EAST TEXAS HOG DOGGERS FORUM

I am looking for any good ideas (pictures) anybody might have on hauling all their stuff on one trailer.  I have a mule (4 tires, not 4 legs) dogs and I want to haul hogs as well.  I am about convinced I need about a 20' stock trailer but if anybody has any other good ideas I would love to hear about them.  I bought a good used 20' gooseneck trailer that I may convert to a stock trailer but thought I would look for some input but I plug in the welding machine.

Thanks,
Matt

i got a 32' gooseneck i can sell ya.  but i dont know if the ole goat can handle it!!  LOL :D

shoot me a price hegar.....with all that extra lenght I could buid me some living quarters in the front for when the old lady gets mad cause I been hunting too much hahaha
Matt

Shoot we mite need that 32 footer with all the hogs in navasota.  i checked the game cams and the day we hunted the hogs hit up the feeders rite after dark.  I saw probably boar that cut up duce and a sow with some lil piggys, we didnt even put a dent in em.  As for your wife you jus let me talk to her.....or better yet, i jus hook her up with my ole lady and they can hang out while we huntin!!!   :D

Good point man, glad to hear that we left one or two hogs over there so we can still have something to hunt in the future  ;).  Yeah we need to get the ladies together so they can go shop or something while we get our hunt on, but then again, that could lead to alot of shopping  ;D

Matt

oh yeah thats fo sho!!  to me, thats kinda like payin to get to go huntin.   and thats messed up when  its on his
 property!! :D :D

Matt, I will send ya some pictures of mine soon.  It is by no means anything fancy, just a 5' by 12' utility trailor I rigged to haul my junk and hogs.  I could pack about 15-20 hogs in there with a divider gate, wish I had that problem.  I left enough space in the front for a future dog box.  Right now just hauling the tack and stuff in the front.  I made it only 3' tall with intentions of putting a deck on top to haul a 4 wheeler.
(http://www.texasboars.com/photopost/albums/userpics/bowie_hogs_003.jpg)

Get a flat bed and build a box at the front that is 3'X7'x3', divider in the middle, two doors facing outward. Us that for hogs and then go on top and put dog boxes that face toward the back of the trailer.

Then just pull the mule up to them from the back.

Build a ramp on the trailer and bolt tie down hooks in the floor where the Mule would usually be.

I would start with one of those car hauler type flat beds with no sides and build up from there. Put sides on it 3' or 4' high all the way around. The with the gate on back and boxes in the front it is cmpletley closed up.

If gates open up do dogs won't fly out... you could even put snaps facing the inside of the trailer and snap dogs where there is extra room and not have to worry losing any thing.

Sorry... I got lost in my own dream trailer. :-[

Matt I am going to have to get you to build a bed for my MUle also.. still haven't got around to it. What is your going rate these days? ;D

Matt,

Here's a picture of my complete rig.  I just sold my smaller trailer and got the front trailer and am modifying it to load a second four wheeler on the front top.  I would think you could build one just like it and make the center area a little wider to accomodate your mule.  There are six dog boxes on the front, and the back compartment for hogs.  The back doors slide open to load/unload the days catch!  The front trailer itself is 18' long. 

Also...I have a four compartment dog box that I built (4' square with two doors on each side) that I used to use on the front of my old trailer.  It's too big to fit in the back of a truck, but would work good sitting on the front of a trailer with your mule loaded behind it.  If your interested, email me.

(http://i229.photobucket.com/albums/ee138/bdavis1476/Dogs/IMAGE_030.jpg)

Thanks for all of the ideas guys, I am torn at the moment between a stock trailer that I could haul other things in as well or building boxes and compartments for hogs and dogs on my 20' trailer.  I have a few restrictions that I am trying to work around that is making my decision harder.  If I put a hog box on the trailer how do I load-unload several hogs say from the box to my pen and then from my pen to the box.  I also can't haul my mule side ways like you could most 4wheelers because it is right at 10' long and would stick out over each side too far. 
I have myself convinced on the stock trailer idea since I could back right up to the pen for loading and unloading etc but at 3-4K for a good one I am trying to think of anyway to have a trailer that will function the same and yet not cost as much.....to date I have not found it.  NT and Bryant, how do yall get your hogs from the standard trailers?  It seems the only way for that to work is to put the hog box on the back like your trailer is Bryant, I like the idea of the hog box in the front but it would be a pain to get hogs in and out of the the box.  If I have the hog box on the back then I have to drive my mule over the box and that is a pain in the arse.  Keep the pics and ideas coming fellas.

Matt

About to go guide a deer hunt but our quail guides use Ranger 6X6 with a quail rig for the bed. To haul the rangers and extra dogs they got the car hauler flat bed trailers and put a 6 box dog (12 dogs) box in the front and then room on the back for the ranger. You could put a rail on top of the boxes for  dead hogs or reduce the number of dog boxes for room for live hogs and have plenty of room in a compact trailer to get into the tight spots. I got pics but I need to upload them into the web, check back this evening.

matt

dont have pics - but some guys i know have a small trailer with dog boxes in front, hog box in back, and the 4 wheeler rides on top.  when they get to the woods, they unload the 4 wheeler and pull the trailer with it to wherever they want to turn out.  when they catch a hog - he goes in the back.  its about 5x10, you might need to go a bit larger to put a mule on top.

when they hit the thicket, they park the 4 wheeler and start walking.  after the catch, they're usually able to find a route through the thicket to pick up the hog - or they drag him out with a horse, if the guy with the horse is on the hunt that day.

jeff

Can't reallly load a Mule up like and atv... that is kind of an issue.

The problem I see with a stock trailer is you have to wash them off every time you use them, keep them in a covered area, ect.. if you want them to last for any number of years.

As for unloading hogs off the trailer that would probably depend more on where you unloaded them to. IF you had a pen or some thing at your house that you are typically going to unload the hogs to you could build a ramp style shoot to match what ever the set up is on you trailer.

Just throwing ideas out there... maybe some thing will trigger other ideas...  :-\

Do you have a hog getter trailer already?

May be better off just getting a good, long goosekneck. Building a dog box that can be strapped to the front. Just pull the Mule up with the hog getter trailer. Just strap it all down, leave the hogs in the trailer and go.

Brute, you might be on to something.  I have a pen at my house that I can modify a chute for, I don't know why I have never thought of building a small getter trailer to pull behind the mule and hauling it all though, that may be the ticket.  Need to measure some small boat trailers and then work from that or just buy an axle, spring, hub set up and start there. 

Having said that, Rowdy how long is your trailer?  Would a six foot hog trailer be long enough or would you need it to be 8'?

Thanks, again for the help.

Matt

When it comes to putting tires on a dog getter go with a full size truck tire, maybe some old mud tires or some thing that are wide. It floats alot better... more surface area to spread the weight over. Those boat tires do not make it around a wet corn field.

Plus... if you ever just want to put it behind you truck you got some full size tires to run on. Spindles and hubs aren't that expensive and you can usually find some old Chevy 15' 5 on 5 wheels around.

This is my dog wagon. Floats right across the mud... don't even know its back there. I used this rig before the MULE.
(http://i28.photobucket.com/albums/c214/Brute23/c31e.jpg)

What do you think the dimensions of your getter were Brute?  Since I can haul dogs in the bed of the mule I shouldn't need any box space for them, just big enough for hogs with a divider.

Matt

The one in that picture is 4'x6'...

Might be selling it if any one is interested. ;D I also want to build a hog getter for behind my MULE. I am about to give this catching them live thing a try. :-\

Why not use that trailer behind your mule?  I am thinking that 6' long is long enough but I may try to go 8ft if I can squeeze it on the trailer.  I wonder how many hogs you could fit in a 4x8 trailer?  I am also liking the bench seat on top of the trailer, keeps the load off of the suspension of people riding in the bed of the mule.

Matt

yeah, i'll bet you could haul a couple or two hogs in that ;) lol

DAS NICE!!!!!!  8)  I still want a stock trailer and if I can sell the regular 20' GN trailer I have and pocket a little money I will prolly buy one.  I could leave my mule in it and just back up to it load dogs and go.  I like to think that I may own a mule (4 legged) one day and the stock trailer would allow me to haul that as well.  But if I can't sell my trailer for enough money I may build a little trailer that I can take with me and still haul hogs out with.  Hopefully I can sell the trailer I got now and avoid having to build a small trailer but time will tell.  

Matt

Brute,
How is it backing the wheeler and getter off the trailer?   That is my only concern there but that is HECK of an idea!!
Longshot

Matt,

   Here are a couple trailers we use when hunting.  The first is a half top that might work well with your mule depending on how tall it is. BTW that picture is about 1 mile from where we hunted yesterday. Looks like a different part of the state though. East Texas piney woods, vs rolling hills with hardwoods. Seriously 1 mile apart.

(http://i129.photobucket.com/albums/p204/ccoughran/DSC01205.jpg)

This is the stock trailer that Mandi and I use the most. It is a 24x6 with two cut gates and a 4x5 escape in front. holds an easy 8 dogs chained in front. plenty of hogs in the middle, and 3 horses saddled in the rear. Or as a side job it will haul 12 head of heavy bred brangus PACKED in there.

(http://i129.photobucket.com/albums/p204/ccoughran/STOCKTRAILER.jpg)


Brute, I too like your trailer setup. I had a hitch put on the rear of my new trailer just for the purpose of hauling a little trailer like that in tandem. 

Nice trailers there Chris, I like the half top alot, was it a 20' trailer?  I need to find a good used trailer, if you run across one let me know ;) 
That country changes so much in a short distance, even where we were yesterday it changed pretty drastically from oak to pine in a some areas.
Matt

The white trailer is a 20' the red is a 24'

If I was buying another trailer today I would buy a 28' x 6'8" triple with 3 gates, 1x3 tube sides, and metal top. with 4x5 escape.    However the 24' has served us well for several years.  With the 20' Hanover that I had, I always needed an extra  cut gate, and that extra 4'


You will find that most 20' stock trailers are going to be setup with 12' front and 8' rear. Which will be an issue with your Mule, as I think you stated before that it is 10' long.   You can get the cut gate moved to a 10/10 or an 8/12 as opposed to the common 12/8.  Or just get a 24 with 6/6/12 .

If you like the half top trailer, you will be more likely to find a deal on one out west near your deer lease. They are not that common in this area. But they are real handy when it comes to loading cattle out of a pasture.  You can also drag your hogs to the trailer horseback, then toss the rope over the top ball, and drag the hogs into the trailer.

I used the regual ramps and it was not bad at all. If I would have had a ramp built on the trailer it would have been even easier. I also use to pull an old single axle cattle trailer (1 momma cow type) behind the atv for getting hogs out of traps. It also fit behind the atv on the trailer.

Matt:  I thought about chopping the top off of the dog wagon I got and building a hog wagon. But by the time I cut all that off then build off it new I could darn near build the new trailer. Plus it seems like such a waist... I probably only use it 5 or 6 times a year but it is really handy those five or six times. :)

If any one is looking at stock trailers check out Fair West. Those are pobably the most solid built of any on the market and are reasonable priced. Definatley worth the money for what you are getting. ;)

(http://a428.ac-images.myspacecdn.com/images01/49/l_15bc25aa89fda74680cb1f8a2d835783.jpg)

Here's the rig our quail guides use, little fancy (boxes and truck bed Aluminum) but you could do the same thing or use steel to make it. Instead of tie downs for the Ranger he has a bar in front and a pivot one on the back that wedges the UTV in place on the trailer, you can see the post for the back one above the tail light.

looks like some of the rigs we see in Pearsall on occasion.

That's like 50-Gs in dog boxes there...  :o... Having hog dogs in a rig like that is like wearing camo when you go hunting. ;D

Brute,

   Check out this place for some STOUT stock trailers.

http://www.easleytrailers.com/

I have pretty much stuck with Gooseneck, Neckover, and Hanover for stock trailers in the past. I have seen Fair West trailers, but I never paid them much attention.

That's why he welds his own LOTS cheaper that way ;). About that rig total (not counting truck, trailer and Ranger, just the boxes for all three) would be about $25-32,000. I don't like the quail rig he has on the truck (too high) but the one on the car hauler in light steel would be SAWEETTT!!! I know some hog hunters down here use older model trucks with the orginal steel quail rigs on the back (flat bed with four boxes level on each side, seat on top of them like Brute's) and like them for hauling everything.

   Is it just me or is $25K a little out of most hog doggers budget for a dog box?
Longshot

Longshot,

     I hunt hogs because I cannot afford to hunt birds ;D   We joke about not being wealthy enough to bird hunt. Gotta talk to Matt_Aggie if you want to know what it is like ;)

Truth is, hogs are fun for me. Birds.Not so much.

No, it's not just you.  Do you have any idea what my wife would do to me if I came home with a rig like that?  Let's just say I'd better be able to live out of it, 'cause it ain't never gonna get parked in my.... errrr her driveway again. :o

Very nice rig, though.  Perhaps a fuzz out of my price range (my dog box was made out of scrap from dad's metal pile) but a very nice rig anyway.

Looks like they are definately serious about their bird hunting.

Well I think I may have found the answer to my trailer problem today!

I had a gentleman decide that my 20' flatbed was worth more then I did and payed me pretty good for it.  Coincindently I found a trailer during lunch that cought my interest on the computer so after selling mine I drove the 60 miles to take a look at a 1984 24' Neckover stock trailer.  Afraid that it may be a basket caseI went anyway because the price was REALLY good.  Upon arrival I found a CLEEEAAAN trailer that looked like it had had hardly ever been used.  The elderly lady that owned it said it belonged to her ex husband and they had bought it new in 1984 and kept really good care of it and then had it sand blasted primed and painted a few years back.  Before I hooked on to it it had not been moved in three years so it has a little green on the white tarp and on the paint but is just what I was looking for.  I need to add an escape door in the front but other then that I like it alot.  I will post pics of it tomorrow.

Matt

Good deal Matt, now the fun begins.

Circle C
Those are some nice trailers... wonder what the prices are like on them? There are no dealers near here though.

Ya the seat on that truck looks awfully high. It is sitting on a double decker box though, most are just one and the seat I have been on. (When the bosses take me, can't afford to go any other way :D)

I am still trying to get Matt to build me a bed for my MULE out of regular steel....  ;D Matt, I will trade you a dog trailer for a bed? 8)

You wouldn't want me to build another bed like mine, it would cost you too much.   ;D  If you really do decide that you would like for me to build you one pm me and let me borrow your mule for about a week and I will have you fixed up.  If you had a 610 I could build it off of mine but I don't have access to 3010 for measuring and fitting.  One thing that I will say is that I really like having my bed and I don't think my mule would be near as handy with out it.  We might be able to do some horse trading, let me know what you got....

On this bird hunting thing I will let yall in on a little secret and that is you gotta approach it like hog hunting.  Me and my cousins all have bird dogs and and none of us have ever paid for a single one of them.  We are lucky enought to know people that got them started years ago and my cousins and friends breed their own bird dogs.  These dogs are bred right and they turn on extrememly early (hunting well by 6months old).  Combine that with a place that has a great quail populationa and bam, you are in business.  I really enjoy bird hunting, there are few things that are better especially with your own dog but the kicker and the thing that keeps me from having more bird dogs is the short season.  It is hard to feed a dog 12 months and only really hunt it for 3 months out of the year. 

Brute & Circle C...Easley Trailers and Reyas Trailers "Reyas is made by the old Easley factoey" are the best built trailers on the market. I have owned both. 5x16 half top single axle gooseneck will be about $8,500. They are built to use and will hold up better than anything else I have seen.

Matt... That Neckover sounds perfect. They are well built trailers I pulled a 28' for several years. I have been looking for one just like the one you found.....so if you need to sell for some reason I am in the market.....

Paul T

sounds great matt! can't wait to see you rig it all out!  ;D

Matt,
Good things come to Good people.  Keep helping others and good things happen. 
Have Patiences.

To get what you want, you need to rebuild about three times.

IF it wasn't for the 3hr drive seperating us I would have already been there...  :(

I can definately agree with that!!!  I've been tweaking my setup for about a year now.  Finally getting it about right.

Paul,
    I was at a SHOT ( Stock Horse of Texas) show up in Stephenville a few years ago and ran into a gentleman with an Easley. I could not believe how it was made. I think the slide latch on the back gate is 1x3 solid stock.
   Since then a friend of mine that trains cuttings horses traded off her 24' aluminum for a 5x16 halftop Easley. Sounds strange to most people, but she knows enough to recognize quality.

   You mention hauling a 28' for years.  Help me out here. Am I going to regret a 28' triple axle after having a 24' tandem? Pulling with a 1 ton truck

The guy who owns that rig basically "lives" out of it like you said. He's booked all but Thanksgiving and Xmas for bird hunts from Corpus to laredo and freer to Raymondville, he saves money going that way just by the light weight of the aluminum.

I wouldn't want the bed he has on the truck, but the Trailer and a slightly simplified version of the boxes on the Ranger (in other words, no seat and boxes on top but the bottom 4 boxes on the 6x6) would suit the way I like to hunt. I could make the same rig he has on the trailer and ranger out of my scrap pile (Kubota shipping cages, thin walled steel in 1x1 and 1x2 tubing) with a mig welder and save ALOT of money.

Chris...You will pull the 28' just fine. The triple axle is a pain if you get off the pavement and have to snake around in the pasture. If I were you I would go with a 32', and have a 4' comp. up front then 8' 8' 12' comp. It will pull the same loaded(cattle) and give you a little more options. If you get bigger than the 24' better just go to the 32'.

Paul T

Don't make fun of this ole girl cause she is dirty but here she is.  I am going to buy some cheap bleach to put in my pump sprayer and see what that will do to the green hue but if you look past that I think you will see a pretty straight clean trailer.  .  There is a little blistering on the bars under the tarp but I have yet to find the first blister even as surface rust anywhere on the bottom, inside, or underneath.   For all of you stock trailer guys....what do you think she is worth?  I will tell you what I paid for it after I see what yall think it is worth.

(http://i49.photobucket.com/albums/f277/matt_aggie04/DSCF0147.jpg)
(http://i49.photobucket.com/albums/f277/matt_aggie04/DSCF0148.jpg)
(http://i49.photobucket.com/albums/f277/matt_aggie04/DSCF0151.jpg)
(http://i49.photobucket.com/albums/f277/matt_aggie04/DSCF0150.jpg)
(http://i49.photobucket.com/albums/f277/matt_aggie04/DSCF0149.jpg)

She's purdy... now we need to fill her her with some swine! ;D

As it sits right now, you could probably get 2k for it. Maybe more than that. Put a few gallons of paint, and you will double that price.

I like that there is little to no rust at the bottoms, tells me they took the time to wash out the trailer after using it, and did not leave it sitting with manure piled up.

I had heck trying to clean mine with a canvas top.

Once you get the rust bubbles under control on the bows, you can take a pump sprayer with diesel a few times a year, and spray them from inside the trailer. It will help prevent future rust.

I heard that Mike!  Good idea on the diesel Chris, I have never heard that before.  And thanks Mr. Mason, I appreciate the kind words.  I frequent the horse auction by my house pretty often looking for "deals" and they sold a 16' Gooseneck brand stock trailer a few months ago that looked like cottage cheese for $1500 and I have looked at many other trailers that looked like they have been through a war for $3K and up.  I based this purchase on some of those trailers and picked it up for $2100.  This same trailer from Neckover new sells for $6500 so I figured I would try it out, clean it up and if it seems to be a little long or there is something I don't like about it I could sell it and come out all right.  I really want a 20' but the extra 4' may end up coming in handy, you never know.  A little brasso on the hub caps and knock the barnacles off the top she may look a little more approachable.  ;D

Matt

Matt...That trailer would bring $3,500 up here, its perfect. I would replace all the tarp rope asap. You don't want to break that old rope and "fly the kite" as we say. That trailer is in good enough shape that I would sandblast and paint it. It will last forever, and you can get all your money out of it and then some any time  you want. I would also put a hitch on the back to pull your gitter trailer when you got it full up... Great rig.

Paul T

I agree with Silverton, if it just has some surface rust get it blasted and painted. It will look good and last you a long time if you take care of it.

Hopefully you paid around $2K... and that was a heck of a deal. ;D

I spent about $7 on her at the car wash and it looks like a different trailer.  I washed all of the "plant life" off of the tarp and made it all bright white again and washed most of the green off of it.  I plan to hit it with bleach next and see what that does.  I am also going to take the tarp off and buff and prime and paint the small problem areas on the bars because the paint and or primer is still really good in 95% of the trailer.  If I can kill the rust in those few areas and put the tarp back on it should work good for a long time.  I gotta cut an escape door up front but that shouldn't be too hard, I have been studying on how they do it from the factory and I think I have it figured out.  I need to move the rear cut gate forward 2' but I am going to have to do some studying before I tackle that project. 
Matt

looks great matt! can't wait till we start filling it up with porkers! :o

Looks like lots of potential right there.  Great find, Matt!

Nice trailer Matt!! You should have plenty of room with that!