Explain to me this Texas pig issue...

[Javi]

Originally posted by Bisch:
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

Yep...

[PA stickbow boy]

I agree it's counterintuitive given conditions but when was the last time you said to yourself "you know I really am impressed by the level of logic displayed by the average American these days" [/QB][/QUOTE]

    possibly sad but true

On a hunting note...  I'd love to hunt hogs someday!

[PA stickbow boy]

messed up that quote thing from Ray

[John Nail]

nobody mentioned -the State of Texas requires a license for out of staters to hunt hogs. That tells me they don't consider them very much of a problem.

[Ground Hunter]

If you don't live out here you just don't understand.  We have been in a serious drought for years.  Most of our county burned down last year. The cattle are dying and there is no feed or water for them.  Land owners make more money from hunts now than cattle.  Any kind of hunt.  Hogs are a cash crop.

[tarponnut]

Running a legit hog operation requires a lot of startup capital for feeders, stands, trail cams, lease cost, insurance,fuel, advertising,time,sweat equity, etc.(not complaining, it's part of doing business)
I would be suspicious of an operation charging only $100 a day, unlimited hogs.
Hogs are by nature mostly nocturnal. Timed feeders keep them a little more active during daylight hours but definitely isn't a sure thing.
We have plenty of daytime hog activity in central
Florida.Hunting pressure, or lack of, is the key.

[Night Wing]

Sometimes one gets lucky.

Since I live in southeast Texas, there are a lot of hogs in the dense woods.

A lady who lives a half mile from me down the same road, saw me one day practice shooting my recurve in my front yard as she drove by. She backed up, pulled into my drive way and chatted with me for a awhile.

Long story short. She told me she has quite a few wild pigs on her property causing some damage and if I wanted, I could bowhunt them at no charge as long as I eat them. I told her if I kill it, I eat it.

I've killed two wild hogs on her place. One was 115# and the other was 95#. Both made for some very tender eating. I made sure some of this tender meat was given to her too.

Sometimes, even in Texas, one gets lucky and doesn't have to pay to hunt wild hogs, but these situations are very far and very few inbetween.

[Alexander Traditional]

I live here in Texas,and have seen that the people that are really serious about not wanting hogs on their place because of damage usually set out a lot of traps. I am fortunate to have a couple of friends that have places with hogs on them,and I get to go hunting on them from time to time.

[TxAg]

Originally posted by John Nail:
nobody mentioned -the State of Texas requires a license for out of staters to hunt hogs. That tells me they don't consider them very much of a problem.

Residents have to have a license as well

[Hud]

I understand your situation; if you can't beat 'em, then find a way to work a deal. Maybe run an ad, or check with local Agricultural Extension Agent, or Wildlife Biologists familiar with a county or two your interested in start.

Find an area with hog problems, ask for a yearly lease if you have enough friends to split expenses.

[acolobowhunter]

I have never hunted the hogs, but we go down every year for javelina.  I won't tell you the price - it is really cheap.  We have become good friends with everyone on the ranch and they look forward to us coming.  Yes they charge the whitetail deer and mule deer hunters quite a bit.  For us - cheap.  They think we are crazy to drive from Colo to shoot arrows at the javelina.  However, I also know a neighboring ranch that charges as much or more to hunt javelina than hogs.  It is crazy - I would not pay it myself, but each to his own.  If you have that kind of money you will spend it on some kind of recreation - hunting, fishing, cruise ship, etc.

[arrow flynn]

Here in ca the ranchers will stand in line to tell you no at least u can buy day hunts or leases in Texas.

[jsweka]

Hmmmm....This thread has been enlightening for me.  I agree that a landowner has the right to charge trespass fees for hunters.  However, there's just something about a farmer/rancher who gets subsidized for the damage caused by hogs through public funds yet doesn't let the public hunt that just doesn't sit well with me.

I guess I won't be making any plans to hunt Texas hogs.

[JamesV]

Common down to Mississippi and kill our hogs FREE. Over 100,000 acres of public land to hunt with lots of hogs just out my back door. All you need is your liscense, well... and some arrows. Can hunt hogs during turkey season which opens April 1 and runs for a month.

James

[ChrisM]

Originally posted by jsweka:
Hmmmm....This thread has been enlightening for me.  I agree that a landowner has the right to charge trespass fees for hunters.  However, there's just something about a farmer/rancher who gets subsidized for the damage caused by hogs through public funds yet doesn't let the public hunt that just doesn't sit well with me.

I guess I won't be making any plans to hunt Texas hogs.

No subsidizies for my pasture land or hay meadows!  Just me fixin it.

[SteveB]

Originally posted by jsweka:
Hmmmm....This thread has been enlightening for me.  I agree that a landowner has the right to charge trespass fees for hunters.  However, there's just something about a farmer/rancher who gets subsidized for the damage caused by hogs through public funds yet doesn't let the public hunt that just doesn't sit well with me.

I guess I won't be making any plans to hunt Texas hogs.

Allowing bowhunters to hunt their land will do nothing to control the population and will not lessen the damage - it only gives recreational opportunity to the hunter with nothing for the landowner.

[Ground Hunter]

Land owners do incur some liability (risk) when someone is on their land.

[arrowlauncherdj]

Ground Hunter hit it right there. As the son of a cotton/peanut farmer here in South Alabama... we get all sorts down here wanting to hunt for free on the property that we own and lease. We have 4000+ of row crop land.  We have to pay insurance for liability, including if some dumby rides onto our property with or without our knowledge and injures themselves... therefore you have to pay a trespass fee, so we can pay for the insurance.  I frankly dont see the problem here.

Blame our sue-happy society where people do stupid crap all on their own, yet you are responsible bc they are standing on your land, whether they have permission to be there or not.

Also, when it comes to the insurance thing.  Farmers pay for those premiums, it is not directly subsidized by the government. We sell crop insurance as well, and if there are catastrophic losses in a region, then the company we sell for has to have the investments to pay the losses. The insurance companies have insurance as well in case there are problems like that.  It's funny how so many think that all farmers are on the government dole.  We havent seen a subsidy in the south in decades, not that I am complaining.  All those go to the states who have different political leanings further north of us.

[Zbone]

Been preaching it for years – Leasing and pay to hunt is cancerous and will be the demise of hunting we once knew, and unless hunters wake up and take a stand, someday all hunting will only be for the wealthy. Ask the Europeans...

Personally, I have never paid to hunt and never will.

[Nala]

I wouldn't mind paying a trespass fee or something towards the upkeep on a place.  I would gladly sign a waiver of liability too.  I also wouldn't mind helping out any way I could.  The problem is I don't know where to find a place that has hogs and is willing to do that.  The places you see in the newspaper are probably overrun by everyone and their brother.  I am around Houston and am new.  I have no clue where to find places like that that are within a couple hours drive of me.  I can't exactly just hop in the car and drive around asking people.

Where are these places that are trad friendly for hogs?

Nalajr