feral hogs

[az.mountain runner]

If wild hogs are so damaging to land owners, and costing them so much money in property damage, why don't they offer hunters to come and hunt them for free? It seems to me the quicker u can remove them, the less damages that occur.

 

[Ikeepitcold]

I have seen free hog hunts in Texas before.

 

[Colorado Cowboy]

I have hunted hogs in Texas numerous times (great fun and good eating too). One thing you have to remember, not everyone in Texas has a hunting operation. Lots of landowners are not setup for outsiders hunting. But thats not to say they wouldn't allow you to hunt the hogs if they were asked. There in lies the problem....finding them.

I have a friend who I used to work with when we both lived in California (preretirement). We hunted some together, mostly birds and a few hogs in central Cal. After retirement we keep in touch and still hunt together. He come here and hunts elk and I go to Texas for hogs. He has lots of hogs and tries to keep them under control, but is really not set up to have a hunting operation for just anyone who wants to hunt. Lots of his neighbors are the same. A lot of the big farmers where lots of crop damage occurs don't have time to mess with hunting and lots really don't want to so they contract with an outfitter. So there you go...$$$ to hunt.

Just an outsiders take on the situation. I'd bet you could find places to hunt like my buddies, if you wanted to spend the time looking.

 

[TooFarEast]

Rednecks and Lawyers

Unfortunately Rednecks and Lawyers have ruined it for everyone. The good old days of knocking on someones door and getting permission to hunt for free are fading because of this. Rednecks will shoot up and trash a field of crops just almost as fast as a herd of hogs. There are a select few idiots that call themselves "hunters" that ruin the fun for everyone (by not hunting ethical/safe, littering, etc). Then if someone gets hurt on your land, you get sued. If you were a landowner, would you give out-of-town strangers free hunting rights to your land?

Feral hogs here in the southeast are nothing more than a plague for some people, and are not valued anymore than coyotes. There are several farmers that will grant free hunting rights, but it is all about "who you know." If you know someone that knows a landowner and can give you a reference as a respectable "sportsman" it will make it much easier.

 

[trkytrack2]

Wow....you sure don't want to ever walk into a "redneck bar" with that redneck attitude.

 

[TooFarEast]

No offence to rednecks, just some idiots don't know how to act outside of the redneck bar. I am sure there are many that would consider me as a redneck, so maybe i didn't use the proper term. Just seems like most people in the south won't give permission to strangers because they have been burned before.

 

[az.mountain runner]

Thanks for all the good replies, I never think about , someone taking advantage and screwing things,up for others, I am always thankful of an opportunity ,and try to leave something better than I found it.

 

[PLP]

They would rather deal with the damage than share their hogs...there are laws that protect landowners from any liability for letting people hunt their property...atleast back in ga,and people just wouldnt let you hunt the hogs unless you were kin,or they got something out of it.Just the way it is..Its getting to be that way everywhere...but i imagine it is just like Colorado cowboy said..someoene else has ruined it for others and made landowners not trust anyone..Around the area I am now they wont let you hunt because outfitters/guides flash cash and grab all the land up.Everyone that supports an outfitter or guide that leases the land they hunt on is supporting the decline in available land for the common man..think about it...No land to hunt around you so you pay big $ and secure private land..you block another man out and he has to do the same or either be thrown to the wolves on public land...it is a cycle..

Also it is rare to completely remove hogs in an area they are established that meets all their needs.You can help control them,but if the land has many thickets you wont likely be able to remove them all..they usually will only leave when the food/water sources change.

Being from back southeast know what types of people you are talking about toofareast..

az I know a place where it is almost free..you have to buy a $60 permit,a small game license,and your transportation/food/lodging...