My Trap Isn’t Working!
By Dan Gaskins,
Extension Assistant
Sometimes, after going through all
the trouble of setting up a trap, people find that the pigs won’t enter or they
won’t show up at all. This can be very frustrating, especially if they have
invested a fair amount of money and/or time in their trap. It is important not
to give up! Try these troubleshooting tips to see if there is something that
can be done to make your trap more effective and efficient:
If no pigs are
coming to the trap:
How long has it been? The key to trapping pigs is patience.
They may not show up right at first, especially if there is too much human
scent in the area. Try to minimize this when constructing the trap and when
checking the cameras to make the acclimation easier. Be patient, be methodical,
and you can trap pigs like a pro. This is also true when pigs do arrive at your
trap. They have to become acclimated to entering the trap for food, and this
takes time. Rushing the process will cause the older, more trap shy pigs to
escape and become even more trap shy. If the pigs were showing up but have now
stopped, they may have changed food sources. If this happens, try “supercharging”
you bait (see below) or moving the trap. Time of year also plays a role in
trapping feral hogs. The best time is in late winter after mast, such as acorns,
disappear but before the spring green up when there is plenty of natural food
sources.
Did you pre-bait? Always get the pigs consistently on bait
before installing a trap. However, if you didn’t, it is still possible to get
the pigs to come to the trap. It will, however, take longer. Follow the same
steps that you would prior to setting up the trap. See http://wild-wonderings.blogspot.com/2013/03/pre-baiting-and-conditioning-feral-hogs.html
for instructions. Camera placement is an important part of this process as they
will tell you when the pigs are consistently on bait.
What are you using for bait? While regular shelled corn often
is sufficient, sometimes it isn’t enough to entice the pigs or they may simply
not know it is there. This can particularly become a problem if there is an
established food source nearby, such as a cornfield. Try “supercharging” your
bait with strawberry or grape flavored gelatin or drink mix. Berry flavored
soft drinks will also work. The added scent will help draw the pigs to the new
feeding source. If you can ferment or sour the corn or grains, it will work
even better. This “super-bait” can gum up a feeder, however, so if you are
using one, it is best to put this bait on the ground directly until the pigs
are consistently coming to the trap. Then, phase out the super bait and phase
in the feeder gradually. This takes a little more time and effort, but will
bring the pigs around.
Where is the trap located? If the trap is not ideally located,
it can take longer for the pigs to find the bait or to be comfortable feeding
at the site. Try to include vegetation to shade the animals and to break up the
outline of the trap. If you have already built the trap, try adding some
juniper or other evergreen vegetation to break up the outline of the trap,
especially around the gate. If there is no shade, be sure to check the trap
regularly. Try to see the trap through a pig’s eyes. Is it easy to get in and
out? Does it feel safe?
Where are your cameras? If your cameras only look at the inside
of the trap, there may be pigs approaching the area that you aren’t seeing. Aim
your camera inside the trap to show the gate entrance and outside the trap to
see if there are pigs that are coming to the trap site. Leave the camera(s) you
used while locating the pigs in place until you have pigs consistently on bait.
If you did not do this, set up cameras along suspected travel corridors to
determine where the pigs are feeding and the location of their bedding areas.
This should always be your first step when trapping. If your trap is not
between the bedding and feeding areas, it may need to be moved.
If pigs are coming
to the trap but won’t enter:
Did you start without the gate? When first constructing your
trap, start without the gate. It makes the pigs more comfortable entering the
trap and will speed up the conditioning process. If you already have the gate
in place, consider removing it until the pigs are accustomed to entering the
trap. Try to minimize human scent while doing this.
How wide is your gate? If the pigs were entering before you put
the gate in place and now they are not, they probably are no comfortable going
in the gate. Research suggests that the bigger the gate, the better.
Unfortunately, most manufactured trap gates are relatively small. This can make
catching larger animals much more difficult. Continue baiting and give the
larger animals time to work themselves up to going inside. Consider building a
simple 8’ wide gate out of plywood (see here for plans: http://overton.tamu.edu/files/2013/02/GUILLITONE-STYLE-WILD-PIG-TRAP-GATES-Banta-Model.pdf) If it is a solitary male, shooting may be a faster
option.
How are you baiting? When baiting the trap, (assuming the pigs
are on bait) place bait outside the trap as well as inside. As the pigs become
more willing to enter the trap, gradually put less bait outside and more
inside. Supercharging the bait inside the trap can also help bring the pigs in.
If you are patient and follow the
proper steps (prebaiting, acclimation, etc.) in the correct order, you will see
results. After spending money on bait, it can become frustrating when you do
not have quick success, but remember that each pig will do around $200 in
agricultural damage to your property every year and every sow will have dozens
of offspring. Market the animals to yourself; consider the cost of not removing
them. You will find it is worth the time, money, and effort.
The hyper-linked resource document below will provide you with quick access to many of our online feral hog resources including publications, fact sheets and videos.