Ron Jolly
As landowners with skin in the game of controlling feral hogs, my wife and I have learned a few tricks that make us more successful and make the job a little easier. Here are a few tips that will help you.
1. Soured Corn - We soak corn by putting corn in a bucket with a lid. Add enough water to the bucket to cover the corn by several inches. Add a box of strawberry or grape flavored Jell-O powder to the mix. Add one pack of yeast. Mix the blend, put the lid on the bucket and leave it where the sun will reach it. It takes about a week but the smell is something only a hog could appreciate!
2. Diesel Fuel or Used Motor Oil - Remove the vegetation and loosen the soil in a two-foot wide circle inside your trap. Pour a half gallon of diesel fuel or used motor oil on the loose dirt. For some reason hogs love to wallow in petroleum products!
3. Bury the Corn - Use a sharpshooter shovel or tree dibble to make small holes inside your trap area. Put small amounts of regular or soured corn in the holes and cover them. This keeps deer and other critters from eating all the bait before the hogs arrive. It also helps hold the hogs inside the trap longer while they root for buried corn.
4. Ready-to-Use Attractants – Store-bought, ready-to-use hog attractants can be a great tool in your inventory. They can be poured directly on the ground or added to corn or other grains to make them even more irresistible to wild hogs. Hog Shine is a great example of a product that treats 250 lbs. of corn and can continue to attract hogs for weeks.
