By: Josh Helcel, Extension Associate
Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Service
Supplemental game feeders or “deer feeders” are common in Texas and many
landowners provide supplemental feed year round in hopes of increasing the
number and quality of desired species such as white-tailed deer (Odocoileus virginianus). Many small tract landowners have game feeders
on their property and enjoy attracting and viewing wildlife year round even if they
do not hunt. One has to wonder if all of
these game feeders aren’t significantly contributing to expanding populations
of wild pigs. Research shows that wild
pig reproduction is significantly influenced by nutrition, and sows with access
to adequate year round nutrition can have as much as 20% more offspring
(Barrett 1978, Springer 1977). Game
feeders can contribute to wild pig abatement in ways that can actually save
time, feed, and money. While this
concept can be applied with commercial head gates and also the more expensive
human activated trapping systems, this article will discuss how to construct an
affordable, do-it-yourself game feeder corral trap.
Work
smarter, not harder to trap wild pigs
Many are discouraged from trapping wild pigs because of the amount of labor
involved in the process. The idea of
having to bait and check traps every day is enough for some to be turned off to
the whole idea. When implemented
correctly, a game feeder corral trap will bait the trap for you every day until
an entire group or “sounder” of wild pigs are routinely entering and feeding in
the trap. A game camera can be used to
verify this activity and can be checked daily, weekly, or monthly – whatever is
convenient for you. When an entire
sounder is routinely feeding in the trap, you should ideally only have to set
and check your trap once to capture wild pigs.
There are other factors, of course, such as non-target species, filling
your feeder, changing camera batteries, and others. However, these activities are still much
easier then manually setting, baiting, checking, and disturbing wild pig traps
every single day.
Stack
the odds in your favor
Before building a game feeder corral trap, there are a number of things
that can be done that can help to increase trapping success. If you have existing game feeders on your
property, they are potentially already doing the necessary pre-baiting for you
and should be considered as potential trapping locations. The advantage here is that the pigs are most
likely already conditioned to visiting these pre-existing feeder
locations. If you have multiple feeders,
you will need to identify which feeder is attracting the highest number of wild
pigs. Placing game cameras at feeder
locations, understanding how to identify wild pig sign, and identifying
preferred habitat such as thick cover near a permanent water source will help
in selecting the ideal feeder location to construct a trap.
Placing game cameras at different feeder locations can
help you to determine which ones are best
suited for constructing a game feeder corral trap
Once you have selected a feeder, consider selectively excluding or
deactivating other nearby wildlife feeders.
Research has shown that 28-inch and 34-inch paneling around game feeders
will exclude wild pigs completely while still allowing species such as
white-tailed deer to routinely enter, feed, and exit (Timmons et al.
2011). By excluding or deactivating
other feeding locations, you can save money on feed costs and also direct wild
pigs to your trap site. This is especially
true during times of year such as mid to late summer and mid to late winter when
natural forage availability is low.
Selectively
excluding or deactivating nearby wildlife feeders may help to increase wild pig
trapping success and can also save money on feed costs
intended for native species
Finally, minimize your presence and disturbance at trap sites. Once the game feeder corral trap is
constructed, you do not need to check it every day. The feeder will bait and the camera will
allow you to observe the number and type of animals frequenting the trap
location. The goal of corral trapping is
to capture an entire sounder of wild pigs, and your trap door can remain wired
open and unset until a group is routinely feeding inside the trap.
Constructing
the trap
Keep in mind that it is rare to “over-engineer” a wild pig trap. T-post spacing should be every 4 feet, panel
mesh should be no larger than 4 inches, and all wiring should be doubled to
ensure adequate strength. Wild pigs will
test your trap design as they try to escape.
When approaching trapped animals, it is not the time to find out that
the trap should have been constructed more securely.
Materials Needed
Guillotine Head-gate Materials
5 5’ (2”X4”)’s
3 4’ (2”X4”)’s
1 ¾” plywood (3’X4’)
Construct and
place the head gate first before installing the T-posts and paneling. The head gate will need to be trenched
approximately 3-4 inches underground.
Trap Materials
4 16’ (L) X 5’ (H)
Utility Panels (4”X4” Mesh)
12-16 T-Posts
1 Roll of Bailing Wire
Ensure that the trap is constructed so that the
feeder is towards the back of the trap.
The head gate and T-posts should be secured at
multiple points with doubled bailing wire.
Tripwire Materials
2 1’ (2”X2”)’s
1 Hinge
1 Eyelet
1 Spool of 80-100 lb.
braided fishing line
2-3 Small Carabineers
Carabineers
allow for the hinged trip wire system to be easily removed when the trap is
not set
Figure
1.—The tripwire should be run towards the back of the trap and through the legs
of the feeder
There are many modifications that can be made to these suggestions including
using a commercial head gate, human activated trapping system, wider gate,
wexford style push through entrance, wire or rope trip wire, and others, but
the addition of a game feeder should reduce labor and make the process
easier. You may want to experiment to
find a system that works best for your specific situation.
Other
Considerations
Game feeders are designed to attract deer and other wildlife for
feeding, viewing, and hunting purposes. Many
game feeders have an adjustable motor which controls the amount and dispersal
of bait. It is often necessary to broadcast
feed at a low rate per minute (rpm) in order to ensure that the bait falls
within the trap and behind the trigger. If your feeder is not adjustable,
consider funneling the broadcast downwards to ensure that bait is dispersed as
desired.
It is important to note that the head gate can easily be removed or
wired open prior to and during hunting season, or the entire trap can even be
removed if necessary. However, keep in
mind that the longer the trap is present the more likely that wildlife
including deer, wild turkeys, and wild pigs will become used to it. When coupled with other strategies such as
selectively excluding other game feeders, you may find that you are attracting
and feeding more of the animals that you want on your property.
Wildlife including deer, wild turkeys, wild pigs and
others will acclimate to entering the enclosure.
While the goal of corral trapping is to capture the entire sounder,
larger boars will sometimes dominate a bait site. If this becomes the case, it may become
necessary to trap or shoot this animal before trapping the remainder of the
sounder. Also, if non-target species
such as raccoons frequent the trap site in excessive numbers, they may also
need to be trapped or removed to assure that enough bait is available for attracting
wild pigs.
Dominant boars may need to be trapped or removed
individually if they take over a bait site.
Conclusion
Game feeders can contribute to wild pig abatement instead of expanding
wild pig populations. Similar trap
styles can be enacted that require less effort and less time than conventional
trapping systems. Though more expensive
human activated systems also benefit from incorporating game feeder baiting
strategies, more affordable options can also be successful and may be more
viable economically. Incorporating
technologies such as game cameras and wildlife feeders can help to minimize
human disturbance at trapping locations.
Native wildlife can benefit from wild pig trapping and selective game
feeder exclusion without interfering with hunting operations. Finally, consider working cooperatively with
adjacent landowners if possible. A
combined effort can help to greatly increase trapping success and wild pig
abatement efforts.
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.
For free educational programming or technical assistance with feral hogs
please contact us:
Our services are provided free of charge through a Clean Water Act
319(h) non-point source grant from the Texas State Soil and Water Conservation
Board and the U.S.
Environmental Protection Agency
Literature Cited
Barrett,
R.H. 1978. The feral hog on Dye Creek Ranch, California. Hilgardia 49:281-355.
Springer, M.D. 1977. Ecologic and
economic aspects of wild hogs in Texas. Pages 37-46 in G.W. Wood, ed. Research
and management of wild hog populations. The Belle W. Baruch Forest Science
Institute of Clemson University, Georgetown, S.C.
Timmons J. B., J. Rattan, T.
Campbell, D. Long, B. Higginbotham, D. Campion, M. McFarland, N. Dictson, and
J. C. Cathey. 2011. Using Fences to Exclude Feral Hogs from Wildlife Feeding Stations. Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Service.
L-5533.