Bait sites are one of the tools Hog Cutters uses to increase our hog-eliminating proficiency. We regularly share photos and information about bait site activity because it is a particularly important tool in our arsenal.
We use 2 different types of bait site.
- The Potential Trap Site.
- The Intelligence Gathering Site.
The Potential Trap Site is self-explanatory. After scouting the property for evidence of hogs and finding their wallow areas or travel corridors, we assemble a bait site. The site is installed in the best position for a future trap. We watch and implement the Jager Pro 3 Cโs Matrix.
- A) Condition the hogs to the bait site
- B) Condition them to the trap in stages
- C) Capture the whole sounder
The site has evolved from a monitoring site to a trap site and when the job is done โ it is removed to the next trapping location.
The Intelligence Gathering Site is a bait site that is often installed in areas we may not normally consider a good trap site. This type of site can be useful for several different purposes. We have implemented bait sites for information gather or scouting purposes. Along historical travel corridors we can watch for new hog groups to enter year-round hog trapping property.
We can also use bait sites for running interference. Like a bait and switch scenario, we place a heavily loaded bait site in an area between the sounderโs entry and an area we want to protect. In the spring we use bait sites to monitor hogs and offer them an abundance of tempting food and yummy attractants like Texas Hog Bait to stop the hogs from ravaging freshly planted fields. Recently, we have used this tactic to distract hogs from emptying feeders used for deer hunting.
Bait sites are ideal for continually gathering information about hog activity. The ICE cameras provide us with great intelligence 24/7. The cost of the camera, feeder, and feed is minimal when we are given the upper hand on a sounder of hogs.
The photo below is from an Intelligence Gathering bait-site we have on a local farm. We have been able to monitor a prime entry location for the property. The 3 adults and 16 young have only entered the property this weekend. The timing of their visits, and the groupโs makeup at various times tells us they are now bedding down in the vicinity. In response, Josey was able to increase the spin-time of a trap just a few hundred yards across the field and add an extra helping of Texas Hog Bait to entice them further in. Other bait sites across the property will track their movements and alert us to their travels. Ultimately, by the end of deer hunting season we will have the information to eliminate the sounder quickly and easily before spring planting arrives.
