Frustrated about hogs

I live in the Hill Country. I am "fortunate" to not have any hogs on my property at this time. The only downside is that I'd love to go hog hunting. I have talked with many people that have hog problems in the hill country but none of them are willing to let me try to help them thin the numbers through hunting. What is the deal? If it is a real "problem" then let me help. If you want to charge me $100 a day to hog hunt then it is not a problem, it is an income. Some people don't want anyone on their land, which I can understand, but then don't complain. Sorry, it's just very frustrating and I needed to vent a little.

I feel ya. That said...see umpteen previous discussions to this effect.

I can totally understand both sides of the issue. As I am not a landowner with a hog "problem", I'll pay as long as it's reasonable. Were I a landowner with a hog "problem" and could make a few hundred bucks a week while at the same time the hunters were making it real uncomfortable for the hogs to stay on my place, thereby also reducing the damage they are doing...you bet I would...makes all the sense in the world.

Nothing is free anymore....

It sucks and that's the way it is.....saving all I can to buy my own piece of Texas with hogs on it. We have pigs on our place time to time, but have not connected in two years. Been looking for a reasonable weekend hunt to take the wife on.

not even the plagues

How involved are you with the local landowners associations such as the Burn Association or Stockman's? If you interact with them as a fellow land owner, and they get to know you, invitations may follow. There are no guarantees but, if your pulling your weight on a burn team, it's a lot easier for them to say yes, than if your a mere acquaintance.

^ a whole lot of truth in that. And trying to invite yourself is usually frowned upon.

I trade work, fence mending, plowing, and clearing brush. Be nice, do a good job like you would want done if it was yours, and basically befriend the man. Then after you've done a good few days to a weeks worth of work ask to hunt a little. Kill or no kill get back to work. I've got 2 deer leases this way, it's a lot of work but don't cost a dime and I have 2 really good friends outta the deal which is priceless.

I guess you could always put out a bucket of soured corn every 2-3 weeks. If there are hogs within a few miles, they'll eventually find you. may take a few months, but they will find the corn...they always do.

Do you have a feeder going? I am not advocating it but I know of guys that get $100 per hog hunt and they "relocate" hogs when no one is looking to keep the hunters happy. I am saying if you get $100 per hunt you will have hogs. I am convinced there would be no hog problem in Texas if they weren't so delicious and so damned fun to shoot.

So let me get this straight. You are saying that because people won't let you hunt their land for hogs that they shouldn't be complaining about the hogs?

At least you are willing to pay. There are a lot of folks who think they should be allowed to hunt for free or that the land owner should not be complaining.

What a lot of folks fail to realize is that there is a significant liability risk to the land owner that allows you to hunt. While you may sign a contract that absolves the landowner from liability to you should you get hurt as a result of your hunting activities, that contract will not keep the land owner from being sued if you have an errant shot that harms a neighbor or damages the neighbor's property or livestock.

Your offer to help thin the population in the manner you describe may not be a manner in which the land owner thinks you will make any sort of real impact. The lack of any impact on the population combined with the possible liability issues and then it is easier to understand why the landowner doesn't want your help.

Then there is the issue of responsibility. Many landowners have been burned by folks hunting their property that are poor guests. They leave gates open that should be closed, leave trash behind, make modifications to the vegetation without permission.

Some hunters will arbitrarily decide to hunt other animals not originally part of the agreement. They apparently think that being allowed to hunt one type of animals means that they can hunt whatever they want so long as it is legal. This was a problem I had with a buddy who wanted to take his boy out for his first deer. Aside from cutting down some trees to make a better shooting lane (I like my trees!), he came out by himself one night to scout animal activity and shot the biggest bobcat he had ever seen. He didn't have my permission to hunt bobcats and I like my bobcats. He should not have been hunting at all. It wasn't even deer season yet.

I think this pretty much sums it up. Another thing I might add, is a lot of landowners don't live on the property. So, when you can be out there, they can't.
I might add, me and my brothers sell hog hunts during the off season. And even though we sell hunts, just about everybody that comes out there has to check the feeders and even game cameras. We find where some have even turned the feeders off then complain that the feeder didn't go off. Some leave trash at the stands. It can get tiresome!!
One other thing to keep in mind, if they own the land, I believe they can complain as much as they like!!!

sqiggy, yawl still shutting it down the third week in june? any possible dates in july?

My last hunt is the last weekend in June. Workin on a deal for the first weekend in July for a coon extermination, then using those for bait for yote/bobcat extermination and if any hogs get in the way, well, so be it.
But I haven't had any request for any hunts in July, but I also haven't been pushing any of my ads either. We will hunt all the way to the end of Aug as long as we have people wanting to go.
As far as the OP's statement, another thing I thought about, the property may already be leased. I know a lady that was tellin my mom about how the hogs moved in on her yard and rooted it up. My mom told her she needed me out there. She said he'll take care of them hogs for ya. She told her son, but he reminded her that they couldn't do that because that place was leased to some other people.

I have seen this topic about beat to death on here, and it is always the same old story. Non-land owners are looking for a place to get out and hunt some pigs for fun, and land owners do not want to just let anybody out on their land bceause of liability issues, damage, etc. If I were a land owner I would not want just anyone coming out to hunt on my place. But I am curious, how many land owners on here would let a guy hunt their place for free if that person put in a little time and effort to get to know you? This idea is thrown out a lot and I am wondering how effective it would be. Land owners, please share your thoughts...

Only way is if I know someone, but there's a dang good chance theyre not going to be hunting my bread & butter; if they mess up the deal somehow they don't come back. For a while, that's why I leased was to give friends a place to hunt or where I could kick back and enjoy hunting with other people. Real good friends get ride shotgun and be the shooter as I drive & shine. I have 1 real good friend who has hunted a property I haven't stepped foot on since before season with the option to shoot anything that tickled his fancy. He ended up just telling me an old deer on cam wasnt 13" and probably didn't need to be shooting much off it. I'm closer to he and his son than I am my own siblings though.

My friends can shoot hogs or javalinas anytime. I have a small place so I am afraid of someone cranking off rounds that cross a fence line

I have a couple of friends that use my place as well. They have been helpful in maintaining the property and they keep an eye on the place when I can't be there. These are guys I trust. However I have friends that I would not trust to be there without me being there and so definitely am not inclined to trust strangers.

I was at the local general store getting a burger and talking about hunting hogs with one of my buddies and a fellow at the next table overheard us. He said that he would be glad to bring his dogs out and help take care of my problem. I thanked the guy and explained that I had a fairly small property (46 acres) and that his dogs would not be much use as the hogs are literally just 0-60 seconds from being able to cross the fence line and escaping from just about anywhere on the property. Then the next things the guy said really kind of scared the hell out of me.

He said, "We don't pay attention to fence lines. The hogs don't and so we don't. We don't have a problem with crossing fences." So I noted that at least one of my neighbor's properties is posted against trespess. He said, "No problem. We are usually in and out before anyone ever knows we are there." In the military jargon of one of my buddies, Whiskey Tango Foxtrot!

It is this sort of attitude that scares the hell out of me. My neighbors aren't his neighbors and he has no problem with breaking the law or operating without permission and disrespecting other people and their property. He is certainly not the type of person I want on my land, but the really bothersome thing is that up until he mentioned his willingness to trespass, everything he had said sounded quite reasonable in regard to dog handling and running down hogs.

I would certainly hate to end up pissing off one of my neighbors because I let a hog dogger hunt my property where he then just used my property as the starting point to gain access to other properties and trespass after hogs. Not cool. The fact that the guy didn't consider what he was doing was wrong troubled me.

I can appreciate most of the pints you all have brought up about liability and trust issues with another individual being on your property. My biggest beef is with not even being given the opportunity. I bow hunt, do not use dogs, and have my own feeders and cameras to use if given the opportunity. I understand that SOME people do not respect fences and other personal property while hunting. This is the problem. The people who are willing to help with hog and varmint eradication are quickly being judged as a "problem" and not even given a chance to prove otherwise. There are too many bad apples out there ruining good opportunities for the majority of us that will be respectful and do what is expected of them from the landowners, nothing more, nothing less. I personally think there are more good hunters out there than bad, we just hear about the bad more often. That's what is frustrating. I'm just looking for an opportunity to help and hunt at the same without being labeled as a problem before even being given a chance.

If you can't take being told NO when it comes to asking to hunt on property not your own, then stop asking the question and man-up and put your hard earned dollars to work for you and buy your own property.

Funny how you have a beef with not being given an opportunity to hunt on land that is not yours and not being given a chance to prove yourself. You claim that you will be respectful. Sadly, you have already failed that evaluation. You have demonstrated in this thread that you are not respectful of other's rights and wishes. You claim that you understand the concerns of landowners, but apparently that understanding is only granted as far as those who will let you hunt because you certainly are not extending it to those who won't let you hunt.

Many times extra ppl on a place just get in the way.

If i were a land owner, I would be reluctant to let someone I do not know on my property. Especially if I had cattle and equipment. It is hard to trust a stranger these days.

Like has been mentioned earlier, try to trade work for hunting. Has worked for me before.

I do not pester people in order to get a hunting opportunity. I understand the word NO. When the opportunity comes in the flow of a conversation I simply state that if they would like some help in reducing the numbers of hogs on the property they should give me a call. Nothing more is said unless they bring up the subject again. I have "manned up" and gotten my own property as previously stated, I just don't happen to have hogs on my property. I am VERY respectful of the rights of others and their property even if they do not allow me to hunt. Funny how some people make snap judgements about a person without getting all the information first, i.e. thinking all hunters are irresponsible. THAT was my main beef, or was that not understood.

Do you have axis or exotics you could swap for hunting hogs? Just an idea

No exotics on my property either. I can't seem to get them to come to my property even though I have seen them on two sides of me. I have the rare game cam pic of them but it is usually a single buck or doe and the pics are usually several months apart. I have put out an extra feeder using corn and alfalfa pellets mixed to try and lure them in, but so far no luck. On the positive side, the whitetail love that new feeder with the alfalfa. I already have a few pics of this years bucks and there are a few that look pretty promising.

Another type of hunt to swap would be a quail hunt if you have some birds. Do you plant a dove field? have a private pond? if you have somthing to exchange it's worth a try.

I think the trick is going to be getting to know the landowner. Whether that is through doing some work on his land for him or riding shotgun for a few hunts. If you look hard enough you can find it. As you have seen, some are completely opposed to the idea and they have that right. Just keep looking and asking. I have seen guys on here give people the oppportunity to come out on their land, so I know it happens. Good luck!

Thanks!