Explain to me this Texas pig issue...

[cjgregory]

In the past year I have called no less than 5 places where pigs are a serious problem.  When I ask if my son and I can come down and spend a week with our bows hunting hogs,  the guy tells me how much it costs.  

Cost? I thought there were pigs ripping the place up? lol  So what I'm gathering, not only do they get money for damage done but also charge hunters. LMAO

I don't quite know what to think of that.  It would be a bad thing for the hogs to go away I would think.  I'm not being critical I just don't think there is a pig "problem".  Pigs aren't a problem...too much money to be made with the pigs there.  Am I off base on this?

I live here and cannot get anyone to let me hunt hogs for free! Pigs are very destructive and can be quite a nuisance (sp). If you were to ever own land where pigs a prevalent, you would know what I was talking about. That being said, there are too many people out there who are willing to pay to hunt them so the landowners down here look at them as another source of income (almost all hunting down here is on private property and on a by fee structure - either day lease or yearly lease).

Bisch

[snakebit40]

That's messed up. I've heard it's hard to get on ground for free down there. I'm hoping to get down to TX next year but I'm planning on doing a public land hunt.

[BOHO]

its like that anywhere. the deer hunters complain of the hogs in MS but nobody wants you to come hunt them in the off season. I know if we ever get pigs I'll prolly put the bow down for a 12 ga cause we dont want them anywhere close to our deer hunting ground

[Inder]

I do not know about free but it is cheap. I got an offer of $100 a day with unlimited number of hogs so if you willing to pay little and can book in advance then you can have fun.

I wonder who hire those helicopter operations and pay them for killing hogs?

-Inder

[cjgregory]

I guess a hundred a day wouldn't be too bad.  Still I don't think they want the hogs to go away unless you took away the crop damage insurance against hogs and the feds clammed down then I think the hog problem would be gone in less than two years.

[Missouri Sherpa]

The only thing a Texas landowner hates more than pigs on his land is someone traipsing around on his land unattended.  I had a time finding ranches to hunt on, even for money.  A couple million dollars of liabilty insurance coverage helps to open the conversation regarding access.

[awbowman]

Pretty much agree with Bish.   Not looking to get into a debate, but I don't see anything wrong with charging for hog hunting.  The fact is that there are enough people that will pay to hunt them and the Texans can get money to help fund the repairs of the land.  It works I think.  Secondly, when you talk about $100 a day to kill as many hogs as you can, that's a dang site better than the $500 or so a day we pay to hunt deer there.  Cheap deal, take it.

I also don't see any difference in the crop damage deer do in the mid-west,  we are charged to kill deer there. I for one would not expect anyone to let me hunt for free on their land

The days when I grew up, when landowners gladly let you hunt are sadly long gone.  I don't think you will find anyone letting people hunt when they can charge for it.  Just saying

[ScottL]

A lot of these places that are charging hunters, don't want the pigs eradicated. They do use them as a source of income. But the hunters also assist them in being able to keep the populations in check, and therefore not having the poopulations get out of control. In this instance it is win win, because for the most part the hunts are fairly cheap. If you would like to hunt for free, you can come set up on any of WMAs and have a go at them. The only problem is it has to be during an open season for other game.

[White Falcon]

It's all about, $$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$

[PaddyMac]

Just plain economics. There is a greater demand to hunt hogs than there are ranches to hunt them on. the fact that hogs cause damage doesn't change that. It only depresses the price.

But for what you get it's pretty cheap compared to deer, or even in some cases waterfowl or upland birds if you want to get fancy.

[Pat B.]

Can you insure a grain crop against hog damage?

[Green]

Most of the ranches you will pay to day hunt on have feeders filled/tended by the ranch owner/foreman, stands placed for various wind directions, game cameras so they know when the hogs are hitting the feeders to help you be successful, and they'll take you out and pick you up from your stand.  Corn is $10+ a bag and a man's time isn't free....especially if you're hunting hogs that aren't hitting the feeders until 10pm or later.  

$100 a day is cheap for that kind of operation and to kill as many as you can.  Just do an internet search for hog hunting by the name of the county and look for recent articles about county wide hog killing contests.  These contests involve lots of dog running, etc. and can really throw the hogs off their pattern.....don't ask me how I know.    

[cjgregory]

ScottL wrote: " lot of these places that are charging hunters, don't want the pigs eradicated. They do use them as a source of income."

I believe this is the real reason.  Pigs are here to stay.  It is a good idea actually.  You can get hunters to hunt year round.
HOWEVER...I think it should be recorded as so it can be subtracted from the insurance amount.  If you do this and become legit...you can write off all the farming expenses as contributive to the hunting venture.  Then if you thin the hogs out too much you can still sell the crops.

Double dipping at the taxpayers expense is not something I want to pay for as a tax payer.  I have lots of hay and know how the insurance works.  NOthing like driving up our insurance costs as well.

[cjgregory]

"Can you insure a grain crop against hog damage? "

Oh yes Pat.  Its not actually "hog damage" it's ANY damage or loss of a farmers crop.  This also includes the yield.  If it costs more to harvest the crop than its worth then its a loss and insurance covers this.  Dry land farmers experience this all the time a dry year will still grow the crop but there is not enough yield to harvest it without loosing money or making 5 cents a bushel (just an example).
I know because I grow horse grass hay.  If a lightning strick comes in and burns it down right before I cut it then I'm covered.  That is an extreme of course.  I don't have insureance on it.

This are federally funded.  The premiums could never cover a loss or damage.  It is subsidized.

[Geezer]

Pigs, elk....they're all the same.  Before elk season landowners don't want anybody spooking them off their property because they bring $$ into their pockets.  As soon as the seasons are over they want the elk eating the neighbors hay and not theirs.  If elk aren't producing $$$ for them, they call G&F asking for help moving them off or paying 'damage fee's'.  I imagine its the same for a number of other wildlife species.

[ChrisM]

[critter69]

Yea, I went down there 100.00 a day. Supposed to be over run with hogs, got all hyped up. 900 miles later pulled in set up camp,hunted five days didnt even see a hog. No one did.They blamed it on the weather. Iam not a pig expert by any means so maybe the weather did have some thing to do with it. But the weather was the same for several weeks before we got there.(70's during the day 40's at night)We did get a few javelina though and had a good time,but I think the over run with hog issue is to get people down there to spend money.When they are truly "over run" with them I hope they will pay us to come "choot um"

[ChrisM]

  Sorry ranting deleted

[TxAg]

Another thing to consider is a bowhunter wont make even the slightest dent in the pig poulation....

So, as mentioned earlier, why let a stranger traipse around your land with no real incentive. Money becomes the incentive. Its called a trespass fee. Texas is mostly private land...just the nature of the beast.