By: Mark Tyson, M.S.
In his seven rules on hog trapping, veteran hog trapper LeRoy
Moczygemba points out “there are always exceptions to the rule; one can have
success with some ill-planned activity while some of the best-laid plans are
for naught”. The key to reducing variability in feral hog trapping is
understanding the hog’s behaviors and how those behaviors change throughout the
year. In my opinion, there are five main factors that drive feral hog
behaviors: thermoregulation, food consumption, social organization, habitat
components and human influence. For those seeking to reduce feral hog
populations in an area, it is important to incorporate these aspects of feral
hog behavior into their management plan.
Feral hogs visiting a bait site.
Thermoregulation
Maintaining
an adequate body temperature is of primary importance to feral hogs, especially
during the warmer months of the year. During the summer months hogs will
commonly be found within a mile of a permanent water source. This association
with water is due to a lack of sweat glands, which prevents hogs from sweating
to reduce their body temperature. During the cooler months of the year
temperature regulation becomes less important to the hogs and they will range
out a considerable distance from water when necessary.
Feral hog wallow.
Food Consumption
Feral hogs
have a relatively simple stomach and are able to process foods rapidly, thus
they have a constant need to feed. In a commercial production setting a 115 lb.
hog requires over 4 lb. of feed daily; in the wild, a similar sized feral hog
will need to consume that much or more based on the food’s nutrient quality.
Research suggests that vegetation is the primary diet item of feral hogs, be it
roots, tubers, seeds or leaves. Feral hogs will seek out seasonally abundant
nutrient dense food resources throughout the year. Understanding which food
resources the hogs are consuming at a specific time of the year will help in
selecting the appropriate bait(s) for reduction efforts. Shelled corn is a great
year-round bait to use, however items such as expired pastries, fruits, dog
food, catfish bait, soured grains and flavored gelatin products also have been
used successfully. Another baiting technique is to gather native mast such as acorns
when they are abundant and then use them once they are no longer available.
Feral hogs primarily select vegetation, but will consume earthworms and grubs.
Social Organization
The
interspecific interactions of feral hogs vary by age and gender. Females and
juveniles often travel in family groups which are referred to as a sounder,
while adult males are more solitary. The solitary nature of adult males allows
them to travel between multiple sounders, seeking females in heat, thus
expanding the individual’s genetic footprint. Males remain attached to a
sounder for the first 16 months of their lives, which allows them to reach a
sufficient body size to compete with other males in the area. When interacting
with a trap, juveniles are most likely to enter, followed by adult females and
lastly adult males, which often exhibit the most trap shyness.
Feral hog sounder visiting a deer feeder.
Habitat Components
When
available, feral hogs will select riparian habitats; these habitats border
rivers, streams and creeks. Cooler temperatures, plant diversity, dense cover,
and a close association to water make riparian areas the ideal core area for
feral hogs. Additionally, these areas are perfect travel corridors; I often
refer to rivers as ‘feral hog highways’ and creeks or streams as ‘farm to
market roads.’ Home range is a term
used to describe the area of land that a species uses to meet its basic life
functions. Research conducted in east Texas found that the home range of
females was just over 1600 acres while males exhibited a home range of over
3900 acres. Home range sizes will vary based on the components of the available
habitat, and as general rule will be smaller in high quality habitats and larger
in poor quality habitats.
Riparian habitat in southeast Texas.
Human Influence
If they
could have it their way, feral hogs would avoid humans altogether, but that may
never be the case. In response to this, the hogs will increase their
elusiveness as outside pressure increases.
In some cases such as a free choice livestock or wildlife feeders, human
influence can be positive for feral hogs and they are quick to pick up on these
opportunities. Landowners commonly share stories with me of trap smart hogs who
evade their trapping efforts, yet researchers in Alabama reported a recapture
rate of 72.5% during their study. Feral hogs are quite unpredictable and human
influence only adds to that variability. If your intention is to reduce feral
hog populations, it is important to anticipate how the hogs will respond to
your management actions.
Box traps are one of many techniques available to land managers.
Tying it all together
Before
starting your next feral hog trapping effort, consider these 5 factors and how
they relate to each other, the time of year, and the local environment:
1.
Thermoregulation- Ask: What time of year is it?
During late fall, winter and spring, the hogs will have much more liberty of
movement due to reduced environmental temperatures. In the summertime and early
fall, feral hogs will rely heavily on nearby water.
2.
Food
Consumption- Ask: What are the hogs eating right now? Research tells us that vegetation
is a primary diet item; your job is to determine what that might, be based on
what is available. Since vegetation is important to feral hogs, learning more
about the plants in your area should be important to you. Dr. Dale Rollins’
maxim on wildlife habitat management “know your plants and how to manipulate
them” could not have been better stated. For the purposes of feral hog trapping,
I would modify this maxim to “know your plants and how they manipulate the
hogs” since the availability of vegetation governs feral hog food selection. In the spring, plants are beginning to green
up and as summer comes on additional species are added to the landscape as
environmental conditions allow. The key here is to understand a plant’s
nutritive value and distribution on the landscape; the hogs know this and so
should you. As fall comes along mast,
from a variety of trees begins to develop. Once they drop, the hogs will focus
in on these seasonally abundant resources. You may consider an investigation of
the stomachs of feral hogs you have harvested to see what they have been eating.
It is important to wear gloves, eye protection and a face mask to prevent the
transmission of unwanted parasites and diseases when skinning or cleaning feral
hogs.
3.
Social Organization- Ask: Which hogs are showing
up to my trap site. Feral hogs will visit your trap site as a sounder or you
may just have a lone boar appear. Research suggests that adult males are the
least likely gender/age class to enter a trap, thus if a lone boar appears and
is consistent, it may be better to just shoot him. On the other hand, trapping
is a must for a sounder. The key to success is to understand that in a sounder
there is often a “lead” or dominant sow and she will likely be the one you have
to fool. Use trail cameras to observe feral hog behaviors around traps and
adjust your techniques accordingly.
4.
Habitat Components- Ask: What types of habitats
are found on the landscape you have permission to trap on? If riparian habitats
are available, conduct a thorough investigation for signs of feral hog
activity. Watch the video below to learn more about the visual indicators of feral hog
activity. In the absence of riparian habitats, evaluate what available habitats
contain (food, cover, travel corridors) that will benefit the hogs and begin
your search there.
5.
Human Influence- Ask: What types of human
activities occur on the area and how may they alter feral hog behavior? The
activity could be a positive or negative for the hogs. If positive influences
(free choice livestock feed, deer feeders, etc.) are available use them to your
advantage when formulating a strategy. Negative impacts can lay waste to some
of the best planning, so try to anticipate and avoid them if at all possible.
Often these impacts are hard to prevent, and you may very well have to learn
from experience in these cases.
No two
trapping events will be alike, yet these drivers will be reflected in the
behaviors of the hogs you set out to catch. After a recent speaking event, a
gentleman approached me and said, “I never really thought of it that way, but
it really makes sense. I’m a baker and to make great bread, I have to think
about what it takes to make the perfect loaf. The same applies to these hogs,
to catch a hog I guess I have to think like one.”
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.