“IF” you would consider letting others hog hunt on your land...

T

TXAZ

New member
My BIL is thinking of leasing out some of his Texas ranch for hog hunts. No surprise he has a problem with the hogs beyond his capabilities
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If you had a ranch what criteria would you use to allow hog hunters in and what would you charge?
 
Verify hunters had a valid hunting license, and I would charge maybe $100-150 per day (24 hr period) and all kills must be processed/removed from the property. I would log all the hunters in with a valid state ID (a drivers license would be the preferred) I would let youth hunters accompanied by a legal guardian hunt for free, but the guardian still gets the normal fee and license criteria. I would allow camping but campsite must be left in the as found condition or any future hunts would not be allowed.

These rates are a hell of a lot less expensive than most day hunt ranches charge.
 
My first preference would be to charge enough and provide enough value that I was likely to weed out the, uh... well, you know who I mean. I don't know how much that would be as I've never been involved in such business.

I would have an informal interview process at the very least, for weeding out of same. It doesn't take a lot of talking to identify people I don't want around, especially with firearms.

Also, I would create very detailed maps with allowed and not allowed areas clearly marked, areas for camping, fires, etc, clearly marked, usable and unusable paths/roads clearly marke, rules for OHVs, etc, etc.

I would also have a 1 warning policy, and that 1 warning happens when I explain the 1 warning policy before they start the hunt.
 
If the hogs are indeed a problem, I'd keep the fee as low as possible. I'd ask other deer-lease ranchers for recommendations for potential customers.

I'd start with the cost of premiums for liability insurance and use that as a guide for fees.

I see Brian's ideas as good for interviews, maps and rules.
 
Well it really depends on if he wants the hogs eradicated or wants to supplement his income? How much is his liability insurance going to increase by allowing hunters on his property? I sure wouldn't charge much if he just wants the hogs gone, but I'd charge enough to pay for a good insurance policy in case someone was hurt on my property from a hunting activities.
 
taylorce1 said:
Well it really depends on if he wants the hogs eradicated or wants to supplement his income? How much is his liability insurance going to increase by allowing hunters on his property? I sure wouldn't charge much if he just wants the hogs gone, but I'd charge enough to pay for a good insurance policy in case someone was hurt on my property from a hunting activities.
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Pure eradication of the existing parcel / herd / drift / drove of pigs.

If he 'just opened it up to any Tom, Dick or Harry' we can all accurately surmise where that would end up.
 
I agree about the T, D, H.

I think your brother should consider trapping them first.

Usually, when we run the traps, a nightly score of 10-15 is common, but it is time consuming and a lot of work.

If he doesn't have the resources for trapping, it can be "hired" out.

We learned that you can never get rid of all of them, but can control them somewhat.

And, there is always sodium nitrite.
 
Call your local military base MWR office and talk to them about organizing a day or two hunt for their soldiers. Hunting in Texas is incredibly difficult for military as leases are sky high, there's little public land, and they're not in the area long enough (or often enough) to build relationships.
 
Thanks Dufus. Poisoning probably isn't going to fly. There is a concern of residual poison, even though some claim it's all metabolized...
I don't know if he's looked at the large traps or not. The small ones are virtually worthless, kinda like stomping on 1 ant.

Zoomie, I'll pass the Mil idea along, that's probably a win-win. Question is if they would have their own hunting rifles.
Thanks guys.
 
Just my opinion.
Nope!! No sir's.

I do own a parcel of hunting land. 160 acres of old growth Minnesota forest.
I let a few fellows on my Posted land every year to hunt providing they eat what they harvest.

From what I've read very few Feral pig shooters practice that endeavor. Not at all my Bag gents.
 
There is a ranch I go to work on gas wells and they use large magnetic numbers on the doors of the hunters pickups to help know who is who and to spot someone that should not be there.
 
I never meant to imply he should allow anyone and everyone to hunt on his land, I'm sorry if I came across that way. I actually like the idea of hiring trappers or trapping them yourself. That sounds like the best way to put the biggest dent in the population the fastest.
 
I let a few fellows on my Posted land every year to hunt providing they eat what they harvest.

From what I've read very few Feral pig shooters practice that endeavor. Not at all my Bag gents.
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I ate the hogs I've shot in the past. I don't object to your opinion at all, but I don't object to the people that leave them lay either when they try to eradicate them. Hogs can do an extreme amount of damage to property in a short amount of time. If you have ever had an invasive species come in and destroy your property, I'd bet you would change your mind quickly as to having to harvest all the animals.

I've had to deal with prairie dogs a lot on my families property, and have had the amount of cattle we can run be diminished by more than 50% on that land. You can't kill them off fast enough with a rifle to make it an effective control method. Poisons aren't as good as they used to be at controlling them either, your best hope is the plague moves in and wipes the entire town out.

I also see your point, where feral hogs aren't much different from the pork people buy at the market. You see it as a waste of meat, but feral pigs are an invasive species and aren't regulated as a game animal in many states. Feral hogs also don't breed in the fall and birth in the spring like most wild game, they can produce a litter up to three times a year. That fact makes their population extremely hard to manage, with normal management tools we use on most game animals.

My opinion is states like TX will always have a feral pig problem as long as it is a money maker. Take the money out of pig hunting and you'll see the hog problem dealt with.
 
Just a this fellows opinion:
Not me nor anyone else is allowed to kill on my land and leave their quarry lay for the birds irregardless of the animal status. "That's wonton taking of life as I see it."

Again Feral Pig was indeed around pit digging long before big land owners promoted their total eradication under Law. Again.
Their are Natural safe guards limiting all species of animals that inhabit this planet so to keep we animals from over populating. Bubonic plague. Avian influenza off the top of my mind for humans. Swine fever, brucellosis and trichinellosis plus Coyote and Cougar known to attack feral pig which helps keep such so called vermin in check. ~ Oops!
Those same expansive land owning individuals promoted some time back time did they not? "lets get rid of all mouse killing coyote and push those nasty bushwhacking Cougar to near extinction." >Auh~~ today's intelligent animal huggers some perhaps believe "that foolish doing just may turn out to be a huge mistake in controlling feral pig population."

So how's about some State politicians getting involved again at the behest of those same Ranchers & Farmers asking for the legal addition of baited live trapping pen's year round be allowed and shooting all pig trapped 2ft away in distance for quicker dispatch results is also acceptable. As Mothers Natures way is less responsive to those big land owners with their overwhelming dilemma. Oh well:

What happens else where isn't my business. Spouting off occasionally is kind'a fun though.~~:o
 
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Noting your repeated and snide "big land owners" quip, while you preside over your 160 acres. The total of the land I own is push-mowed in 25 minutes.

You are a "big land owner" to hundreds of millions of Americans.

Maybe not all the big land owners are bad folk.
 
I'd get a lawyer and insurance agent to look at the proposition and set up a release for them to sign. Vetted them is a great idea.

Get copies of all necessary licenses for all involved.
 
Tell him to look into the cost of liability insurance first. Charging for land use changes how the assorted laws, not just the fish and game laws, affect everything. If some guy stubs his toe while hunting he can sue for damages and probably win. Charging a fee means you're running a business and you must operate like you're running a business.
"...set up a release for them to sign..." Waivers usually don't mean squat, but it'd depend on State laws. Absolutely talk to a lawyer.
"...you know who I mean..." The rectal orifi? snicker.
"...Poisoning probably isn't going to fly..." Illegal in most places.
"...That's wonton..." That's a Chinese dumpling.
 
Just a this fellows opinion:
Not me nor anyone else is allowed to kill on my land and leave their quarry lay for the birds irregardless of the animal status. "That's wonton taking of life as I see it."
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What about coyote or do you not allow coyote hunting on your 160 acres? Or do you feel predator control is wanton taking of life?


Poisoning probably isn't going to fly..." Illegal in most places.
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Poisoning of feral pigs in was the solution the State of TX came up with to deal with feral hogs. It was the people who made a living providing hunts for hogs that cried foul the loudest and got it stopped. So now Texas hands are pretty much tied, as hunting isn't controlling the population like it does with other game species.
 
taylorce1 said:
What about coyote or do you not allow coyote hunting on your 160 acres? Or do you feel predator control is wanton taking of life?




Poisoning of feral pigs in was the solution the State of TX came up with to deal with feral hogs. It was the people who made a living providing hunts for hogs that cried foul the loudest and got it stopped. So now Texas hands are pretty much tied, as hunting isn't controlling the population like it does with other game species.
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I'm sorry, but I have to sort of disagree with you about the professional hunting outfits getting the poisoning stopped in Texas. While we have some folks making money on the hogs, the majority of hogs killed in the state are by private individuals hunting on their own lands, or land belonging to acquaintances.
Poisoning was a bad idea in the first place and found people against it from the get go.
The amount of research into the side effects of poisoning hogs was not sufficient to allow such a thing to happen.
 
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