HOG TRAP 101 - w/pics & list of material

Thought I would pass along some of my experience in building hog traps over the past few years.

Though I do not pretend to me the expert hog trapper by any means, however, I can definitely share some of my experience and many, many mistakes over these years.

The MOST IMPORTANT detail I can share about building a hog trap is STRENGTH.

The 2nd MOST IMPORTANT detail I can share is a combination of "location" and "pre-baiting".

STRENGTH: build them TOUGH. Cattle Panel / Hog panel is mandatory. Do not make these things out of rolled wire fencing or similar. If you are building a CORRAL TRAP, use 7 foot T-posts and stake them 2.5 feet in the ground every 4 feet (6-8 feet if you want to test your traps strength and have possible damage to your trap) --ask me how I know. For a CORRAL TRAP, either a guillotine system with 3/4 inch plywood OR a metal swing door similar to an old jailhouse.
--NOTE: do not use a flimsy door. A big hog will bust out. I have had it happen. A large hog will bend a cattle/hog panel pretty good if they charge it at top speed. Had this happen as well. They are tough critters.

LOCATION / PRE-BAIT: Far less chance of catching any hogs if you haven't scouted the area and don't see fresh sign. Make sure the location you put / build the trap has hogs.

And don't make the mistake of what I made at the beginning. Setting up the trap, baiting the same day, and coming back the next to find the trap still set. Pre-bait for days or even weeks. Leave the trap door wide open with NO trigger system. Get a trail cam and see if you have hogs in the trap. Once you see activity, you can set the trap. Yup, it takes time. It takes effort, it takes gasoline/diesel and $$$ for corn. However, you will have a much higher success rate.

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Types of traps: I have FIVE of these 4x8 style traps, similar to what you can get at Tractor Supply for $379.99. http://www.tractorsupply.com/tsc/product/voorhies-outdoor-products-llc-hog-trap
It's a GREAT trap. One thing I do NOT like about it is the panel floor. I have covered the flooring up with dirt so a hog doesn't feel something un-natural. Might spook a mature hog. Might not. I don't know. It is my personal opinion. Yours may vary. ALSO, one other change was the door. I wanted ONE (two foot wide) door VS the 3 doors that the Voorhies model has. It is far easier to setup the trigger mechanism in my opinion. Just need to stake trap down to the ground. Hogs can lift traps.

This one I just built today (Saturday). Took about 6 hours with several breaks. Could do it faster if I pre-cut the metal, but I was doing one section at a time since I had not built one in some time. Going off memory....not written plans.



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MATERIAL LIST:

(2) 16' hog panel (Tractor Supply). $20.99
(1) 16' cattle panel (Tractor Supply). $19.99
16" round tubing 1/2", for door hinge
28" solid round 1/2", for door hinge
70' of 1.5" angle iron (it's heavy, I will try 1" next time or a thinning gauge of steel)
25' of 1/2" square tubing (for the door)

Minimum: You will need a tape measure, metal cutting tool of choice, welder of choice, and some skills.
Approximate cost: $120 +/- (if you get the metal WHOLESALE - retail is going to push your total cost over $200)

If you do not have the skills, time, or desire to build one, you can always buy one already built.

And the approximate dimensions are 4' wide, 8' long, and 3' high. Weight is in excess of 200 lbs b/c of the thick angle iron. The angle iron from the Tractor Supply hog trap is definitely thinner gauge and LIGHTER weight.

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CORRAL TRAPS: I'm looking through my phone for pics I took over the years. Will post them at a later date.
If I recall, I have a total of FIVE corral traps at the club. THREE are fairly useless because of the inferior door I had. I will need to change out the door system on those two. The two others are built tough (AFTER I experienced door failure on the others. Learn from my mistakes..........!

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Hopefully this thread will have CONSTRUCTIVE replies, questions, and comments. I would love others to build some, or, share their experiences.

Thanks!

Nice portable trap and some great advice on how to trap hogs. I built this door in the video for my corral trap and it works well.

Woodsman69 said:

Nice portable trap and some great advice on how to trap hogs. I built this door in the video for my corral trap and it works well.

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YES.....!!!! I did the same door (watched the same video) about two years ago for TWO of my corral traps. They work like a charm!

Thank you for sharing.

The OP is giving good advice and anybody wanting to trap hogs will do well to take heed.
I hunt family land and there is one place where lots of trails criss cross. I built a corral pen out of hog panels some years back to try and catch as many as possible at a time. It took a few trys to get my door and trip just right but when I did we really started catching them.
I would hang a feeder outside the pen with a trail cam watching it. When I had hogs feeding several nights in a row I turned off the feeder and started working them into the trap. When the camera showed them going inside I'd set the trap. Next day we had hogs.
I got this large boar coming to the corn but he wouldn't go through the door so I broke up some of those sugar coated donuts you buy by the bag and scattered the pieces outside and inside the pen. He couldn't resist those donuts.
The photo shows him just as he hits a panel in full charge, he is a little blurred and the feeder hanging over the pen is swinging with the impact. A big one doesn't fool around and will charge you just as hard. This makes a strong pen imperative.
We got this one out alive. One thing about a big pen is a smart older hog will lay down right in the center where it' s hard to get to him.
The wiring where the panels overlap is much more substantial than what is shown. I overlap no less than 36" and drive double posts at all overlaps.

***** 5 star thread*****

hog trap

Great looking trap. Gona be setting mine up in a week or so.

Do you shoot them in your corral traps or take them out alive?

lastofthebreed said:

Great looking trap. Gona be setting mine up in a week or so.

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Post some pics.
I will be setting mine out within the week (jan 8 is when deer season ends for our club).

QuackAddict said:

Do you shoot them in your corral traps or take them out alive?

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SHOOT EM IN THE TRAP. I have never tried to remove a live hog. I'm not that daring.

There are some theories (and opinions) about shooting a hog in the trap and not in the trap...

I am almost done building a 4x12 foot box trap. (Typical is 8 foot). This has an extra 4 feet in length. Never seen one that big so I don't know the end result as far as effectiveness. "MY THEORY" is that it may be possible to have MORE hogs enter the trap before the gate is triggered. No idea if there is any truth to that theory or not. Right now, it is experimental. With the 12 foot length, I am adding extra angle iron...I believe the extra length may allow a hog to get a better running start to bust out.

As soon as the rain ends, I will finish the welds and post pics.

Oh, this 4x12 feels HEAVY...!!! It may be more difficult to move around in the woods by myself. We shall see.

Nice trap and thanks for posting....just wandering, do you not put a floor in your trap or do you just stake them down. I know a big ole nasty hog has turned mine over in the past. what kind of trigger do you use and do you have any photo's of the trigger system. Thanks for the information, very informative.....

larryb said:

Nice trap and thanks for posting....just wandering, do you not put a floor in your trap or do you just stake them down. I know a big ole nasty hog has turned mine over in the past. what kind of trigger do you use and do you have any photo's of the trigger system. Thanks for the information, very informative.....

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Great questions Larry.....!

FLOOR: I have TWO that have a floor in them, though I'm not a huge fan of them. I end up getting a few 5 gallon buckets of dirt and putting them on the floor to cover up the panel wire. Lots of work and then it is harder to move.

For the ones WITHOUT the floor, YES, stake them on 45 degree angles, all four corners. A big ole nasty boar could easily lift up the trap and escape.

No pictures of the trigger system. HOWEVER, I can take some in the next week or two when i'm setting these up after deer season.

Basically, a 1"x2" that is about 34" in height keeps the trap door open. Then have a string that goes to the back of the trap, utilizing a trip wire about 20"-24" in height. This way a small pig won't set it off, nor will it likely be set off by coons or other pests that are low to the ground.

Hog Trap 101

95g atl said:

Post some pics.
I will be setting mine out within the week (jan 8 is when deer season ends for our club).



SHOOT EM IN THE TRAP. I have never tried to remove a live hog. I'm not that daring.

There are some theories (and opinions) about shooting a hog in the trap and not in the trap...

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I will post some pictures when we set the trap and, it is against the law in SC to remove a live hog from a trap. All hogs must be dispatched prior to removal.

QuackAddict said:

Do you shoot them in your corral traps or take them out alive?

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Both. I would always make an effort to find someone who wanted the meat and most of those were dispatched with a .22 LR to the head.
There was one guy who said he was fattening them out to have them processed for needy family's so we took his out alive. There were a few others who wanted them alive also.
For hogs up to around 100 yards the process was pretty simple once my help learned it. I'd just take a good rope with a loop in one end, lay the loop on the ground just inside the wire and when the hog follows the wire and steps into the loop with one leg then pull the rope up and the loop tight. With the loop behind one leg and in front of the other it's much harder for them to escape. With the loop behind both shoulders it slides right off the rear end.
Now with the help holding the front legs off the ground (assisted by a pulley up a tree with the catch rope run through it) I'd go into the pen and tie the hind legs with a bowline on both feet then run the rope to the front legs and repeat. The front is where it gets dangerous as they will try to bite you. The rope is actually a stout cord with 2 bowline knots tied in tandem and left loose, then a 3rd and 4th a couple of feet up the line
In practice the first knot goes over one hind foot, pulled tight, then the next foot. Then up to the front and repeat. I'd pull the front legs tight against the rear and secure with a couple more bowlines. Works really quick.
It does become problematic when you have more than one in the trap but if you get the biggest, baddest out first your OK.
For the really big dangerous ones I'd put a cage in front of the pen door.
All this was at the end of my agile years. I would not even attempt it now.

Building hog traps and trapping hogs was a long learning curve for me. Finally got it right.

Things i learned:

1. Trap should have a floor. Otherwise hogs will get their snouts under the angle iron, upset the trap and be gone.

2. Trap must be staked down. i've seen big hogs move an unstaked trap over one foot every time they butted the end.

3. The end opposite the door should be re-enforced with angle iron. Big hogs will attack the gate first. If the gate holds they will go after the opposite end. i've had big boars break numerous welds and and escape.

4. Sometimes hogs will enter root doors and sometimes they will not. i use a a stake under the door attached to a trip line and pulley about 18" from the front of the trap.

Okie Hog said:

1. Trap should have a floor. Otherwise hogs will get their snouts under the angle iron, upset the trap and be gone.

2. Trap must be staked down. i've seen big hogs move an unstaked trap over one foot every time they butted the end.

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I see the logic with the floor, absolutely. While I do not necessarily agree with the floor being required, I strongly agree about staking the trap down. This go around I purchased additional 6 foot t-posts that will be driven into the earth and fastened to the trap in several places. This should eliminate snout lifting and "ram" moving. Without the T-posts or similar, there are several videos on Youtube showing traps being lifted and moved.

Okie Hog said:

3. The end opposite the door should be re-enforced with angle iron. Big hogs will attack the gate first. If the gate holds they will go after the opposite end. i've had big boars break numerous welds and and escape.

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Absolutely on this....! On my last two traps I built, once they were finished, I thought and thought about a monster trying to ram the gate and back of the trap. I decided to add the angle iron at both locations. AWESOME YOU MENTIONED THIS. Thanks.


----and many thanks for sharing your experience on this thread. Had I been educated by someone with experience, I would have been much farther off than I am today.

Hopefully this thread will help people that want to start trapping, and increase their success rate.

----and many thanks for sharing your experience on this thread.

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You are very welcome.

You're way ahead of the game. Took me about three years to get it right.

Hogs are funny sometimes. One time we shot five hogs in a trap and field dressed them within 15 feet of the trap. Next morning we had five more hogs.

Okie Hog said:

Hogs are funny sometimes. One time we shot five hogs in a trap and field dressed them within 15 feet of the trap. Next morning we had five more hogs.

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I've heard both ways, shoot them in the trap. Nothing for weeks. And then the opposite.

My issue is I cannot consistently trap hogs (set triggers) and such very often. It's only a weekend here and there. That will change come summer and my son is out of school.