Hog Population

[TShelly]

I know eeryone has been talking about where all the hogs have gone and dissappearred to, but we believe next year is gonna be a big bounce back in the hog population. Even though last year was one of the worse droughts we've ever experienced the acorn crop was a bumper one due to late rains. This year the trees are looking just as full and the hogs should make a huge jump. Every place we hunt is slammed full of lots of hogs right now. Some really big groups that we havnt seen the size of in a while.. All our deer hunter friends are seeing the same thing; alot more hogs at their feeders than in the past two. It's about all I seem to be feeding on all my cameras. Anyways this was just a little foreshadowing to what I think will be a noticeable jump in population to everyone next spring

[t.wilbanks]

Where did you say your feeder was?? 

[Mike]

I hope you're right, but I disagree. I've noticed a severe decline in the hog population over the past three years in the areas I hunt. I'm talking from Houston to Corrigan up 59. This is also what several friends, old timers, friends of friends and so on have noticed. Sure, there are little "honey holes" here and there that hold hogs, but overall the population is scarce. The past month I've checked three different properties that I haven't dropped a dog on in a year... nada, no sign at all. It's been that way the past few years. Even the neighboring properties where the hogs would always go to, same story. I'm talking tens of thousands of acres... not small places.

Five to ten years ago, and earlier, hogs were everywhere in this country. It was nothing to go out and catch 4 or 5 hogs in few hours and go home. Now we're lucky to catch one... if there's even any on the place.

[t.wilbanks]

It's the same way here Mike, except our spots are much smaller... Places that people have hunted for YEARS and always caught hogs don't even have a track on them...

I guess all the hogs are at Tonys spots.... 

[TShelly]

I hope you're right, but I disagree. I've noticed a severe decline in the hog population over the past three years in the areas I hunt. I'm talking from Houston to Corrigan up 59. This is also what several friends, old timers, friends of friends and so on have noticed. Sure, there are little "honey holes" here and there that hold hogs, but overall the population is scarce. The past month I've checked three different properties that I haven't dropped a dog on in a year... nada, no sign at all. It's been that way the past few years. Even the neighboring properties where the hogs would always go to, same story. I'm talking tens of thousands of acres... not small places.

Five to ten years ago, and earlier, hogs were everywhere in this country. It was nothing to go out and catch 4 or 5 hogs in few hours and go home. Now we're lucky to catch one... if there's even any on the place.

I agree with what you are saying an we too have heard that from lots of people about the decline these past few years. I believe it as well bc the spots I am talking about saw those same exact declines. But are now really exploding. Even if some of them are considered "honey holes" the effects of those spots exploding is gonna leak out into the surrounding areas. That's how populations make huge spikes in numbers, when there are huge numbers of young being produced the fitness of that species has no choice but to increase.


 

It's the same way here Mike, except our spots are much smaller... Places that people have hunted for YEARS and always caught hogs don't even have a track on them...

I guess all the hogs are at Tonys spots.... 

I wish they'd quit eating all my deer corn at my spots too.. I've seen some increase in the numbers at my little spots but the big increases are on big E's deer leases, other friends deer leases and up north in gods country. Buffalo area..

[Wmwendler]

I've seen a decline in a few places where food is scarce here in my neck of the woods but I would say its not likely from die out but the hogs moved on to other places where food was available weather or crops or suplimental livestock/deer feed wich increase in alot of place during the drought.  Some of the land I occasionally hunt around roans prarie, carlos the hogs were not as thick in those parts, no crops and no cow feed when the cows were sold.  The biggest hit was in reproduction, they just did not reproduce most of last year. We killed allot of dry and open sows which is a very rare thing most of the time.  They just did not have the body weight to breed back.   On most places I hunt,food could be found enough to get them by and on those places they held a steady population through the drought last year. Allot of hungry hogs made traping easy which removed a few more than normal.  But over all hogs that were trapped and hunted I beleive were replaced by hogs moving in to find food.  So even though they werent recruiting young ones the population stayed steady.    I was really worried that if we had a hard winter we could loose some hog due to starvation but the bumper clover crop created by fall rains and a mild winter really saved allot of hogs from decline last winter.  One area actually increased in hogs.  Crops too poor to harvest were left in the field and one large ranch that normally runs allot of stocker cattle on grass, fed a record ammount of ground feed which the hogs helped them selves to.  The heat and drought kept me from hunting much.  And the hogs got thicker.   I spentt all spring and summer trying to keep those hogs out of my uncles corn down there.   I was supprised at first that they hogs got that thick there but after I thought about it it made sence.  Over all in Texas I think the population declined.  More so in the arid areas and areas without much intensive agriculture.  But they can bounce back fast if they have the resources.  And in some places allready have from what I've seen.

Waylon

Waylon

[Peachcreek]

Come on with it. My dogs and i are ready! I hope u r right tony

[brad s]

I dont live in texas so idk how it is there. But wher i live in Louisiana the places i hunt alot have dried up but i dont think population has declined i think they are just in places that u think they wouldnt be.  For instance i was out riding around one day and it was 95°+ outside in mid day and seen group of hogs out feeding. Now wher i saw them at ther are no creeks that hold water close by and it bone dry outside. Imo they are just on the move lot more than years past

[Bedias92]

I'm with you Mr. Mike we still see big numbers in spots but in some spots no hogs. I look at hog population like the buffaloes millions in the pioneer days but were almost wiped out because people thought there was so many atleast that's what the history teacher told me in high school lol

[rdjustham]

Shoot this year Ive got more damage on the one place I can hunt than Ive had in years. Only thing keepin the population up here has to be the fact hardly anyone will let you hunt their land anymore.  And where I can hunt is too small to run dogs.. 

[dblackwell]

I dont live in texas so idk how it is there. But wher i live in Louisiana the places i hunt alot have dried up but i dont think population has declined i think they are just in places that u think they wouldnt be.  For instance i was out riding around one day and it was 95°+ outside in mid day and seen group of hogs out feeding. Now wher i saw them at ther are no creeks that hold water close by and it bone dry outside. Imo they are just on the move lot more than years past
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I'll go along with that. Have a place that always held hogs it got dry and nada. Big place has a creek for a couple miles and some low land it got dry so I hunted were there was water nada. Hunt in thick mots were its cooler nada. Till recently now that water is all over we're in the hogs. I also that they travel more here than in the past seems like I'll catch 3 or nothing lately. Either they are there or they ain't. It's like a shot in the dark every time I drop the tailgate. But I am happy to be catching hogs again.

[Yelladogwreckincrew]

 
I'll go along with that. Have a place that always held hogs it got dry and nada. Big place has a creek for a couple miles and some low land it got dry so I hunted were there was water nada. Hunt in thick mots were its cooler nada. Till recently now that water is all over we're in the hogs. I also that they travel more here than in the past seems like I'll catch 3 or nothing lately. Either they are there or they ain't. It's like a shot in the dark every time I drop the tailgate. But I am happy to be catching hogs again.
[/quote]

You mean you catch hogs? Haha

[Purebreedcolt]

Think it depends on where ur at in tx.  Central to north texas the hogs are a steady increase in most places and starting to fill in where there were no hogs 2 years ago.  Last couple years didn't see many little ones on camera but man they are out in abundance now.  South of mason I think there are less like mike is saying.  Nearly everything my dad has shot till he quit shooting in the last say even 3 years has all been big hogs almost no little ones.