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Cameras Helpful In Battle Against Wild Hogs

published: October 9th 2009
by: Robert Burns
source: TAMU Ag Communications

Know your enemy better than your friends, the saying goes.

As for feral hogs, knowing when, how many and where they visit is critical to controlling them, said a Texas AgriLife Extension Service expert.

And one of the best ways to monitor feral hog activity, either with trapping or hunting in mind, is by using remote-sensing cameras, said Dr. Billy Higginbotham, AgriLife Extension wildlife and fisheries specialist.

In Texas, feral hogs cause an estimated $52 million in damage to crops and pastures annually, he said.

"And that does not include damage to wildlife food plots, wildlife feeds and feeders, or to recreational areas like parks, golf courses and landscapes," Higginbotham said.

From the standpoint of either recreation or economics, the impact of feral hogs on deer hunting in Texas is large, he said. Deer hunting has an economic impact of more than $2 billion dollars annually, and feral hogs compete with white-tailed deer for food and territory throughout their habitats.

"Feral hogs are impressive adversaries," he said. "They're smart and wary of both hunters and traps. Remote-sensing cameras can swing the advantage to the side of hunters and trappers trying to abate damage."

The film cameras of 20 years ago were tripped electronically, either by motion or infrared sensors, he said. The digital cameras of today are weather-proof and easier to set up. And in the past few years, prices have dropped significantly, with entry level cameras costing about $80 and higher-end cameras in the range of $600, with many options in between.

"The utility of these little devices extends well beyond patterning deer," Higginbotham said. "Their capability to record the date and time of events captured digitally is what makes them especially useful for combatting feral hogs."

For trapping, when the landowner spots a herd of feral hogs, called a "sounder," or finds damage, he or she can put out shelled corn as bait and set up a camera to monitor activity. By taking a head count of the sounder, the landowner can determine the best size trap to put out.

"The idea is to have a trap large enough so the last hog enters through the gate before the first hog trips the gate trigger, usually located near the back of the trap," Higginbotham said. "Maximizing the distance between the gate and trigger means using bigger traps if large numbers of hogs make up the sounder."

Higginbotham recommended using a camera to continue monitoring hog activity long after the trap is erected.