It’s getting close to that time of year when I need to get out… in the woods… with a gun.

I don’t really suffer from cabin fever because I have to cut firewood, tend to animals, plow snow etc. but it isn’t like just sitting in the woods with a rifle/shotgun/pistol.

I visited family north of here last night and we gathered primarily in the kitchen where we fed our faces. (sound familiar?)

My nephew (who has hunted on our place since 1977) said he got a call from neighbors regarding feral hogs that were ruining their farm. They spoke of huge numbers of hogs (possibly exaggerated) but the damage they did was not exaggerated. They wanted him to help in eradicating the hogs… ASAP.

He builds hog traps as a “side endeavor” and plans to place some on their land soon.

He checked with the local game warden for the details and got a “go ahead”.

Without explaining KY game laws I plan to try to hunt some swine later this spring along with ground hogs when they start cleaning their dens in late March…. weather/health/commitments permitting.

They are notoriously nocturnal when feral but I have a devious plan… BAIT.

The warden said that is fine.

I plan to use shell corn or cob corn whichever I can acquire most cheaply.

Any better bait ideas from hog hunters? I have raised many meat hogs but never hunted them in the wild.

I have a friend in GA who invited me many times but I never went.

I am in the September of my life and always wanted to hunt feral hogs. They were always “far off” but it appears they are coming to me. (40 miles north + or -) They eventually will be on our place…. Blessing or curse I’ll take it.

I will be using a “bigger than appropriate” ground hog gun but I have been wanting to try out a toy in some clear country. I am mostly heavily wooded here.

When they eventually get here on my place I’ll try them with a big bore revolver from the back porch.

Bait ideas from the experienced are appreciated.

Take a posthole digger. Dig a posthole about 24" deep. Fill it to about 12" full of corn and then dump jello from the package on top. Strawberry, grape, and raspberry work for me. Place as big a rock as you can on top. Don't worry they can root it away like it wasn't there. If you have a large herd, dig several of these. The smaller the diameter of the hole, the harder it is for them to eat it up quickly, thus longer over the bait.

Sounds good.

I never thought of digging a hole and covering it.

I like to let shell corn ferment in a 5 gallon bucket (topped with water) for a few days.

Domestic hogs love it. I assume feral will too.

Good idea on the hole... lasts longer.

Nephew would eat the jello.

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ferment the corn in beer skunked beer smells 10x stronger with the corn and porky loves it just fine. shoot them in the head with 17 hmr and all meat will be useable.

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Got me on the diesel.

I did occasionally feed my domestic hogs coal at the advice of an old hog farmer.

He said they needed some minerals in coal.

They loved it and thrived.

Diesel is new to me.

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I am making a batch right now.

I generally take a 5 gallon bucket fill it with a mix of corn, a big container of coolaid mix, and a six pack of cheap beer. top it off with water and let it set for a week or so,

Once you want to bait them you can just dump a little out in the same area for a few days, then pour it on heavy and hunt. I generally use a camera to get an idea what time they are running. In the short term they are creatures of habit until something spooks them out of it.

Other options include the post hole, or making a tube out of 6-8" PVc with a few holes drilled in it, attach it to a tree or something with a chain and they will spend a lot of time trying to get the corn out.

Hogs are lead around by their stoumach and nose. If you already have them most any type of food will draw them, but if they are just passing through the stinky stuff will keep them around longer.

That is good to know and I will try it. Last year I had buck get into the hog trap and poor soul broke off an antler with a piece of skull attached while I was trying to set him free. Hurt me that it happened and I have not set it back. Need to ditch the enclosed trap and go to a corral.

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