I've read a lot on hog traps and how hogs learn not to go into them. I also know the best way to trap a wild animal or cow or horse is to trap them without them knowing they've been trapped. My theory is give them enough space to run down their worry and silently move in on them - be it to load them on a trailer or shoot them.
Also, here's what I've read about hog traps and why they fail. Hogs are spooked by narrow entrances. They don't like walking on wire. Most traps are too small to trap the sounder and the ones that don't get trapped avoid traps. Trap avoiding hogs can be convinced to enter a trap but there has to be enough space, enough bait, and enough time for them to enter.
Taking this into consideration my team and I built a food plot this summer by first putting up hog wire fencing around 1.5 - 2 acres. This would keep the hogs off of the valuable food plot for the deer during the fall. We deliberately put in a 10 foot wide gate as an entrance for the tractor.
Next was the plan for a drop gate. This weekend the deer season ended and project drop gate started.
Here's my materials:
2 x 10' deep well uni-struts
1 x 10' Sch 40 1"
52" cattle panel (50" will work, too)
2 x 10' rebar
1 x 12'+ pipe or other suitable cross member
50' 3/8" poly rope
2 pulleys
TPost
large truck tire
random stick about 2 feet long
First, cut the Sch 40 pipe in half. You can test it first by sliding it up and down the inside of the uni struts.
Second, mark 2" up from one end on each PVC section. This will be where the bottom of the panel rests. Holding it on the panel, put the 2' mark on the bottom rod, mark the rest of the horizontal rods. Repeat for the other 5' section.
Step 3 - mark the pipe sections straight down so you have a cross mark for drilling holes.
Step 4 - drill holes all of the way through with a 1/4" drill bit.
Step 5 - Measure your cattle panel to ensure it is the desired gate length plus. We had a 10 foot wide gate opening, so I added 6" to the panel length (126") to make sure the gate was 6" wider then the posts on the pen. Using that length (126") we laid the PVC down and added the width of it. For those who need an exact measurement, a 1" PVC is actually 1 3/8" outside to outside. Mark the horizontal rods on the cattle panel and cut with bolt cutters. These horizontal rods will slide into the PVC holes.
Step 6 - Put the PVC on the rods. Straighten the PVC and make sure the uni struts will slide easily onto the PVC all of the way through. Use a smaller diameter solid rod to bend the cattle panel into the PVC. Only the top and bottom rods on the cattle panel will bend but make sure they both bend into the center.
Step 7 - Wire small diameter rebar onto the top and bottom of the panel to stiffen it.
The free help - my dad and step son. My dad is still trying to figure this out. Not because he's stupid - he's an engineer and hasn't seen the written plans. He's one of the smartest guys I know and I love him. He was so impressed with this when we finished he told my mom all about it.
Step 8 - drive the unistruts about 2' to 2.5' into the ground, making sure they are straight and level. We actually drove the uni struts with the panel inserted.
Step 9 - add a pipe to the top and wire down to the uni struts. We wanted to be able to remove it later to drive the tractor in, which is why we did not weld it. Oh - and we don't have a welder.
Step 10 - add a 3/8" pulley to the top pipe and tie one end of the rope onto the gate. (I had a snap and tied the rope to the snap.).
Step 11 - pull the other end of the rope through the pulley and walk it out the full length - you will need to have someone holding the gate up or have it propped up.
Step 12 - from the end of the rope, step backwards about 6' and drive a TPost in. Wire down another pulley onto the tpost.
Step 13 - tie a random 2' thick stick to the end of the rope. Place truck tire over stick. Release the gate and make adjustments to hold the gate about 3'+ high.
Step 14 - bump the tire to test the drop. Test it a few times.
Step 15 - fill the truck tire with corn - making sure you get it inside the tire walls. Run a line of corn from the outside of the trap plot to the tire. In all, we used 100# corn.
The tire is heavy so little pigs won't be able to move it. They will be the first ones in. It will take a lot of pigs or a big pig hitting that tire to trigger the gate.
Here's what I like so far - our food plot has 2 small plum groves and a small grove of persimmon trees in it to provide cover for the pigs when they are trapped. They will feel more safe - but they won't be. Second - this trap gate drops very quietly.
What I'm concerned about - the weight of the pull to the truck tire is pulling on my uni struts. I may go back and add ground anchors to off set that pull. Also, I'm concerned the poly rope might stretch.
I'll post pictures of the trapped pigs.
Also, here's what I've read about hog traps and why they fail. Hogs are spooked by narrow entrances. They don't like walking on wire. Most traps are too small to trap the sounder and the ones that don't get trapped avoid traps. Trap avoiding hogs can be convinced to enter a trap but there has to be enough space, enough bait, and enough time for them to enter.
Taking this into consideration my team and I built a food plot this summer by first putting up hog wire fencing around 1.5 - 2 acres. This would keep the hogs off of the valuable food plot for the deer during the fall. We deliberately put in a 10 foot wide gate as an entrance for the tractor.
Next was the plan for a drop gate. This weekend the deer season ended and project drop gate started.
Here's my materials:
2 x 10' deep well uni-struts
1 x 10' Sch 40 1"
52" cattle panel (50" will work, too)
2 x 10' rebar
1 x 12'+ pipe or other suitable cross member
50' 3/8" poly rope
2 pulleys
TPost
large truck tire
random stick about 2 feet long
First, cut the Sch 40 pipe in half. You can test it first by sliding it up and down the inside of the uni struts.
Second, mark 2" up from one end on each PVC section. This will be where the bottom of the panel rests. Holding it on the panel, put the 2' mark on the bottom rod, mark the rest of the horizontal rods. Repeat for the other 5' section.
Step 3 - mark the pipe sections straight down so you have a cross mark for drilling holes.
Step 4 - drill holes all of the way through with a 1/4" drill bit.
Step 5 - Measure your cattle panel to ensure it is the desired gate length plus. We had a 10 foot wide gate opening, so I added 6" to the panel length (126") to make sure the gate was 6" wider then the posts on the pen. Using that length (126") we laid the PVC down and added the width of it. For those who need an exact measurement, a 1" PVC is actually 1 3/8" outside to outside. Mark the horizontal rods on the cattle panel and cut with bolt cutters. These horizontal rods will slide into the PVC holes.
Step 6 - Put the PVC on the rods. Straighten the PVC and make sure the uni struts will slide easily onto the PVC all of the way through. Use a smaller diameter solid rod to bend the cattle panel into the PVC. Only the top and bottom rods on the cattle panel will bend but make sure they both bend into the center.
Step 7 - Wire small diameter rebar onto the top and bottom of the panel to stiffen it.
The free help - my dad and step son. My dad is still trying to figure this out. Not because he's stupid - he's an engineer and hasn't seen the written plans. He's one of the smartest guys I know and I love him. He was so impressed with this when we finished he told my mom all about it.
Step 8 - drive the unistruts about 2' to 2.5' into the ground, making sure they are straight and level. We actually drove the uni struts with the panel inserted.
Step 9 - add a pipe to the top and wire down to the uni struts. We wanted to be able to remove it later to drive the tractor in, which is why we did not weld it. Oh - and we don't have a welder.
Step 10 - add a 3/8" pulley to the top pipe and tie one end of the rope onto the gate. (I had a snap and tied the rope to the snap.).
Step 11 - pull the other end of the rope through the pulley and walk it out the full length - you will need to have someone holding the gate up or have it propped up.
Step 12 - from the end of the rope, step backwards about 6' and drive a TPost in. Wire down another pulley onto the tpost.
Step 13 - tie a random 2' thick stick to the end of the rope. Place truck tire over stick. Release the gate and make adjustments to hold the gate about 3'+ high.
Step 14 - bump the tire to test the drop. Test it a few times.
Step 15 - fill the truck tire with corn - making sure you get it inside the tire walls. Run a line of corn from the outside of the trap plot to the tire. In all, we used 100# corn.
The tire is heavy so little pigs won't be able to move it. They will be the first ones in. It will take a lot of pigs or a big pig hitting that tire to trigger the gate.
Here's what I like so far - our food plot has 2 small plum groves and a small grove of persimmon trees in it to provide cover for the pigs when they are trapped. They will feel more safe - but they won't be. Second - this trap gate drops very quietly.
What I'm concerned about - the weight of the pull to the truck tire is pulling on my uni struts. I may go back and add ground anchors to off set that pull. Also, I'm concerned the poly rope might stretch.
I'll post pictures of the trapped pigs.
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