retrieverman

I have been managing a 650 acre place that consists of 150 acres owned by my parents with the balance leased from one family. For 10 years, I have put in food plots and kept corn feeders full with my own money because I love to hunt and am getting a bigger thrill now watching my son's entering the sport. This year (2004) alone, I spent over $500 on seed for food plots and put out over 4500# of corn. In the last 10 years, the body weights of our herd has shown an average increase of 25-30# per animal that I credit to year round food plots. For about 5 years, feral hogs have been moving thru our place and recently have decided to take up residence. I had a group of "hog hunters" ask permission to run their dogs on our place which I denied. My dad informed me this morning that he had given permission to another group to move in to "run" the hogs. I feel like the last 10 years of management have been in vain. In my opinion, dogs and deer should never be mixed. I have heard the "my dogs don't chase deer" arguement, but I don't buy it.

What is the opinion among other deer hunters concerning running hogs where you deer hunt?

timbercruiser

A well trained hog dog is no more threat to the deer than a bird dog. Look at the alternative, you can either trap (or try to) the hogs or let them ruin your deer hunting area. They will eat all the acorns and other foods available for the deer and move on. I don't think you can trap all of them, they are smart creatures. A hog jump dog and a couple of catch dogs will make a big dent in their populations. Just make sure the hog hunter take all of the hogs away from the property. The presence of a few trained dogs occasionally on the property won't run the deer away, but the hogs eating the food sources will.

beaglefreak

Well, brother.. I`ve never hunted hogs, but understand that they can run the deer out from food. In my opinion, start getting these hogs off your property ASAP, or they are going to multiply to where its going to be to late to get back your nice work on deer management. #1 Take up hog hunting,#2 Let a good trusted group come in and kick it before it kicks you.#3 Dogs arent going to screw the deer up as much as you think on your property as long as they are "JUST"running hogs, depending on how the deer and hog season coincides. Just my .02..

beaglefreak

Man, Timber, I was writeing, when you beat me too it!

kevin1

If you think dogs will ruin your hunt more then you've never had a hog problem .
Kill the hogs any way you can , kill them all . If there is a cost effective way to fence them out then do it . Invite other folks to help you . Here hogs are just considered pests , you can hunt them all year round , if your state is the same then make those oinkers feel very unwelcome .

Rebel Hog

retrieverman,

Here in FL. there are Dog areas in deer hunting WMA's. I hunted with Hog dogs for 25yrs
and never had them chase deer. They will spook the deer around, but will not run them
off the property. Those dogs on your property were not properly Trained for Hogs.
I started training my dogs at 3 to 5 months old. AT that age you start with a hog skin,so
they get that scent from a young age and playing rough with the skin. They get tired of
getting poped with it. At 10 to 12 months old they HATE that SCENT and SKIN. I would scout
around where there was fresh HOG signs and put them on trail.
I had 2 trail, 2 bay and 2 CATCH dogs that worked as a team. By the time they were 1 1/2yrs
old, I would have a HOG in about 1hr. If they are not properly trained for HOGS, yes they will
run a DEER off your property and FOX,RACOONS,ARMADILLOS and the rest of the critters.
My friends and I would cross breed CALAHOULAS, RODICHIAN RIDGE BACK and PIT BULL.
HOG dogs are bred to hunt and catch hogs not DEER. WE would not keep any DOG that would
go off trail.
You could bait and TRAP the hogs if you don't want dogs on your property. The hogs will ruin and eat
everything on it and that's the way you are going to have the deer leave.
Like I said if the dogs are not trained for HOGS, yes they will run DEER into the next two COUNTIES!

Hope you solve your problem....Good Luck!!

etw

Yummmm hey those smaller or female hogs are great eating. I put hams in the gas fired smoker with wet hickory chunks for about 6 hours. And the meat mixed 50/50 with venison makes great sausage. I whack a hog whenever. Have both hogs and deer in and out of my 25 acres. Have 1 1/2 acre in food plots (Imperial Clover etc) sure the hogs tear em up sometimes but we took our two biggest bucks, body and antler size this past deer season. I just throw out some more seeds in the areas they "plow" and rake it smooth, no big deal. Just my opinion.