Been trying to put some pork in the freezers of friends, and the pigs have gotten smarter than me--

Here's the situation--round pen trap abut 33' across w/tall cattle panels and a feeder inside. Three-part gate that I used to prop open with a trip/trigger going to a cross rope at the back of the trap. Wasn't catching anything--check the trap-doors closed, corn all gone, no pigs. Walked the fence several times and no indication they are climbing out, no holes thru or under the panels, no loose panels. Hogs are too large to wiggle out thru the panels.

I re-rigged the trigger mechanism as the night before I had visitors but they never tripped the trigger. This morning-no pigs, and corn is gone and the pile of logs I put under the trigger rope where I pour the corn is scattered. Gate is down. Pulled the camera cards and here's last night's visitors. Can they open this type of door and escape? All of them?

Do any of the game cam pictures give you an idea of how the pigs opened the gate? There's plainly something wrong with the gate or trigger ...

D,

prolly some of those new hy-breds that just flew in from Kalifornia......



May have to put a lid on it.

Quien Sabe

JAPPFT,


GWB

one guy suggested putting barbed wire between the t-posts, alternating which would put the wire inside the panels a bit. Another friend put metal flashing at the top of his panels. Might also have to bite the bullet and put panels angled inward.

take more pictures til you figure it out.
Do pigs learn to climb?
Use a rake around the fence look for tracks the next time.
Hang in there, you'll figure it out yet.
George

That gate looks to be angled and an area large enough for a pig to get behind it. If that is the case, they are gone... they will darned sure lift that gate if they can get their nose under it or get their back under it.

I would make the gate a guillotine, or a swinging gate with a stop that won't allow it to move backward. That way you doh't allow them to get their nose under it. I have lost hogs exactly that way...

I also had a swinging door trap that weighed close to 200# that the door was set to swing inwardly but wouldn't swing back out. I came back to the trap one morning and found a furrow all the way around the inside of the trap next to the ground, and no pig. He/she rooted around enough to get the nose under a corner of the trap, forced their head under the trap, lifted it onto their back with their head, and were gone! I should have bracketed it with "T" posts to hold it down...

My gate is bracketed w/t-posts and wired down securely. The sides "behind" the doors have wire across the area and pigs can't get out there. Doors also drop into an angle-iron so if they get their noses under they have to lift the whole door which as I said, is secured. I watched a Jaeger Pro you-tube video on hog trap gates last night and saw how I think they are escaping. A new arrival comes to the gate and starts in, lifting the gate up and on neck/back and the ones in the trap hit the gap leaving, causing the newcomer to stop in the entrance, then back out and leave with the rest of them. At least that's my story and I'm sticking to it.

Another friend says to cover the openings in the gates with thin plywood so they can't grab those cross bars and lift the gate--that's next.

Building a 30' x 30' pen myself. Thinking about doing a drop gate with a 1 way keeper. Keeper will keep gate from being lifted. Going up on the 18th if I can shake this summer cold. We will see........

JAPPFT,

GWB

Gdub:
you getting some of this rain?
Nice n green up here, grass is a foot tall in the pastures. Rare this time of year.

Can they walk up that gate and jump over??
George

They might be able to walk up the gate but the fence behind the gate is 5+' tall due to a section of panel I installed to keep deer/cows out. The middledoor section has lots of paint missing on those thin cross bars, as if they are grabbing with their mouth and lifting. But, it would hit them in the brisket unless they were a 200+ pig, which none of these are. I'll keep posting up if I get more info. I'm gonna set the camera to video and see what action I capture that way

I used to have a trap that had a gate that looked like that and the pigs would open the door and get out. I put a sheet of plywood on the gate that covered the whole thing and it solved the problem.

Duckman-that's what a friend told me to do--just haven't gotten to it yet and the pasture is so wet I would have to carry it all about 1/4 mile to install it--oh well, next week is supposed to be more normal in terms of precip.

Aloha Dustoffer,

The causes you stated are probably the most likely causes although I've seen other ways of escape. But those were more limited to a single or a few pigs. They're smart animals and I've seen them do some crazy things both in and out of traps to stay alive LOL!!!

And the bad part is that they get trap smart if they ever get out of a trap its that much harder to get them to go in again. Especially the larger smarter ones the young ones not as much.

I'm sure you'll get it sorted out and be fine. I use an automated system similar to what jager has but I made it myself as I cant afford the crazy cost LOL! Best of luck to you and let us know what you find on your video.

Aloha!

Modified the trap doors as you can see in the pic, set the trap, and had this mob in the trap last night. This morning I get there and no pigs are in the trap! I've wired the two outer doors shut so only the center door opens. No signs of them climbing out, no dirt on the panels on the doors, but unless they fly or one of the 'coons is letting them out, I got nothing--



However, I did trap 3 in the box trap and shot two who were too stupid to leave and couldn't outrun a .22 LR bullet.

I like a challenge, hope you do too. Sure looks like you're facing one. Is that pig tracks on the left panel? IF not, what are the indentions?
Thanks for sharing,
George

George--those markings on the left panel are knots in the wood--there wasn't a dirty mark anywhere on the panels.

Put another set of floppy panels or roll of fencing atop the too short set you've got, maybe even angled in. Those pigs are climbing out using the stiffness of the cattle panel. You need something they can't get a purchase on to complete the climb. Buddy trapped 39 with that arrangement. Also, if trailering them afterward you need to make it where they can't get around the gate and have to go up into the trailer. Having compartments to work them forward also helps -- cattle trailer.

I had another empty trap with closed door this morning, but discovered some mud on the cross-bar of the rectangular openings in the panels -- 2nd one up from ground, which tells me the small ones at least, are squirming out thru the panel. I had 4 more shoats in another trap nearby built with 4x4" panels. When I had them done and on the tailgate, I drove over to the big pen trap and sure enough, even the largest, about 45 lbs, would have been able to squeeze out. So--time to put some 2"x4" mesh wire on the inside of the panels and we'll see how that works out.

And, by the way, that makes 15 off this ranch so far this year--and nowhere near enough.

That's a start, just might be the solution to the escaping too.
Don't you really enjoy these "challenges?"
I'm fighting one just as intense trying to get my well back in business of pumping water.
Good luck with the pigging!
'George

And another update--sat this same feeder/stand where I trapped this bunch last night. 5 shoats showed up, shot one, and they ran off. Nocked another arrow and in a minute or two 4 come back. Missed this time, but nocked another arrow "in case" and the same 4 came back. Shot another that squealed at the impact which usually spells the end of the fun--and it did.

But, had a great week--started last Tuesday night with the big 254# boar, trapped/shot 9 shoats and then last night two more for a total of 12 in a week.

Hey dustoffer,

Sorry I thought I mentioned that in my last post. Looking at your panels i would definitely wrap mesh around your trap. Ideally on the inside so the panels help keeping the mesh snug. If you put it on the outside depending on how you fasten it. Pigs repeatedly hitting it can cause it to break at the fastening points and allow pigs to escape.

Any questions feel free to ask I'm more than willing to help.

Aloha,

Dom

Here's a smaller corral I have set up at the moment you can see the mesh I have to help prevent escapes from smaller pigs.



For those that keep the hogs alive it also helps reduce injury to the hogs from slamming into the horizontal bars. Namely peeling of their bottom lips back off their jaw.

Hope this helps!

Aloha,

Dom

ultramag--that's what mine will resemble when I get back from a short vacation.

Got the wire 1/3 of the way around, with the rest in the truck to be installed. Revenge will be mine--and sweet! Here's a pic of the current visitors--don't think they'll be squeezing out thru the panels.



And, I haven't figured out whether I have a comfortable feeder pen or lazy hogs---



Here's the crowd from feeder #3 -- plenty of targets for bow or rifle-only problem, doc is going to cut on my knee next week and I'll be on the disabled list for a week-10 days he says.

Looks like a freezer full in that first picture.
What's he gonna do to your knee?
IF a 'scope, it's not a week long ordeal. Depends on the hike though, you should be out n about in 3-4 days. Just drive a bit closer and take it easy.

IF you have the choice, don't get a spinal tap for it. I had 'em put me out the first time and was driving home 100miles in three hours. The last one I had the notion I wanted to watch. so they did the spinal tap and I couldn't even feel my legs til at ten that night and surgery was done before 8am. Ended up spending the night. Fascinating to watch though!

Good luck with it.
George

Hell of a deal, first reply didn't post until after I wrote and posted this one, so you get a double this time!!! Ha!


Good luck with the knee.
What's he going to do to it?
Had both of mine scoped yrs ago, sure helped to get the rocks out of 'em. the longer you let that go, the more those knots tear up the insides they told me. 25 yrs after the damage started of course.
Between glucosamine pills daily and Synvisc shots every six months or so I'm still on my own joints. Tore them up in Aug '1970, joined the Army that Jan long before they were healed up. sure have suffered from them since.
wish you well with it.
George

Surgery is arthroscopic to clean up/repair a torn meniscus that I should have had done 10 years ago. Doc says I'll be down 2 days, then up and at it at whatever level of activity I can tolerate. However, it is my left knee (think clutch) and I don't think Momma will let me drive her SUV or even take me out and come pick me up.

And, though it is 95 deg at 6:2o, I'll be in the stand by 8 or 8:30. Have a sit planned tomorrow night at another place too--bright moon and got to get in as many hunts as I can!

I wish you luck on the surgery. I have had three arthroscopic surgeries. I will agree with George and don't get the spinal. Nasty business. Having had the left knee done twice, I would say to do what you can as soon as you can. Keep the swelling down by elevation. I am not a believer in ice. The swelling is the bodies way to stabilize the joint. Use it. I went bird hunting four days after my last one and the only issue I had was picking up the birds. Walking was fine, as was the clutch.

BTW, I am 60, so it is not like I have young legs to start with.

Well, I was in the stand at 8:30 last night and it was warm--slight breeze though made it tolerable and I took my "fan" too (a piece of coroplast).

Target animals showed up at 11:30--two sows and about 10-12 shoats. I hooked up my release, drew, and aimed at the largest sow--and as I was putting pressure on the trigger, they spooked. I let down, and in about 5 minutes they returned, but spooked again before I could draw. Sat another 30 minutes but they didn't come back, so I called it a night.

Thanks for the backup Larry;

I had both knee's then the R shoulder scoped. On the way home from Denver after the shoulder I just about crashed the truck over doing a stupid thing. Had the R arm in a sling, cup of drink beside me on the R. going about 75 I tried to get the cup with L hand and got tangled up in the steering wheel and ran off the shoulder. Caught it but, man was I lucky it went off there and not 1/4 mi sooner or later!

I suggest you get a wrap or knee brace etc, even if it's just an ACE bandage on it before heading out walking much for the first few days. A little support always helps.

Feb '14 I had my left shoulder replaced, Sept '14 4 place back fusion, then this Jan the R one, so far I'm still on my own knee's. I'm 71.

Wish you the best with it.
George

Surgery postponed a week/10 days due to an infected cut on kneecap of the target knee where I whacked it against the trailer tongue dolly last week. Doc says it isn't worth the risk.

Got the mesh wire installed all the way 'round the inside of the pen trap so now it is time for a blood bath. I'll go for a sit tonight, and then tomorrow I'll bait all my traps.

Buddy of mine said I was nuts trying to wipe out pigs with a single shot bow and arrow in this heat.

Report to follow.

I've seen them pull on a gate but not figure out how to get it open because they were always standing in the way. Is there any way they can open that gate with their muzzle? I've got a bar in front of mine so they if they try to root they'll hit the bar instead of lifting the gates. If they've figured out how to do it once they'll remember. You might try tying something heavy to that gate like a cinder block just to make sure that's now they're getting out.

Hope it helps...

Allen--the gate doors drop into an angle iron cross piece so they can't get their snouts under them, and I have wired 1/4" plywood to the doors so they can't grab the cross-wires. I'm baiting the traps tomorrow, so we'll see what happens.

Dustoffer,

I'm excited for you I'm sure you're going to have a bunch of pork on the ground here soon. Cant wait to see the outcome after you've lined your traps with mesh.

The pen trap is set, as is the cage trap at the adjacent feeder. Plan on going squirrel hunting on the place in the AM prior to "doing" a bunch of pigs.

Best of Luck on your knee surgery. Just an opinion but if you are looking at having to have repeat surgeries on that knee every few years, depending on your age you might want to discuss having replacement surgery.

My left knee was bad enough that the Drs. decided to do a replacement in 2006, I was 55 at the time. It was a complete replacement and at the time the Drs. thought I would need to have the same surgery on my right knee within 5 years.

After the surgery the stress that was being placed on my right knee trying to compensate.

August of 2016 will be 10 years and other that some strain and arthritis the right knee is not giving me any problems.

The big thing about going thru the replacement is following the therapy program to the letter.

Sow and a shoat in the pen trap, 3 shoats in the cage trap nearby. A good night!! Neither of the two in the pen could have squeezed out thru the panels, and they tore the heck out of the wire I put up just yesterday!! Got some more wire of a heavier gauge coming and will put that up. Pigs better watch out, they are getting my dander up.



On the knee--it's my first cutting, I'm 69, but should have had it done 10 yrs ago. Doc says as active as I am, need to do the minimal first but MRI and x-rays show only minimal arthritis in the knee. The infected cut that caused the postponement is healing nicely--pigs got the short end of the stick as I would have been in the OR today instead of popping pigs in the pen.

Surgery yesterday--all of 30 min in the OR. No pain, just discomfort, and should be up and at 'em by Monday (2 more days).

Good news! Just keep it moving and you will be fine.

Sounds good on the knee. How's it doing by now almost a week after?
Should be out n at 'em by now.

doc's told me they can scope a joint just once.
Good luck with it.
George