How To Keep Hog Dogs Off My Place?
 

I, like many, enjoy hunting hogs. Not as much as deer, but enjoy it non-the-less. I have for many years managed the quality of my hogs, just as I manage my deer population.I have taken hogs with 7 and 8 in tusks because of this. To me, that type of hog is more appreciated than taking 130 in deer. Thats just me, and I realize other people simply see them as worthless.

Recently, I have noticed a drop in my hog population. I know many people are trapping them on neighboring places, and with the popularity of dog hunting, that my neighbors are allowing more people to hunt with dogs. I am seeing dog tracks on the back side of my place(where my hogs are), have caught these dogs on my game camera and recently a dog showed up at my barn with a tracking collar and the owners came up the hill in their pick up shortly after to retreive their dog.

About two years ago, I was going to check my game camera and noticed a set of unknown 4wheeler tracks onmy placethat came through a gatenext to a county road. I followed them intomy place where someone had killed an animal, which I believe to be a hog, since it was in February and this is the time that hogs are hunted for frequently in our area. So, I have also had some poaching from someone who had been on my place before. I know this because they went straight to their kill on a fairly remote/complex trail system. On their way to their kill they drove by my game camera. Itmust have taken a picture of them and allerted them with a flash. The poacherswere nice enough not to destroy my camera, but took the film out, unrolled the film exposing it, and through it on the ground beside my camera.

I have a problem, and it is getting worse. I want stop this activity or slow it down so I can get my hog numbers back up. Feel free to comment.

RE: How To Keep Hog Dogs Off My Place?
 

My suggestion is to start posting signs saying no trespassing, as well as poaching will not be tolerated so everyone is notified. Also, inform your local police department or county sheriff that this is going on and to see if they know anything about it. After that, post a seperate camera (without flash) in the area and see if you pick anything up, but since you know its happening, the only thing to do is to post up on the weekend and see if anyone drives by. If so, let them know this is not going to happen in the future or the athorities will be called out to handle the situation.

RE: How To Keep Hog Dogs Off My Place?
 

Thanks Texasyukon,

I have thought about posting signs, but I have felt like it might back fire on me. The nonflash cam. is a good idea, but with people coming on my place I run the risk of someone stumbling on to it and losing the entire camera. Might be worth a shot anyway. I have a tendancy to stay away from law enforcement unless I have to have them. I actually thought more along the lines of going directly to the land owner. Or getting his annual hunter's envolved, I don't think they would appreciate the idea of him letting other hunters come in with dogs. I know I wouldn't.


You have two things going for you. You like Finnish Rifles and your last name is Harrison.

RE: How To Keep Hog Dogs Off My Place?
 

I think going to the other landowner is a good start. He may not know his hunters are going onto your place. I've had similar problems in the past with the " dogs don't know they shouldn't cross a fence" mentality. Ask the other landowner to tell his people to stay off. Ask him how he would like poachers and trespassers on his land. I'm willing to bet he doesn't know about the situation. If that doesn't resolve the problem posting the land and going to the authorities may be your last resort.
As far as the collared dog goes, I have a friend that had the same thing happen. The dog came up to him back in late February while he was working outside his barn. He tied off the dog and when the owners showed up he told them he'd be happy to let them have it back when they paid him $100 for hunting his land. The other option he offered was to let them pick it up from animal control after he called the Sheriff. He took his wife to a nice dinner with the $100.

RE: How To Keep Hog Dogs Off My Place?
 

we have the same problem with 4 wheelers coming onto our property. Tresspassing signs just dont seem to work for the rednecks out here. I got a 1"x6"x8', put 4 inch nails through it, put it right under the surface of thetrail they were usingabout 10 feet intoour property. A week later i went out and found the board alll broken to pieces but they havent come back on the property since then, or atleast not that i know of. They quickly learn thatcoming onto or chasing game onto our propertyisnt worth the cost of blown out tires :)

RE: How To Keep Hog Dogs Off My Place?
 

You may want to check your local and state laws. In Florida it is a felony to trespass while in possession of a firearm, which would include most hunters. I had people coming onto my land, one even set up a feeder and a ladderstand (and then cable locked it to the tree) even after posting the property. I've since posted more signs explaining the law and that trespassers would be prosecuted and haven't seen anyone else. I hated to post the property but some idiots just don't realize they shouldn't mess with others' property, just like your trailcam.

Jeff

RE: How To Keep Hog Dogs Off My Place?
 

Post signs as mentioned above, if you catch any dogs on your place warn the owners that next time they wont be getting their dogs back.

RE: How To Keep Hog Dogs Off My Place?
 

I heard of a guy here who found 5 deer dogs that ran onto his land and here put them in pins and took good care of them for two weeks. Then he called the owner and told him he found them and he could pick them up. When he got there he charge a $25 a day holding fee per dog.

I was hunting in TX last year and the guy we met down the road was a little crazy. He found two dogs chasing hogs on his land. The owner found them hanging over his drive way then next morning. That guy scared me a little. I wouldn't recommend taking that action he was arrested.

RE: How To Keep Hog Dogs Off My Place?
 

The warden around here said he couldn't really do anything unless he saw them(trespassers running dogs)doing it. Of course whenever trespassers saw us they took off, and the warden lives further away than we do. The warden seemed to imply(he did all but say it)that we should shoot the dogs.Of course we have always had lots of no trespassing signs up, they tear them down, and we put them back up. We put up game cams and they were stolen.Rumor has it that our hunting place is now the Bermuda Triangle for dogs, and the trespassing has subsided.

RE: How To Keep Hog Dogs Off My Place?
 

Hellotxjourneyman,

Been meaning to contact you about the Ruidoso trip. Wanted to get the specifics. Thanks for the email and glad you all had a good time. I wish you would have gotton a Gobbler, though. I will work with you if you ever decide to get back. I think you realize the cost effectiveness of hunting in the area.Not to mention, a great place to get the family envolved. Elk, mullies, and bear are there too(As you know).You have a chance at a quality elk in 34 or 36. I, personally, think if yourwanting to take abearwith out a lot of money. Lincoln Forest is the answer. Bear tags are cheap and over-the-counter.I know that his how I got mine. Thanks for your comments on my Hog situation. It is always good to get the opinion of like minded individuals. Call me sometime.

RE: How To Keep Hog Dogs Off My Place?
 

Thanks for everyone's input. I can see that I am not the only one experiencing these types of issues, unfortunately. Again myover allobjective is to get my hog activity back up. It is difficult to do with so much hunting and trapping going on around me. Much less, the poaching occurring on my own place.

I really don't think I would get the results frominvolving law enforcement. Nor, would I have the heart to punish a dog for something it has been trained to do.In my area a posted sign is an invitation to make things worse. I kind of like the blown tire suggestion. But if anyone is driving around on my place it is after they've killed something and wants to retreive it.

I would like to keep my place as a refuge for the hogs, but that is impossible if people from the next place are allowing their dogs to run hogs on me. I think what I'm asking is, " Are there sometricks of the tradethat might be applied here to discourage the dogs(or hog hunters for that matter)frompersuing hogs on my place?"

RE: How To Keep Hog Dogs Off My Place?
 

Rhett how about a hot wire ran low around the fence? It would keep other animals from crossing but it will stop those dogs. BTW, thanks again for NM. We really had a blast at your condo!

RE: How To Keep Hog Dogs Off My Place?
 

This isa good question/post.

I've been on the other side as a dog hunter. I spent 3 years in College Station and hunted pretty much every weekend. The dogs got onto people's places where they weren't supposed to be. I think that the resolution to your problem is going to be completely dependant on the attitude of the dog men and the neighboring land owner. I have seen all kinds.

If your neighbor hates the hogs and wants them gone he may well be telling the dog guys there are a bunch of hogs on your place and encouraging them to turn loose where the dogs will get on your place. I've seen it first had. Have also hunted and been told to stay off a certain portion ofa property as the neighbor doesn't like dogs and the landowner wants to maintain good relationships. The neighbor may not know you don't want the hogs killed and has told these guys, try to stay off that property but if you get over there that guy is a hunter and he won't care.

When we hunted if we knew a land owner didn't want us on his place we would turn loose as far from property lines as we could. All of the dogs had tracking collars on so if they weren't barking and heading the wrong direction we would do our best to get to them and pick them up before they got off of the property. Sometimes they did, always when chasing a hog. It happens and the "dog can't read a posted sign" is true and some guys do their best to respect this and others really don't care. We never killed a hog off of our hunting properties. We went and caught the dogs and took them back, left firearms at the ATV's as well. We also had several different sets of dogs. Some would never get out of your sight and others would leave and go as far as they had to, to find a hog and you found them bayed. We used commen sense on which dogs were turned loose. We also made a point when hunting new areas to have the property owner contact ALL neighbors and tell them we were hunting with dogs and when and then ask them what they would like us to do if the dogs got on their place. If they didn't or wouldn't contact neighbors we did or we didn't hunt the place.

As with most things in life communication is the key. I would start by talking to the neighbor. You will find out real quick if he is part of the problem. Get the names of the dog hunters and call them or find out from the neighbor when they will be back and be at your property waiting for them. Like I said, it is all going to depend on the attitude of the dog hunters. Some are very nice and concientious and others think the world owes them something and will act as such. The later is best taken care of by the Sheriff and or Game Warden.

As for tricks or things to do. Is your property fenced? If so put chain locks on all of the gates. The hunters will be less likely to take a hog if they have to drag it out rather than throw it on the ATV. They will also be less likely to take in/lead a catch dog if they have to walk a ways. If the dogs get over on your place a lot and they have to walk a ways to retrieve them the problem may take care of itself. An electric wire may deter a dog that is just nosing around,if they are hot on the trail of a hog it won't bother them.

RE: How To Keep Hog Dogs Off My Place?
 

Despite no trespass signs I had a big problem with one guy and his four wheeler. Finally the county sheriff arrested the guy. Turns out the perp was wanted in TX on some violent felony stuff. To make a long story short the judge gave me the guys Polarisas compensation for damage to my fences and erosion damage.

Have had to run about15 people off that place in the past five years. Finally gave the neighbor guy permission to hunt on the place providing he run off the trespassers-no more problem. One of our neighbors no longer has a trespass problem since a "suspicious" grass fire destroyed a new Dodge diesel pickup belonging to three trespassing deer hunters.

RE: How To Keep Hog Dogs Off My Place?
 

The Texas State law is....if caught on private property with firearm it is a Class A misdeameaner...crimanal tresspassing with deadly weapon! Upto 1 year in jail and upto $4000 fine! Dogs don't recognize property lines so they have an excuse and the owner did come to retrieve them! Try the flashless cameras and turn it over to the law! Since it is your land and if they like running their lazy hunter quads around then run a piece of 1/4" cable about waist high...with the posted signs saying you have taken measures to protect your land! Go back and pickup atv parts later...my bro has a collection of them in Oklahoma! He has "meth heads" and poachers he deals with and he is not gentle in his approach...the law is lazy and he has told them to stay away and he will handle them!Coal county Okla is dangerous on our land,if my brother gives permission he will help you get a deer or hog but you poach he gets mad dog mean!

RE: How To Keep Hog Dogs Off My Place?
 

I would tend to agree with mez, talk to the other land owner, be reasonable and fair, and let him know you expect the same from him.

Mypersonal policy is similar to mez's. Before I turn out a dog, I make sure that I have permission from all of theneighboring land owners to at least go get my dogs back if they cross the propery line. I also make sure that I know which neighbors want any hog I catch on them killed, and which want the hogs left alive. If the dogs get on a real running hog that crosses more than one propery boundry and end up on land that I don't have permission to retrieve from, then I make an effort to contact them and get permission via cell phone, if I can't get hold of them, then I walk in and retrieve my dogs without killing the hog. After retrieveing my dogs, I go to the guys house,wait there as long as it takes till he comes home, and explain to him what happened. So far, I have never had anyone upset at me after I explained what happened, and I am usually told to just go ahead and get my dogs next time. At that point I make sure I understand whether or not the landowner wants the hogs on him killed or not, and whichever way he wants it, that is what I do. On the occasions when I contact the landowner by cell phone before I go get the dogs, I am usually told to go get my dogs, sometimes the landowner wants to go with me, which I encourage, because he knows his own propery and can usually get me in and back out with a lot less effort. One time, when I contacted the landowner by cell phone, I was denied permission to retrieve my dogs. I then called the sheriff and explained the situation to him, he then called the landowner and explained to the landowner that by denying me the opportunity to retrieve my dogs the landowner had in effect stolen them and that I could press charges if so inclined. I was then given permission to retrieve my dogs. I don't know if that would work everywhere, but it should work in all states with a fence out law, probably wouldn't work in a state with a fence in law.

I was glad to see that you wouldn't shoot a dog that was doing what it was trained to do, actually, it is not the dogs that are giving you a problem, it is their irresponsible owners. Also, I just read on another site a case where a landowner shot a dog, and the judge ordered him to pay $1200 to the dog owner.

I hope that you will also not resort to tying or penning the dog and then not returning it or charging to return it, as mentioned before, that is stealing, and if you do that, you are no better than the poachers.

As for the 1/4 inch cable, that could end up killing someone, in which case you would be lucky if you excaped jail and didn't loose your property. Seems to me the downside of that one is much bigger than any potential upside.

I seems to me the best thing you could do is ask your neighboring landowner to tell the dog hunters that he gives permission to hunt on him that if the dogs get on you, you expect the hunters to come get you and you will go with them to retrieve their dogs. Post a sign with the same information at all points of entrance to the property. I think that will take care of all but the die hard poachers who are deliberately coming on your property to kill your hogs. You will probably have to patrol your property and catch them red handed to get them stopped.

Another thing you could do is get a scanner and a directional antenea that will monitor the frequencies most used by the dog hunters in your area. With that, you could know when dogs were on or getting near your property, given better knowledge of the terrain, you could be waiting for them at the bay. I suspect that would get their attention.

Hope this helps some, and good luck.

Bill

RE: How To Keep Hog Dogs Off My Place?
 

You, sir, appear to be a better man than most.

RE: How To Keep Hog Dogs Off My Place?
 

Broncobilly handles his dogs the way you would expect a responsible owner to!Be nice if they all did! The cable deal is strung just high enough for handle bars just to be safe and in branches(creeks) where they can't run fast,it brings them to a stop...sometimes making rider look like a lawn dart,no worse than getting slapped with a briar.Die hard poachers will/possibly set fire to pastures after being confronted or law called...it's a risk being law abiding for us.

RE: How To Keep Hog Dogs Off My Place?
 

I wish I could claim that. The truth is that I am also a landowner, so I see the issue from both sides, and I try to treat other landowners the way I would like to be treated. If all dog/hound hunters were also landowners, I suspect that they would be a lot easier to deal with.

As for the vandals that RLoving1 refered to, the ones who will try to destroy your property if confronted, they are the ones I refer to as dedicated poachers, I have to admit that I have not found what I consider to be a good way of dealing with them. I guess that I have been fortunate in that I have only had to deal with one of that sort.

Bill

RE: How To Keep Hog Dogs Off My Place?
 

I see myself in your EXACT situation.
Mines a little worse. The people walk under my feeder with their dogs and BAREFOOTED! They have stolen 2 feeders and 1 solar panel and 1 game camera.
I had a hog herd like no other. I had about 40 hogs all over 200 with 2 about 600 or 700 lbs and I was gonna wait until, after deeer season to take them out. I had countless oppurtuniys but didnt want to bother the deer since I was still lookin for a buck
So I started seeing hog traps ina neighboring pasture where there is supposed to be no hunting. Dog tracks all around the swamp where the hogs stay, well USED to stay. Also a dead hog in the middle of one of our pastures on our side of our swamp.

My new solution: KILL
IF IT AINT MINE, 2 FEET, 4 FEET or 4 WHEELS, SHOOT