# Texas is Losing the War on Feral Hogs



## AvianQuest (Feb 7, 2006)

Texas is Losing the War on Feral Hogs
By John McAdams

Despite years of intense hunting and trapping, Texas is losing the war on feral hogs.

Since the Texas Parks and Wildlife Department (TPWD) first began removing feral hogs in 1982, the hog population in the Lone Star State has dramatically increased and there are now more than ten times as many hogs in the state as there were then. Unfortunately, the evidence is clear: Texas is losing the war on feral hogs.

Texas has very permissive regulations regarding hog hunting and hunters may pursue hogs all year long with no bag limit. They may be hunted over bait, trapped, hunted at night and from aircraft. As a result, it is estimated that over three quarters of a million hogs are taken by hunters, trappers, and TPWD each year in Texas.

Unfortunately, it is not enough. Even though hunters and trappers are killing approximately 30 percent of the hog population in Texas annually, hog numbers are still growing by about 20 percent each year. Biologists estimate that 70 percent of the hogs in the state will have to be killed each year just to maintain the population and even more must be killed to actually start reducing their numbers.

Yes, you read that right: 7 out of every 10 hogs in the state must be killed just to keep their numbers where they are now.

So why are hog populations experiencing such explosive growth?

The main reason is that hogs breed almost as quickly as rabbits. They become sexually mature before they are a year old and can produce as many as three litters of 6-8 piglets every year.

Another reason they are difficult to control is because feral hogs are very intelligent and resilient animals. They quickly respond to hunting and trapping pressure by changing their habits or just leaving the area for greener pastures when things get too hot. Since they are known to roam over extremely long distances in search of food, this makes long term hog control measures difficult and complicated.

Landowners and biologists have been relatively successful in controlling feral hog populations in small areas. However, these are usually short-term successes that only last until a new hog sounder moves in and the cycle starts over again.

While hogs are fun to hunt and provide some very tasty table fare, they cause all sorts of problems. Their diet normally consists of things like roots, acorns, tubers, and other plants, they will eat literally anything they can find or catch. Crops, snakes, insects, ground-nesting birds, and even deer fawns are not safe from a hungry hog.

Hogs are a textbook example of an invasive species and are causing significant damage to native Texas wildlife and ecosystems. In addition to competing directly with deer for food, they damage vegetation that quail and turkey need to thrive. They also are carriers of a number of nasty diseases and there have even been cases of drinking water sources being contaminated by droppings from feral hogs.

So, weâ€™ve established that Texas is losing the war on feral hogs and thatâ€™s clearly a bad thing. However, what can be done about it?

Hog hunting and trapping are already going full bore in Texas. Right now, these operations are taking less than half the number of hogs necessary to stop their explosive population growth and it is doubtful this can be achieved by hunting and trapping alone.

Poison is one potential way to turn things around in the war on feral hogs. Australia has successfully used sodium nitrate to control hog numbers with great success and biologists have been trying it out at the Kerr Wildlife area in Texas for the last couple of years.

One of the big concerns with using sodium nitrate or any other poison to control hog numbers is finding a poison that doesnâ€™t harm other animals. The last thing we want is to kill a bunch of hogs with poison then start having all the vultures and other scavengers die from eating poisoned hog carcasses.

Fortunately, preliminary research indicates that scavengers are not at great risk by eating dead hogs poisoned by sodium nitrate. Is this the solution that will end the war on feral hogs? Iâ€™m not sure, but it sure seems like a good idea at first glance.

Until a permanent and lasting solution is developed, weâ€™ll have to deal with hogs the old fashioned way: by hunting and trapping them. So, hit the woods and start doing your part in the war on feral hogs.

About the only sure way to feed deer without contributing to the feral hog problem...


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## Sgrem (Oct 5, 2005)

Hunters paying for hog hunts.

Maybe soon landowners will have to pay hunters to hunt them.

Execute all hogs on site with extreme prejudice. Put it in your lease rules that no matter what, I don't care if the big buck you are watching is near....gotta shoot the hogs on site. Even if it might scramble the deer for 5 minutes.


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## Law Dawg (Mar 18, 2013)

*WAR*

This is for sure a war that will not be won by Hunting and Trapping alone.


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## Brute (Apr 29, 2009)

Take the all the red tape off trapping, transporting, and butchering wild hogs and you will solve the problem. Create a market for them and people will get more aggressive on killing them.

We use to trap hogs and actually made pretty good money doing it, as did a lot of people. With all the red tape now and low prices its not worth it. Most people have learned its cheaper and more effective to fence them out. Let them be the neighbors problem. It doesn't pay to kill them yourself.


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## kingchip (Apr 20, 2016)

I don't think you can fence them out. I'm high fenced, drive the fence daily, fix digs with panels, stakes, and snares, and still can't get rid of them. Run them with dogs will clear them out for a few months, but they get back in somehow. Helo scatters them for a while, but it's temporary. I'm too old to stay out all night spotlighting.


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## Archer (Jul 10, 2006)

sgrem said:


> *Hunters paying for hog hunts.*
> 
> *Maybe soon landowners will have to pay hunters to hunt them*.
> 
> Execute all hogs on site with extreme prejudice. Put it in your lease rules that no matter what, I don't care if the big buck you are watching is near....gotta shoot the hogs on site. Even if it might scramble the deer for 5 minutes.


^^^^THIS^^^^

Iâ€™m all for killing as many hogs as possible and I would be more than happy to help a landowner out (Have rifle, Will travel) but most landowners want hunters to pay for the opportunity to hunt anything! My wife wonâ€™t eat wild game, and I wonâ€™t shoot most animals unless I am eating them so I am not going to pay good money for a lease but when it comes to hogs and â€˜yoteâ€™s all bets are off.


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## sotexhookset (Jun 4, 2011)

They have just started showing up on our cameras at my little lease this past few months. Have just seen a few (ten or so I could count on pic) and there is definitely size to them as I have not seen any piglets so I know they're coming. My wife has always said it'd be nice to have some hogs out here and I've told her the last three years be careful what you wish for. Time to start shooting those worthless bastages and put a trap or two out there I guess. I don't want to see them sob's while I'm sitting in my blind waiting for only the couple/three decent bucks we have out there.


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## Goags (May 28, 2004)

My BIL has had his ranch in Gonzales county for 35 yrs. We never saw a hog for the first 20 yrs, then they showed up in numbers. We shot the chit out of em, as well as trapped em for ~10 yrs. Haven't seen one on the gamecams in the last few years, and he feeds year round, plus food plots.


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## *DoubleThreat* (Nov 1, 2009)

My partner and I have been in the frontline for about 5 years now,we hunt for our local farmers with dogs but 2 yrs ago we invested in thermal and have to say it's been the most productive. We killed over 300 last yr and expect to do twice that this year,right now crops are too high for thermal so dogs keep em ran out. I will say,we love killing hogs and love more to help farmers and ranchers. That being said anyone that needs a hand were more than willing to travel within reason to try to help texas' problem. Thermal is expensive but nothing compared to crop damage,check out our youtube videos,lights out thermal


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## kweber (Sep 20, 2005)

we kill hogs in traps and on the run... we have a dump they go to...
we don't try to consume each one... the hi-high mighty attitude of "I only shoot what I eat" doesn't work w/pigs...too many...
and the "donate the meat thing " is usually not very feasible during warmer months....
as far as allowing "hunters", well, who you letting into yer yard?
most are prolly legit, but shot-up livestock is real...
and those GPS #'s for later late-night excursions... no!


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## sea sick (Feb 9, 2006)

Like professor hog said
" If a sow has 8 piglets at birth, all 10 will survive"
Haha


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## Archer (Jul 10, 2006)

Kweber I can see your point about not allowing just anybody on the ranch because I know there are plenty of Yahooâ€™s out there who canâ€™t tell a Brahma from a Boar. My issue is that on many of the places Iâ€™ve been on like dove leases or a friends family ranch they have said not to shoot the hogs because they run paid hunts on the weekends and want as many hogs as possible for the â€œpaying" clients. Shoot on one lease I was on the rules said secondary sites were open for use by anyone on the lease if the hunter wasnâ€™t there. A group put up a big trap on their secondary site and then raised hell because I used it when they werenâ€™t there because they wanted the meat for themselves, guess they thought I was going to kill them all or something.

Like I said I would be more than happy to get a few days in the field without having to pay an arm and a leg for a deer lease that I will never use. Hogs donâ€™t count in the hunting for meat category in my book, more like the kill every one of the destructive bastages you can category.


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## deano77511 (Feb 2, 2005)

sea sick said:


> Like professor hog said
> " If a sow has 8 piglets at birth, all 10 will survive"
> Haha


And they do that 3 times a year !

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk


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## Canvasbackdrake (Feb 3, 2012)

No one is going to let you hunt their land for free unless you know them . I went on a ranch in Tx where people from other states would pay just to hunt hogs. Is crazy and not worth the hassle and money being charged to shoot a freaking pig.


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## kingchip (Apr 20, 2016)

I really would love someone to eliminate the hogs completely, but there are liability issues that always concern me. I hate guiding with a passion.


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## RB II (Feb 26, 2009)

Hogs are very smart and as stated above, if the pressure gets hot they just move out or go nocturnal. Very hard to put enough pressure on them to get shots at 70% of the herd.


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## woodduckhunter (Jan 8, 2012)

The sodium nitrate product in Australia works. Pigs don't have an enzyme that breaks it down. We eat it in some shape form or fashion nearly every day. Although, I am not sure as to what other wild animals it effects. IMO, if we can eliminate the hogs and a handful of deer and ***** get a dose also, its a war won. You can buy 99% sodium nitrate from food packaging/preservative places, but the trick is getting a hog to eat enough of something that salty....and it take a pretty good amount to kill a hundred plus pound hog. I would say that it isn't sold here simply due to the backlash that would happen from hunters and anti hunters doing backflips when a deer accidentally died from it. That would be huge problem to most, but they seem to be ok with letting a non native, destructive, invasive species run wild. They can be stopped, but the right people have to want to stop it.


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## Brute (Apr 29, 2009)

kingchip said:


> I don't think you can fence them out. I'm high fenced, drive the fence daily, fix digs with panels, stakes, and snares, and still can't get rid of them. Run them with dogs will clear them out for a few months, but they get back in somehow. Helo scatters them for a while, but it's temporary. I'm too old to stay out all night spotlighting.


You can't do it with net wire like on a high fence. Have to use barbed wire and put 4 or 5 wires every other gap on the t-post along the bottom. It's much stronger.


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## jtburf (May 26, 2004)

I remember years ago when they tossed poison packs out of low flying planes and Helios to control the Yote issues in west Texas.

Did we lose a bunch of scavengers from that?

John


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## Timemachine (Nov 25, 2008)

I would hunt hogs all the time with my 14 year old. But at the going rate of "$1 per pound" (ridiculous BTW) we can't afford to go at all.

If you got a hog problem, invite a father & son to come out and eat a few.


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## woodduckhunter (Jan 8, 2012)

with the numbers that must be killed to just maintain the current population and the way hogs respond to hunting normally. hunting them without good thermal in the right places or heli hunting is ******* on the fire. the last two methods won't do away with them, but they'll hinder them some. they can be done away with, if certain products are used. maybe one day we'll get lucky and the right people will get in cahoots with each other and get it done. there are some people trying to make a dollar off of it. But I've yet to see the people making the money off hunting hogs being the same ones that are losing thousands in damages to rice, corn, etc.


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## Capt. Marcus Canales (Aug 25, 2005)

I'm at war here in Cotulla and our lease in Benevides, shoot on sight, drag to the brush.

Sent from my SAMSUNG-SM-G930A using Tapatalk


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## tec (Jul 20, 2007)

Hopefully some place like Texas A&M can come up with some reasonable way to control the hog population. I assume they are working on it.


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## woodduckhunter (Jan 8, 2012)

already been developed and its out there. Just like putting rat/mouse bait out in your feed room in the barn. But, the FDA EPA whatever govt letter org regulates those kinds of things has not found a way to get a chunk of the proceeds into their pocket so it is not available for sale here yet.


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## pg542 (Oct 9, 2006)

I've always been one that thought if you kill it, you should eat it. Over the years my attitude has changed regarding 2 animals. One is pigs and the other is *****. I think no more of a pig than a mosquito on my arm or fire ants crawling in my socks. All need eradication. For me, pigs have earned the right to be gut-shot. This serves 2 purposes. One, the pig is dispatched and two, the aforementioned need to drag them off is reduced greatly. I love hearing a gut-shot pig squealing off in the distance trying to find a place to fall over and die. It makes me smile.


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## Ernest (May 21, 2004)

We raised hogs when I was growing up. Basically, any fence that is affordable merely discourages hogs. Ours stayed in because they wanted to, not because the fence made them. They could dig out when ever they wanted. A 150 lb. motivated hog can dig like a meth'ed up badger.


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## Its Catchy (Apr 10, 2014)

Get rid of some of the red tape and bureaucratic nightmares that limit the commercial harvest of these hogs and the free market will do the rest.


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## hog_down (Jan 11, 2010)

Its Catchy said:


> Get rid of some of the red tape and bureaucratic nightmares that limit the commercial harvest of these hogs and the free market will do the rest.


Bureaucratic red tape? You can shoot them at night from a helicopter with a rocket launcher, if you wanted to.


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## woodduckhunter (Jan 8, 2012)

I think he's referring to the transportation and the sale. If they ever accidentally did, there would would fees and regs out the ying yang, and then taxes on something everytime you turn around. kind of like freshwater commercial fishing. it's not illegal...they just regulate you out of it.


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## BATWING (May 9, 2008)

I think he is talking about selling them across state lines. Turn it into a business for fresh pork. Yankees love fresh stinky wild bore chops.


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## Its Catchy (Apr 10, 2014)

hog_down said:


> Bureaucratic red tape? You can shoot them at night from a helicopter with a rocket launcher, if you wanted to.


I am talking about the restrictions that limit their meat being sold on the commercial markets. If you get rid of those and people can make money the free market will work it's magic.


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## Wes (Apr 1, 2005)

Its Catchy said:


> I am talking about the restrictions that limit their meat being sold on the commercial markets. If you get rid of those and people can make money the free market will work it's magic.


My understanding there are ways around it. I have been told there is guy over here in Austin County that is buying caught wild hogs. You deliver to his receiving pens. He is then taking them to be processed to sell in Europe.

I am not sure on what permitting requirements he had to go through with TPWD.


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## w_r_ranch (Jan 14, 2005)

I've shot/trapped & eaten so many over the years that I'm sick of it...

Now I just shoot'em & leave them by the fence where I think they came in at... it seems to deter the others for a few months.


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## Whitebassfisher (May 4, 2007)

Basically, it was a valid rule years back when we were taught to only kill what you are going to eat. But, times have changed. That rule went out the window years ago, mostly due to feral hogs.


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## Wado (May 15, 2011)

*Feral Pigs*

I know a couple of guys that have dropped theirs off in Devine, don't know if they are still operating. My BIL used to take his to Goliad but it turned in to a full time job with little return. 
http://www.tahc.state.tx.us/animal_health/swine/FeralSwineFacilities.pdf


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## Brute (Apr 29, 2009)

Wes said:


> My understanding there are ways around it. I have been told there is guy over here in Austin County that is buying caught wild hogs. You deliver to his receiving pens. He is then taking them to be processed to sell in Europe.
> 
> I am not sure on what permitting requirements he had to go through with TPWD.


You can still do it put its a PIA. There use to be a buyer at every feed store.. 2 or 3 in a town. Now you have to drive pretty good distances to "state approved stations" and the price is lower. There is all kinds of red tape around butchering them where other animals are butchered also.

I bet if you chart how many hogs are killed annually its actually dropping... especially as a percentage of the growth.

When there was a buyer on every corner and the prices were good every one was trapping hogs who had land or could get access. Its only a fraction of people messing with it now.


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## RB II (Feb 26, 2009)

I agree with Brute. Killing hogs for food has pretty much been done and people have slowed way down. And when most people aren't going to eat something, their childhood training of eat what you kill kicks in, and they just don't do it as much. 

I am also seeing more and more evidence of hogs tearing up the freeway right of way which tells me they aren't scared of that anymore. Soon they will become a traffic issue for highway speed traffic. Not a good thing to hit a 200 lb hog going 70 mph. Stuff gets TORE UP .


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## woodduckhunter (Jan 8, 2012)

lots of hog sign along the freeway from new waverly to buffalo. it's aggravating to know that the product is there, but we can't get it here. especially when you look at the amount of damage done to grazing and farm land...ridiculous.


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## texastkikker (Dec 24, 2008)

yes we are loosing the war.....pic from Paige, Tx.....shot a lone sow Saturday night....about 150 lbs.


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## Whitebassfisher (May 4, 2007)

RB II said:


> I agree with Brute. Killing hogs for food has pretty much been done and people have slowed way down. And when most people aren't going to eat something, their childhood training of eat what you kill kicks in, and they just don't do it as much.
> 
> I am also seeing more and more evidence of hogs tearing up the freeway right of way which tells me they aren't scared of that anymore. Soon they will become a traffic issue for highway speed traffic. *Not a good thing to hit a 200 lb hog going 70 mph. Stuff gets TORE UP* .


Many years back when riding "The Sisters" on a motorcycle, it was common for riders to be worried about deer so quit riding by dusk. But locals mentioned that hogs are getting to be a big problem too.


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## *DoubleThreat* (Nov 1, 2009)

Thermal is working,hit 2 fields last night,first had 8 swine and we killed all but 1,last field had 6 and we killed em all. Just me and my partner shooting 13 out of 14 is pretty good. Yotes and buzzards ate well.


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## AvianQuest (Feb 7, 2006)

RB II said:


> Soon they will become a traffic issue for highway speed traffic. Not a good thing to hit a 200 lb hog going 70 mph. Stuff gets TORE UP .


It's a huge issue. A black hog on a dark night and they are so low slung they can easily cause your vehicle to flip.


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## SSST (Jun 9, 2011)

I remember being so excited the first time we saw hogs on our Llano lease so many years ago, now all I do is throw about 3 "f" bombs and start shooting. We went to fill up feeders at daylight last weekend, knocked one down at each of the first 4 feeders out of the truck, I hate panels with a passion, but I guess it's time to make some pens.


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## ksk (Aug 9, 2008)

w_r_ranch said:


> I've shot/trapped & eaten so many over the years that I'm sick of it...
> 
> Now I just shoot'em & leave them by the fence where I think they came in at... it seems to deter the others for a few months.


As you know,I'm not too far from you.I started in early Spring feeding only in the morning.My cams kept showing them showing up after dark.It seemed to help on the most part,as after the deer and turkeys feed,there is nothing left for them.Maybe they have moved toward you. lol


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## pg542 (Oct 9, 2006)

SSST said:


> I remember being so excited the first time we saw hogs on our Llano lease so many years ago, now all I do is throw about 3 "f" bombs and start shooting. We went to fill up feeders at daylight last weekend, knocked one down at each of the first 4 feeders out of the truck, I hate panels with a passion, but I guess it's time to make some pens.


If you build effective feeder pens, you will see less pigs and more deer while in the stand. Pigs become accustomed to where and WHEN a free meal is handed out. They will keep deer away simply by their presence. If your feeder is no longer attractive to the pigs they will seek groceries elsewhere. I've seen pigs camped out waiting for the feeder to go off. A few seconds later they all show as if by magic and vacuum every last kernel. Poor whitetail comes by later and thinks...Wut happind?. Sadly feeder pens have become a necessity.


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## SSST (Jun 9, 2011)

pg542 said:


> If you build effective feeder pens, you will see less pigs and more deer while in the stand. Pigs become accustomed to where and WHEN a free meal is handed out. They will keep deer away simply by their presence. If your feeder is no longer attractive to the pigs they will seek groceries elsewhere. I've seen pigs camped out waiting for the feeder to go off. A few seconds later they all show as if by magic and vacuum every last kernel. Poor whitetail comes by later and thinks...Wut happind?. Sadly feeder pens have become a necessity.


Believe me, i get all this, problem is driving steel posts in rocks!


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## fy0834 (Jan 18, 2011)

We took out one of their leaders yesterday...


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## dlbpjb (Oct 9, 2009)

sgrem said:


> Hunters paying for hog hunts.
> 
> Maybe soon landowners will have to pay hunters to hunt them.
> 
> .


 Like quoted before, going to purchase some night vision gear just for this purpose. Plus it is very effective means of taking many of them.


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## Brute (Apr 29, 2009)

NV a great tool. Every lease should have at least one. You can get a NV scope for $$800-1200 that will do all you need it to.

I have video where I sat 1.5hrs after dark in a blind and shot 3 good boar hogs. All around 50-75 yds. Just put a thin trail of corn from the feeder to the blind. Its pitch black dark. They work right to you.

You can't have those big hogs sitting just off your feeder in the brush.


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