Texas Sized Hog Trap - Round 2

[Dusty Britches]

Some of you may recall the Texas Sized Hog trap I built and set last year.https://discussions.texasbowhunter.c...d.php?t=718836

We had some good success at trapping some really big pigs and on one occasion trapping 5 pigs but as expected the pvc slider blew out when 2 very panicked pigs hit it. We did shoot 3 other pigs before they hit the gate.

This time I screwed 2 2x4s on either side of a longer cattle panel to act as guides up and down the pipe. See the left side of the pipe in this photo.


I was also frustrated with the way we tried to wire the horizontal pipe to the tops of those vertical pipes and needed something easier to lift off for driving anything into the plot. So I took scrap 2x4 cedar (already stained), drilled 2 x 2" holes on 3" centers, and drove 2 x 2" galvanized pipes through, leaving about 2" above the cedar plate. Then I put 2 1/4" galvanized screws through the cedar into the pipe caps to hold them in place, provide stability, and to act as a slide stop to keep them on top of the pipes. And, it keeps the spacing right to prevent the pipes from binding onto the gate. I added 2 eye bolts to wire the horizontal pipe to and to attach a guide wire / chain. This acts as a stabilizer when the gate is set open and keeps the pipes from bending backwards.


We also realized during the shooting spree that the pigs ball up in the corner next to the gate so I added a short length cattle panel in a curved fashion to prevent a corner. This was actually the former pvc gate. The big truck tire was placed there to get it out of the way but I'm hoping it also throws the pigs off balance.



So I set the trap but quickly realized the gate was substantially heavier and needed a heavier weight to hold my stick under the tire. The gate was sliding down as the birds and critters ate the corn.


So yesterday I search the net, which ironically (or not) brought me to the thread on hog trap triggers in this section! I instantly saw the solution in the pull pin and set out to use scrap supplies. My ubolt was actually a small piece of box iron with previously welded tabs, which was perfect for holding a pin, which I happened to have a collection of from previous projects. I grabbed an old snap for the gate rope to attach to and a drill to put a hole through the tpost and run a 1/4" lag bolt to attach my "ubolt" to.


After a few test runs I found that the best setting for the pin was barely through the hole. The gate is pretty heavy and takes some effort to move the trigger tire.


The pin is attached to a short rope which runs through the sidewall of the tire and has a knot tied in the end to keep it from slipping back through. There's a half of a bag of corn under the soil, which is only about 1" deep.


Final set up.


Naturally, as I was finishing up the wind picked up and the cold front started coming in. The hogs have not come around yet. I have my wireless camera set up on the gate and as of this morning the gate has not slipped at all.

I am ready for any and all pigs. We are open for business!

[JeffK]

Wouldn't it work better if the tire was in line with the pin? You may be able to put the pin in further then.

[canny]

Very nice!

[hog_down]

Looks great to me, but the only thing I would change is the big truck tire in the corner. The pigs might use that to stand on (or each other) and try to jump out of the trap. Nice work!

[BBReezen]

Thats awesome! I like that trigger setup. The only issue I could see and it may not be much of one, but what if you put up some sort of barrier for the tire to keep from getting pushed on the back side of the t post and preventing the pin from being pulled? That sue would **** me off ��

[Worksalot]

The box iron where your pin runs through, if you find there’s still a bit too much friction on the pin, try finding a couple nylon bushings (or other slick material) that’ll snap in place for both holes. I’ve had to use such bushings on other types of live traps to reduce the friction on the pins, thus taking less effort to pull them. That way it’s not metal rubbing against metal. Works great.

But it would require drilling out the pin holes larger to accept bushings. Guess you could always just try greasing the pin and see if that helps any.

[Muskles]

Come on piggies! Nice changes.

[Mike Fangman]

Originally Posted by JeffK

Wouldn't it work better if the tire was in line with the pin? You may be able to put the pin in further then.

This ^^^ I thought the same thing.

[Spoiled_TN_boy]

I don't want to speak for the OP, but I believe the idea is hogs will root and move the tire. Hopefully in the correct direction.

[wdtorque]

In for the trapping


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[Paycheck]

I'm in!!!

[BTLowry]

Stack the pork

[Chootem]

Originally Posted by Worksalot

The box iron where your pin runs through, if you find there’s still a bit too much friction on the pin, try finding a couple nylon bushings (or other slick material) that’ll snap in place for both holes. I’ve had to use such bushings on other types of live traps to reduce the friction on the pins, thus taking less effort to pull them. That way it’s not metal rubbing against metal. Works great.

But it would require drilling out the pin holes larger to accept bushings. Guess you could always just try greasing the pin and see if that helps any.

Agreed. And tire in line with barrier from it getting pushed closer to trigger. Looks great, I might copy your trigger setup. Nice work.

[Preacher Man]

Oh my, my
Oh he** yes

[Dusty Britches]

I don't think the angle of the rope to the tire is much of a deal. The rope from the snap to the gate is straight. The tire is just a tad too much for little pigs but medium to large pigs won't have any trouble.

They visited twice last night but the bigger pigs didn't go to the tire. I put out more corn today.

[Dusty Britches]

They are all skittish around traps so the trick is to let them think it is not a trap. The trigger tire is 75 feet from the gate.

[yotethumper]

Looks great.

[Muskles]

Originally Posted by Dusty Britches

They are all skittish around traps so the trick is to let them think it is not a trap. The trigger tire is 75 feet from the gate.

This is a good strategy. When I was running traps regularly, I wouldn't set the trap for a week or so when I put it in a new location. Let em get comfortable and they'll mess up.

[Dusty Britches]

Originally Posted by JeffK

Wouldn't it work better if the tire was in line with the pin? You may be able to put the pin in further then.

I started thinking about this and you are probably right. I'll adjust it when I can. For some reason I was thinking the pin would just pull out too easily but the the weight on the gate rope it would not be that easy. Thanks!

[Texas Grown]

In for the trapping!


Gettem Girl!

[MasonCo.]

nice idea

[Dusty Britches]

I just saw where they went by the gate but not in. The babies that could fit in my hand 2 weeks ago are now like big melons! ��

[GarGuy]

Originally Posted by Dusty Britches

I just saw where they went by the gate but not in. The babies that could fit in my hand 2 weeks ago are now like big melons! ��

Those melon size pigs are some of the best eating on earth.

[dustoffer]

Using panels with the big holes insures that you won't catch many small ones as they can squeeze thru and be gone. I've had several running piglet shoots driving up to the trap. I have some chain-link fencing I am going to line the inside of the trap with to keep the little ones inside with momma.

[Dusty Britches]

Strategy Dustoffer, strategy.

We approach from cross wind. Use suppressor fire, taking the big ones first. If the small ones are small enough to slip through, the coyotes can have them. I also understand the boars will kill them. Plus, I haven't had any small ones slip through the fence yet.

[Dusty Britches]

I fixed the line to the tire to where it will pull straight out, so 90 degrees from the gate line. I also moved the big truck tire to the back side of the small tire to keep them from pushing it to the tpost. Now, we just need them to come visit.

[Pistol]

I have a feeling there is going to be an update soon!

[Dale Moser]

I’m here for all of it...


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[SwampRanger]

Waiting

[Pedernal]

Awesome thread...

[GarGuy]

Originally Posted by Pistol

I have a feeling there is going to be an update soon!

Ah ha! Get em!

[Dusty Britches]

Thank you for the teaser Pistol!

So on Monday I around 6 pm I checked my Covert Cam. And this is what I saw.



See those pigs on the left inside the trap? They are about to push the tire trigger and drop the gate. Fortunately, one of these 2 boars made it in before they did that.



Boom! Down it comes! They all darted to the left, but not back at the gate ... yet.


Now they slam into the gate! The one on the outside might have gone through an upper square in the gate or he may have been on the outside anyway. It also looks like a second black one may be slipping through. (I think I'm going to tie fine mesh wire to the gate to keep this from happening again.)



10 minutes later, they are still circling the pen but settling down. I counted 18 pigs.




More boar hogs circled all night.


The next morning, they are all bedded down in the grove of trees. See them on the left in the grove, in the center of the picture? All are happy and relaxed.


At 8:30 am, they come back to the feeder and corn hole to eat. They look pretty relaxed to me.






Then a few minutes before we showed up at 5:45, the feeder went off and they came in for their last meal.


One guy with a suppressed fire rifle took out the big pigs before the real panic set in and it started getting dark. The other 3 shooters started laying them down but soon ran out of bullets. Every gun was empty but there were 5 more pigs. We went back to the house and reloaded! My neighbor kids jumped into the pen and started hauling dead pigs out. Here's a few cool pictures of us cleaning up after the rest of the pigs were shot.





All in all, we gave 18 pigs new homes last night.


Trap has been reset and is now waiting on the next set of foster pigs.

[Dusty Britches]

One other change I'm going to make is I'm going to wire a metal pipe to the bottom of the gate to prevent it from being bowed. I might also try to weld a 1/4" flat bar in the middle for the same reason. The gate is getting pretty heavy, though.

[offthemap]

Originally Posted by Dusty Britches

One other change I'm going to make is I'm going to wire a metal pipe to the bottom of the gate to prevent it from being bowed. I might also try to weld a 1/4" flat bar in the middle for the same reason. The gate is getting pretty heavy, though.

If weight is a concern I bet a 2x4 would work across the bottom. Love this idea for your trigger mechanism, might have to copy that!

[Dusty Britches]

Originally Posted by offthemap

If weight is a concern I bet a 2x4 would work across the bottom. Love this idea for your trigger mechanism, might have to copy that!

A 2x4 won't be much different. The trigger idea came from another thread on here.

I'm also going to add curved cattle panels to the other 3 corners. I got mighty nervous seeing them pile up in a corner.

[Aggies12]

Awesome

[Muskles]

Congrats on the success!

[Pstraw]

Glad to see all the work paying off. You've got it going your way now.

[Dale Moser]

Hell yes!

I like the 2X4 idea as well, turn it sideways if it's not stiff enough.

[Brazos Hunter]

That’s fricken awesome!



Michael

[Texas Grown]

Well done! That's a lot of porkchops.

The fish are biting, and there's hogs to be kilt. Gotta go!

[hog_down]

Very nice! what would you say the biggest boar weighed?

[Dusty Britches]

Oh, in there? I think the largest one was probably 130. I dragged one to the gate so I got a pretty good idea on him. The other one was the bigger one.

I've trapped a 300+ pounder in this trap.

[gonehuntin]

Heck yeah, that worked out great. I love seeing your vision work out so good.

[yotethumper]

That is what is up.

[freezerfiller]

Awesome!

[kruppa24]

Epic!

[Shinesintx]

Originally Posted by Dusty Britches

A 2x4 won't be much different. The trigger idea came from another thread on here.

I'm also going to add curved cattle panels to the other 3 corners. I got mighty nervous seeing them pile up in a corner.

Can you explain why the corners need to be curved. Thanks!

[Shinesintx]

This is awesome!

[gonehuntin]

Originally Posted by Shinesintx

Can you explain why the corners need to be curved. Thanks!

Hogs will pile up in the corner and climb over each other to get out.