The Importance of Brushing in Snare Locations for Wild Pigs

By: Josh Helcel, Extension Associate

A properly brushed in trail set for a wild pig.

Wild pigs (Sus scrofa) are highly adaptable and intelligent animals. Research indicates they share similarities to human brain function and are even capable of solving complex cognitive tasks (Kornum and Knudsen 2010). Landowners and wildlife managers should consider the intelligence of these animals when enacting abatement efforts.  

The video below details an attempt to capture a wild pig using a snare.

While this capture attempt was nearly successful, allowing wild pigs even one out can often be the difference in success.  The same can also be said for abatement efforts including trapping, shooting, trained dogs, or aerial gunning.  In this case, brushing in the fence crossing at the snare location could have helped to funnel the animal into a second crossing attempt.

There are a number of factors to consider when snaring wild pigs. Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Service has collaborated with Texas Wildlife Services to provide an educational video which reviews the snaring process including three common sets for snaring wild pigs.

This video is part of a Wild Pig Management Video Series and can be viewed at:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nWDf5Rc9e70

 See other feral hog resources at http://agrilife bookstore.org.

– L-5523 Recognizing Feral Hog Sign

– L-5524 Corral Traps for Capturing Feral Hogs

– L-5525 Box Traps for Capturing Feral Hogs

– L-5526 Placing and Baiting Feral Hog Traps

– L-5527 Door Modifications for Feral Hog Traps

– L-5528 Snaring Feral Hog

– L-5529 Making a Feral Hog Snare

– SP-419 Feral Hogs Impact Ground-nesting Birds

– SP-420 Feral Hog Laws and Regulations

– SP-421 Feral Hogs and Disease Concerns

– SP-422 Feral Hogs and Water Quality in Plum Creek

– SP-423 Feral Hog Transportation Regulations

– L-5533 Using Fences to Exclude Feral Hogs from Wildlife Feeding Stations

For free educational programming or technical assistance with feral hogs please contact us:

Mark Tyson, South and Southeast Texas, 979-845-4698, mark.tyson@ag.tamu.edu

Josh Helcel, Central and North Central Texas, 254-248-0532, josh.helcel@ag.tamu.edu

                                                                               

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

Kornum, B. R.  and G. M. Knudsen. 2011. Cognitive testing of pigs (Sus scrofa) in translational biobehavioral research. Journal of Neuroscience and Biobehavioral Reviews. Vol. 35(3). pp. 437-451.