How to Choose a Hog Trap: A Simple Guide to Protecting Your Land
Selecting the right hog trap is crucial, especially when wild hogs are causing significant damage to your land. These animals can devastate landscapes, and in Mississippi alone, wild hogs cause over $60 million in damage each year. Their relentless digging can ruin fields, making it hard to even walk on the land, let alone farm it. As one Alabama landowner noted, “Some areas are so bad that they are difficult to walk on,” highlighting just how destructive hogs can be. So, choosing the right hog trap is a big decision.
Here’s how you can do it.
Know Your Land: The First Step in Choosing a Hog Trap
Before choosing a hog trap, it’s essential to understand your property. Consider the type of land you have—whether it’s bottomland, timber ground, or open fields. Access is also important, especially if your property is remote. Can you check traps regularly, or will you need local help? These factors are key not only in deciding to trap but also in determining which trap is the best fit for your needs.
Size and Shape
How large is your property? Is it 100 acres or thousands? Are wild hogs a problem across the entire area or just in specific spots? If the terrain is steep, will you need to trap there, or can you control the population from flat ground or bottomland? Also, consider whether the ground is rocky or if it’s easy to place a trap with a flush bottom. These are all important questions to answer before selecting a trap.
How Many
Understanding the size of the wild hog problem is key. Did you spot one hog, or is your land destroyed with hog activity everywhere? Have you set up game cameras to know the true number, or are you guessing? A single boar can destroy a field in two nights, while a sounder of 20 can cause massive damage. Without knowing the scale of the problem, it’s hard to gauge success. These are important factors to consider before buying a trap.
Knowing these things about your land will help you pick the right hog trap. With this information, you can choose a trap that will work best for your situation, making it easier to protect your land from hog damage.
Choosing a Hog Trap That Fits Your Needs
You have looked at your land, determined you are ready to address the hog problem, the next step is choosing the right trap for your needs. There are tons of traps to choose from, but most of them fall into 4 categories: Panel, Drop/Suspended, Box (we do not recommend at all), and Nets. The average sounder in the US is typically 12-16. Panel, Drop, and Net traps can handle this size, so focus instead on where you’ll place the trap and who will set it up. If you’re working alone, or with a partner, be realistic about what you can manage.
Panel Traps
Panel traps are one of the most common and longest-used traps, making them familiar to most people—many have either seen them in person or in pictures. Let’s face it, people tend to prefer what they know. These traps can be configured in various ways, with different sizes and shapes, by adding extra gates and panels, allowing for flexibility. If you’re dealing with large or multiple sounders at a single location, panel traps are an excellent option. They can be easily set up around trees, feed troughs, or large wallows. In one instance, we set a panel trap around an entire cattle pond (1/10 acre) because it was the only water source for miles, and hogs were visiting daily—bait wasn’t even necessary as the water was enough. Pairing a panel trap with a live video system, like the HogEye Camera System, makes it even more effective by giving you control remotely. These traps are sturdy and versatile, making them a great choice for various locations on your land. With their adjustable design and the ability to monitor them remotely, they’re perfect for large areas with heavy hog activity, allowing you to manage the situation without needing to be onsite.
Drop Traps
Drop or suspended traps are an excellent choice for catching hogs that have become wary of other traps, or for a quick strike when you need to capture sounders fast. While smaller than panel traps, drop traps can be set up quickly, allowing you to start trapping hogs immediately. The entire trap is suspended on legs, and hogs typically don’t notice it overhead since they have no natural predators above them. If you’re in an area where hogs have become familiar with panel or box traps, or if they’ve been hunted frequently, drop traps are the perfect solution for these cautious animals. If you notice hogs avoiding panel traps, or if it takes you weeks to set up a trap without scaring them off, a drop trap might be the answer. Because they catch hogs by surprise, drop traps are ideal for outsmarting hogs that have learned to avoid regular traps.
Single Gate Traps
Single gates are a variation of panel traps. Many landowners with permanent traps often move a gate from one trap to another. While single gates are effective, they have the limitation of offering only one entrance and exit. A common issue is that a large boar or sow may stand in the gate and “guard” the bait pile. This prevents other hogs from entering and getting caught. Despite this, if you need a small trap and prefer the panel design, single gate traps are an economical option. For large properties where you need a trap that’s easy to move around, single gate traps are a solid choice. They’re also simple to use, making them ideal for quickly setting up in different locations as needed.
By knowing what each type of trap does best, you can pick the one that will work the best on your land. This way, you’re not just setting a trap, but you’re using it in the smartest way possible to catch hogs.
Key Features to Look for When Choosing a Hog Trap
Besides picking the right style of trap, there are other important features to think about. These features can make a big difference in how well your trap works.
Easy to Use
The best hog traps are those that are easy to set up and use. Choose a trap that you can set up on your own without too much hassle. A trap that’s easy to use will save you time and allow you to catch more hogs efficiently. The most effective way to trap hogs is to establish bait sites, monitor them, and set up the trap when hogs appear. If a trap is hard to move or set up, it often gets left unused as the hog population continues to grow.
Remote Monitoring
Modern traps often come with remote monitoring capabilities, like the HogEye Camera system. These cameras let you keep an eye on your trap from a distance, which is especially useful for large properties or when you can’t check your traps frequently. Some systems even allow you to trigger the trap remotely when hogs are present.
These features are important to think about when choosing a hog trap. They make sure the trap you pick is not only good at catching hogs but also easy to use and manage.
Best Bait for Hog Traps: A Key Part of Choosing a Hog Trap
Choosing a hog trap is only part of the job; using the right bait is also really important. Even more important is keeping bait at the location. Hogs will begin to depend on the bait as a food source, as long as you do not allow the bait to run out, they will be there. The best bait will attract hogs to your trap, making it more effective.
Corn
Corn is the most common bait used for hog traps because hogs love it. It’s cheap and easy to spread around your trap. Some people soak the corn in water with a little molasses to make it smell stronger, which hogs find hard to resist. Corn is especially good if you spread it around the trap for a few days before setting the trap.
Soured Grain
Another great bait is soured grain, which is just grain that’s been left to soak in water until it ferments. The strong smell of the fermenting grain attracts hogs from far away, making it a good choice for big areas. You can make soured grain from corn, milo, or wheat.
Specialty Hog Baits
Store-bought hog baits are specifically formulated to attract wild hogs and often contain a mix of grains, sweeteners, and other ingredients. We only suggest using this option when corn or soured corn are not working. This type of bait can be expensive and is only needed for specific conditions.
Using the right bait is just as important as choosing the right hog trap. Trying out different baits can help you find the one that works best for your situation. This will make sure hogs come to your trap and get caught.
Long-Term Thoughts When Choosing a Hog Trap
When you’re choosing a hog trap, you should also think about how it will work in the long run. Catching hogs isn’t something you do just once—it’s something you’ll need to keep doing over time. By thinking about the long term, you can choose a trap that will keep working for years. Cameras and electronics typically are the issue, so choose a company with a good warranty and a history of standing behind its product. HogEye Cameras have the industry’s longest warranty (4 years) and they are manufactured in the US.
Maintenance
Keeping your trap in good shape is important. When choosing a hog trap, pick one that’s easy to take care of and that comes with good customer support. A trap that’s easy to maintain will last longer and keep working well. And if you ever have questions or problems, good customer support will help you out.
Cost vs. Value
While you should think about how much a trap costs, it’s also important to think about how much value it will give you over time. Choosing a hog trap that’s strong and effective can save you money in the long run by stopping hogs from damaging your land. A good trap might cost more upfront, but it will pay off by saving you money on repairs and replacements.
Adaptability
As hog populations change, so might your trapping needs. Choosing a hog trap that can be adjusted or upgraded is important for staying ahead of the game. Look for traps that can be easily modified or used with new technology as it comes out. This way, your trap will keep working well no matter the changes.
In summary, selecting the right hog trap isn’t just about removing hogs. It’s about protecting your land and ensuring peace of mind. By carefully considering your property’s layout, the different types of traps, key features, bait options, and long-term needs, you can make an informed choice. The right trap will not only help you manage the hog population effectively but also preserve the health and safety of your land for the future.
For more tips and to see your options, view our hog traps here.