Got home from Christmas trip and had a voice mail--guy who runs cows on a place where I do hog control had called. His message was "Get out here and do something, they have rooted up the pasture halfway to the barn." So, today, went out and reinstalled my lighting system at the feeder and made sure my shooting lanes were still clear.

The lights are the $10 landscape lights from WM or Harbor Freight--2 AA batteries, 3 LED bulbs, a solar panel and an electronic eye to turn 'em on. Last year I could shoot 140 yds with only 3 of them--so this year I should be just fine with 5. I also sweetened up the two hog traps and reset the timer from "deer time" to "hog time". Report to follow--

Get us some pictures of the aftermath. Can you get a photo of the shooting lane all lit up? I don't really know how to do that. I don't want them up here in Miseryland but would like to hunt them. Good Luck.

I'll try and shoot a pic with the lights, but doubt if it will show from my long-shot spot (140 yds). Maybe from my north wind spot (45 yds) and certainly from my bow stand (23 yds). Most likely it will be end of the week--

Checked the game cam pics today when I filled the feeder, and after seeing this pic, I baited and set both traps. Going out for a squirrel hunt at first light so we'll see what happens.

Intended to go squirrel hunting this AM and opted to sleep in instead. When I went to check the traps, got a math lesson (AKA the Mill Creek Massacre):

6 + 3 = 9!





Took 45 minutes to field dress and behead them, and then delivered all 9 to friends--but I'm tired!

Nice work!! You are definitely back in business!!

Great results and good pics.

Believe it or not-those pics were from my phone--but then with good morning light it's hard to mess one up.

Glad to hear that there D.

Happy new year and good shootin' and trappin!

GWB

I just read on another forum that pigs aren't bothered by red light . Is this correct ?

mete -- I've used green and red and it didn't really spook them -- only momentarily.

Moreso than you being back in business, I think it's more appropriate to say you are putting hogs OUT OF BUSINESS on that property!

NICE GOING!!!

Thanks Bobby--but the first pic out of the camera had 17 in it--and all were about this size but one. Now I've got 8 left plus mommas and papas.

However, tonight I went to my other spot, about 1.5 miles up the creek, and got seated and poured a cup of coffee by 6. Near full moon, perfect wind (from 2 0'clock to 8 0'clock, nice mild temps. Went to the feeder first to spin it and the battery is low--would hardly turn. So, I spun it a couple of times by hand and returned to my seat. Dozed off a couple of times, and once when I woke up and looked at the feeder, I "saw" 2 pigs standing about 15 yds in front of me. Well, I blinked and then realized it was the forks of my shooting sticks--

Feeder did a near-normal spin at 6:30, and about 20 minutes later I picked up movement at the feeder--but off to the right behind a screen of brush. They came into the light, then backed out, then circled behind the feeder to the corn in the brightest part of the light. Rifle on the bipod, safety off, aim, pig moves, re-aim, pig moves, finally stopped and bang-flop. Fat 106-lb sow w/4 buns in the oven.



And, as far as pigs not being bothered by red light--on one of my other places they would scatter like a covey rise whenever I put the red light on them--whether just snapping it on, ssllooowwwwwlllyyyy lowering it on them from above, or doing the same from below. When it hit their eyeballs--it was goodbye. I think it was from hunting pressure, but I have since gone to the landscape lights at my feeders and sometimes it is too easy.

I have noticed, too, that some hogs are immediately spooked by even red or green while others are not even bothered much by white light.

I am going to have to get some of those landscapes lights to try out. One of the discount stores here had some, but I did not look at them closely to check out the quality or even the brand. I have one particular clearing where I could put 3 per side and have a hog pipe in the middle. Might just entertain myself with that setup this Spring & summer...

And congrats on the sow, by the way. Not much of a tracking job required there...

That's my kind of blood trail--heavy and short.

WM has the landscape lights for $10 each and I use a minimum of 4 per feeder. Need to put them so the light shines from the direction you are sitting so they light up the front side of the pig-the side you are seeing. Another advantage is that they aren't shining into the scope objective lens. HD has a similar setup but the light has 12 LEDs instead of 3 like the WM lights. It's $40 though--

On the circular pen, how does that work? Is the end of the panel left loose and serve as the door? They push through it to get in but can't pull it open to get out?

Thank you.

LWD