Where are the hunting clubs that are overrun with hogs?
Or, heck....even have a healthy population??

I know that Caleb, Bayedup, made a post recently looking to join a Club that would allow him to run his dogs in the 'offseason'. And, I have been searching for years!!!
And, I am not talking about wanting to hunt for free, or a reduced amount....a full membership.
I have decided that they are nearly non-existent!!

We have killed 325 off of our club over the past 27 months. That is shooting and trapping. And by no means have we killed them all but we are dang sure keeping them beat down.

I work some of the clubs that have a lot of hogs. Many simply don't like the dogs on their properties. I work some that allow hog doggers to work their properties right along beside me. Sort of take turns so to speak.

I understand that some people dislike dogs on their property.
However, there are many people who do not mind, also.

Are the Clubs so good that they never have openings?
Or, they are so 'exclusive' that there is just no way to join them?
Or, are there just not many real Hunting Clubs that have problems with hogs?

It just seems odd that some people, our DCNR, State Govt and Federal Govt are all offering financial assistance to people to help with their hog problems. But, they will not take a hunters money to actually hunt and kill them. And, from the numerous posts on the subject, that goes for gun hunters as well as dog hunters!

I am fortunate to have access to some prime private properties!
But, I would like to have a place to do all types of hunting. They are HARD to find!!!

You are correct some don't mind dogs and some do.

I would guess that most are pretty darn exclusive.

If they are any good, there is a waiting list or you can only get in upon invitation.

I would say that "hunters" are their own worst enemy most of the time. Most want to go out and shoot a pig or 3. Landowners and hunting clubs with hog problems want large numbers killed and they want it done without a lot of folks on the property.

Most clubs have a lease contract that forbids them subleasing hunting rights or allowing guests without members being present.

Yep, I agree with all of that!!

You and I are in the same boat, ya know.......

Without access to land with viable hog populations, there is very little we can do!

It also hurts when you are good at what ya do.
It is a lot easier to kill your way out of a spot than advertised!

We had a small group of 7 move in on my FNL's land a few weeks ago. I went one morning and dropped the dogs out behind the camp at the feeder they were hitting. It was not long and they found em....and a coupe hours later, 6 were dead. Dogs killed 1 in a clearcut that I could not get to them in time and I stuck the other 5.
No sign of a hog since!

We set up a trap on our club the day after deer season ended. We have caught 23 hogs in it already. Eight mature sows included. It took about 2 hours to set up the trap. Not bad for time invested.

You are at the mercy of your neighbors there.......

Another case of exclusive rights and restricted access harboring high numbers of hogs.

Agreed. This location is on the very corner of our lease. No doubt we are catching hogs that spend very little time on our club.

I have some new panels that do not require t-posts to be driven into the ground. It sets up in less than an hour. I am going to unleash it onto our club when it dries out some. I know you know a lot about our property since you hunted it before. It is about 7 miles tall and about 3/4 mile wide on average. I am going to go right up through the middle this summer and try to eliminate as many as I can.

Once I do that, I will start on the edges again.

It will make a difference!
Once you get all the scragglers caught, call me and let's take the dogs and catch a couple of those big ones that like to walk the roads after a rain!

I thought you hated hog dogging that property! LOL

I do!!!!

But, my love of catching those big, old, wise hogs is stronger than most allmy other emotions! LOL

I think I have told you before, some of the most enjoyable places I have ever hunted were also trapped hard. They caught most of the sows, shorts and pigs and got them out of the way!

Makes sense.

How many acres do you need to have to turn the dogs loose?

I have caught a bunch and never got off a couple hundred acres.
But, I like to have around 800-1000 acres to be sure not to get off it.

One of my clients built a 750 acre high fence for deer about 6 years ago. He thought it would be a good idea to put 30 barr boars in there for some extra hunting. They killed all but 6 of them and those 6 tear up everything in the pen from feeders to roads. I told him he needs a couple of good dogs in there, but he doesn't want them scaring the deer. I told him those hogs were probably killing a lot of his fawns and he almost changed his mind. Those 6 are extremely hard to get a shot on.

I understand if he does not want dogs I there.....period.

But, I can assure you, I hunt in some of the highest deer densities around and have zero problems with my dogs bothering them. We caught12 or 13 this past Sunday on a place that is loaded with deer. We literally see 25-50 deer every time wehunt there!

$6000-$7000 a year won't get you in one of these so called hog damaged properties. I have offered it numerous times because I like to hunt by myself or with a couple of friends to cut down on traffic. Its not because of a bad rep because I have a good reputation for treating the landowners and adjoining landowners with nothing but respect and always calling before I go so everyone knows that I'm the one hunting. The problem is that these big land owners and clubs don't mind having hogs. It gives them something fun to shoot year round. As far as farmers go it's mostly a front. It's the same as planting a field that you know is going to flood. He will claim twice the seed he really planted, the water or hogs will move in, and the government will pay him for it. If he really wanted to make a crop to sell he would use the so called money lost and build a fence around the field or he wouldn't plant a field that has consistently flooded year after year. It's all a big SCAM.

I am sure beginning to believe it!

Most people want the hogs 'controlled'.

But, I don't think near as many want them GONE as people think. They enjoy hunting them.

Nothing wrong with that, though.
It just contradicts the message spread by many!

It has become popular for people who have never even seen a wild hog in person to repeat what they have read in magazines or saw on a tv show.