed. He is my shadow ! (But from now on, he rides in the Ranger on a SHORT leash)

 

[Drycreek]

This boar weighed around 250 according to the measure-around-the-chest charts. He was the first hog I caught on this lease.

 

[SwampCat]

I also use utility panels with the four inch squares and 60” height. Cattle panels are 48” tall and the square sizes get larger as you go up from the ground. I have had hogs jump 48” panels and break through the cattle panels. I think the squares are so large in cattle panels they can get their nose in them and break the welds.

 

[DrDirtNap]

I


Swamp, I actually do use panels, utility panels, and I've caught hogs up to 250 lb. and never had one get out. My trap is 40' across and round, so there are no corners for them to pile up in. I put a T post at each overlapping joint and one in the middle of each panel, T posts on the outside. When they hit the panels, there's a lot of give and they just bounce off. About the largest hog I've ever had do the full blown charge (like the panels weren't there) weighed around 175/190 lb. but I nailed him between the eyes right before he hit the panel.I have had a couple 150 pounders hit it like a freight train with no ill effects.

My drop gate I made with square tubing covered in panel. I made the frame, or track, out of angle iron welded together like channel iron. It naturally has to extend up taller than the panels in order to accomadate the gate in the open position. I welded some sguare tubing "loops" on it to slide T posts in and that's where I start when putting it up. Naturally the "track" is tied together top and bottom with angle iron cross bracing.

I've had lots of trouble in the past with deer eating the corn but I solved that by souring the corn for a week or so in five gallon buckets. Hogs love soured corn, coons and deer, not so much. Plus....they can smell it for a much greater distance ! I didn't reset it Friday because of the severe weather predicted, (and recieved), on Saturday, but I'm resetting and rebaiting tomorrow so I'll take some pics. My trigger is a nail under the edge of the gate with a cable attatched going through a pulley mounted to short T post then running down to a small tire. You can see the T post, the pulley, the tire, and the nail on the end of the cable in the pic above. Pour corn in the tire, and a little in the pen. The hogs can't get to all the corn until they root the tire and it's held in position by a sucker rod driven into the ground. When they root the tire, the cable pulls the nail out and the gate falls. It's too heavy for anything except a hog to move so nothing triggers it except hogs. I used to put a cell camera on it but at this place it's a little too close to a road and I don't want to chance losing a $450 camera. Later this year, when it dries up a little, I'm gonna put it in a better place and put the camera back on it.

To everyone: Thanks for the kind words about Sarge. If I had lost him or he were seriously hurt, it would have been a bad day indeed. He is my shadow ! (But from now on, he rides in the Ranger on a SHORT leash)

Glad you got those Hogs and Sarge is OK. When you get some time please post some pictures of your gate. I need to make one myself like that.


Sent from my iPhone using Deer Hunter Forum

 

[Mennoniteman]

Isn't life interesting, just when you think everything is mundane,normal, and well under control, in the blink of an eye everything breaks loose, and a borderline catastrophe is in the making. What defines situations like that is having the ability to be able to continue to think, and think quickly, and function in those near emergency situations to get things under control before something really bad happens, which, aside from some wasted ammo, it sounds like you did pretty good (I'm an excellent shot but have been known to shoot poorly under pressure as well). Glad everything turned out OK!

 

[Drycreek]

I'll try to post some pics of the gate and trigger. I had to replace my cable this morning as I didn't know that one of the hogs broke it when he hit it Friday. It's all baited up and ready for the next rodeo !

 

[SwampCat]

Really like that gate. Thanks. I think the biggest problem with getting hogs in a trap is the gate. The wider - the better.

 

[Drycreek]

Really like that gate. Thanks. I think the biggest problem with getting hogs in a trap is the gate. The wider - the better.

You are so right. That's one reason that I put the gate between two trees. I think they accept it better kinda half camouflaged in that way.

Isn't life interesting, just when you think everything is mundane,normal, and well under control, in the blink of an eye everything breaks loose, and a borderline catastrophe is in the making. What defines situations like that is having the ability to be able to continue to think, and think quickly, and function in those near emergency situations to get things under control before something really bad happens, which, aside from some wasted ammo, it sounds like you did pretty good (I'm an excellent shot but have been known to shoot poorly under pressure as well). Glad everything turned out OK!

I'm usually pretty good at accurate and quick at the same time, but the fact that Sarge was in there had me pretty dang upset. I was shaking like a leaf when the last one went down ! All's well that ends well......

 

[bigtee]

Wow that is absolute nuts. What kind of bait do you use?

 

[Drycreek]

Just seeing this. I use soured corn for the most part. I fill a five gallon bucket about 2/3rds full and then fill with water. I add more water when the corn soaks it up. In the summer it sours quickly, but in the winter a little yeast or some cheap beer will start it up quicker. It smells bad and they love it !