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Feral pigs are a common problem in Australia, causing damage to farms and native plant communities and out-competing native wildlife for food and space. Trapping is a widely used method for controlling feral pig populations in Australia. The process involves pre-baiting a trap site with food to condition the pigs to a reliable food source, then erecting a trap and continuing to free feed for several days before setting the trap. Various trap designs are available, including box traps, panel traps, and silo traps, each with advantages and disadvantages in terms of portability, ease of construction, and effectiveness. Successful trapping depends on several factors, including timing, location, bait material, and free feeding strategies.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Trap type | Fixed large panel, mesh, silo, box |
| Trap specifications | Available from pest control manuals and guidelines |
| Bait | Corn, inexpensive local grain, vegetables, fruit, commercial pellets, soaked grain with molasses |
| Trap placement | Halfway between where pigs sleep and cool off, near water or mud, near a tree line |
| Trap construction | T-posts, narrow mesh openings, overlapped panels secured with wire |
| Trap activation | Manually triggered, cellular-triggered, electric fence |
| Trap rental | Available from Cane Pig Queensland for AUD 50 per day |
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What You'll Learn
- Choose the right trap for your needs, such as a box trap or silo trap
- Use the right bait, like corn or inexpensive local grain
- Understand pig behaviour and psychology, like their paranoia and intelligence
- Consider the timing, location, and free feeding when setting up the trap
- Avoid non-target species by changing the trigger style or using an electric fence
Choose the right trap for your needs, such as a box trap or silo trap
When choosing the right trap for your needs, it is important to consider the advantages and disadvantages of each type of trap. Trap efficiency is a key factor, and the suitability of the trap for the location and your ability to transport, construct, and maintain it are also important considerations.
Box traps are simple to construct and less expensive than commercial steel traps. They are collapsible, requiring less space for transport and storage. They are also portable and can fit onto the back of a standard 4WD tray back, making them ideal for smaller properties and easy to relocate to where the pigs are. Steel posts at the corners of the box trap prevent pigs from lifting the trap. However, box traps have a limited catch size, and the wooden panels require more long-term maintenance. The 8-foot side panels are heavy and may be difficult for one person to handle alone.
Cage traps are constructed from heavy-gauge wire livestock panels welded to a steel angle iron or square tubing frame. They may have an advantage over wooden box traps as the wire panels present a more open and less confining appearance to wild pigs. They usually allow for easy one-person transport and setup. However, cage traps less than 5 feet tall should include a top panel to prevent pigs from escaping over the sides.
Silo traps are made from one or more lengths of weldmesh and are superior in strength and capacity to panel traps. They are flexible and can prevent pigs from climbing out or breaking the mesh. However, silo traps are more difficult for one person to construct, dismantle, and transport, making them more suitable for semi-permanent trap sites.
Corral traps are effective for catching large groups of pigs. Their size and the open appearance of the livestock panels may appear less threatening to trap-shy pigs. However, they require more setup time than box and cage traps, and the 16-foot livestock panels may need to be cut in half for transport.
Panel traps are another option, and they can be effective at catching lots of pigs of all different sizes.
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Use the right bait, like corn or inexpensive local grain
Corn is a great option to bait pigs in Australia. It is inexpensive and easily available at local co-ops or tractor supply stores. Pigs are attracted to corn, but they are also smart and will opt for a more nutritious option if it is available. For example, in the spring, corn has to compete with fresh growing sprouts. Fermenting the corn will make it more attractive to pigs, and the strong odour will make it easier for them to find the bait. However, be sure to ferment corn away from your home, as it will produce an acidic, sour stink.
In addition to corn, pigs are attracted to inexpensive local grains such as wheat, oats, barley, or sorghum. These grains can also be soaked in water and fermented with molasses added as an attractant. In some jurisdictions, it is illegal to feed animal meat or meat by-products to feral pigs, so it is best to use plant-based materials that are readily available.
When conditioning the trap, start by spreading your bait around the trap, with roughly 90% of the bait outside the trap and 10% inside. This helps the pigs get used to the new food source and the trap slowly. It is also important to consider the location of the trap, as pigs are more likely to be retained in an area with access to water, wallowing areas, and natural vegetation.
To further improve the attractiveness of the bait, you can add beer, whiskey, or jelly crystals. Some people also have success with lollies, peanuts, and cheap bread. However, be aware that other animals may also be attracted to these types of bait.
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Understand pig behaviour and psychology, like their paranoia and intelligence
Understanding the behaviour and psychology of pigs is key to trapping them effectively. While relatively little is known about the psychology of domestic pigs, studies have shown that they are cognitively complex and intelligent animals.
Pigs have good spatial memory and an understanding of quantities. They can remember and selectively return to areas with more food. They can also use their problem-solving skills to free other pigs from cage traps. In one study, pigs used their theory of mind skills to mislead other pigs away from food rewards. Pigs are capable of tactical deception and can use their knowledge of other pigs' perspectives to their advantage. They can also recognise human faces and differentiate between people, even when they are dressed alike, by using their sense of smell and hearing.
Pigs have been found to exhibit unique traits in aggression, sociability, and exploration, which parallel the human personality dimensions of agreeableness, extraversion, and openness. They are also capable of understanding that a joystick can be used to direct a pointer on a screen, a task on which they have been found to outperform dogs.
When it comes to trapping pigs, it is important to consider their intelligence and paranoia. Trapping success depends on several key components such as timing, location, and bait material. Pigs are attracted to free feed with a strong odour, such as grain (e.g. wheat, oats, barley, or sorghum) or commercial pellets. However, it is illegal in Australia to use mammalian products as bait in traps due to the risk of transmitting diseases.
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Consider the timing, location, and free feeding when setting up the trap
Trapping pigs is a process, and success depends on several key components such as timing, location, bait material and free feeding.
Firstly, when considering the timing of your trap, it is important to be patient. You should wait until the entire sounder (group of pigs) is inside the trap before dropping the gate. If you catch some but not all of the pigs in a sounder, the remaining pigs will be educated and unlikely to enter another trap. Therefore, it is also important to select a trap that is the right size to catch a whole sounder at once.
Secondly, the location of the trap is key. You should select a trap site that is frequented by pigs and pre-bait it, conditioning the pigs to see it as a reliable food source before erecting the trap. Choose a location that is close to where the pigs sleep at night and where they cool off during the day, somewhere near water or mud. Wild hogs tend to eat on the way to cooling off, so consider placing your bait near a tree line, as pigs like the security of trees when they travel.
Finally, free feeding is an important consideration. Before setting up the trap, offer free feeding of non-toxic bait at sites where pigs are active. Continue free feeding for several days after the trap has been erected. Free feed can include grain (e.g. wheat, oats, barley or sorghum) or commercial pellets, but is usually driven by local availability. Grain can be soaked in water (fermented) with molasses added as an attractant, but be aware that pigs are intelligent and will be attracted to free feed with a strong odour. In Australia, it is illegal to use mammalian products as free feed or bait due to the risk of transmitting disease.
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Avoid non-target species by changing the trigger style or using an electric fence
Trapping feral pigs in Australia is a common method used to control their population. Trapping is a process that depends on several factors, including timing, location, bait material, and free feeding. Before setting up a trap, it is important to select a suitable site where pigs are active and offer free feeding of non-toxic bait to attract them. This bait can include grain (such as wheat, oats, barley, or sorghum), commercial pellets, vegetables, or fruit. It is important to note that it is illegal in Australia to use mammalian products as bait due to the risk of transmitting diseases.
To avoid trapping non-target species, one effective method is to adjust the trigger style or mechanism. This can be done by stringing a trip wire from the trap door to the rear section of the trap, ensuring that it is positioned high enough so that adult pigs will not accidentally spring the trap. The amount of pressure required to trigger the trap can be adjusted by tightening or loosening the trip wire. By fine-tuning the trigger mechanism, you can reduce the chances of non-target animals setting off the trap.
Another approach to avoid non-target species is by utilising electric fencing. Electric fencing has been proven effective in repelling wild boars and pigs, as they cannot knock down or push through the fence. Gallagher, a company specialising in electric fencing, offers various solutions, including the Wild Boar Net, which is easy to set up and connect multiple nets together. They also provide the SmartFence system, which is suitable for longer fences. Additionally, you can choose electric fence wire with sufficient voltage to ensure that pigs cannot push through the fence.
When installing electric fencing, it is important to consider the spacing of the wires. The installers at Southland recommend using three strands of electrical fence wire with specific spacing: the lowest wire nine inches off the ground, the middle strand eighteen inches, and the top strand thirty inches from the ground. Additionally, you will need an energiser to power the fence, which can be solar-powered or plugged into an electric source.
By employing these strategies of adjusting trigger styles and utilising electric fencing, you can effectively avoid trapping non-target species while still successfully trapping feral pigs in Australia.
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Frequently asked questions
Pigs are attracted to food with a strong odour. Fermented grain such as wheat, oats, barley, or sorghum is a good option, as is corn. Fruit and vegetables can also be used. It is illegal in Australia to use meat or carcasses as bait due to the risk of transmitting disease.
A box trap is a good option if you need something portable, as it can be fitted to the back of a 4WD. Silo traps are stronger than panel traps and more flexible, but they are harder to construct, dismantle and transport. You can also purchase or hire cellular-activated traps, which are a cost-efficient option.
Choose a trap site that is frequented by pigs and pre-bait the area. Set up the trap halfway between where the pigs sleep at night and where they cool off during the day, somewhere close to water or mud. Consider placing your bait near a tree line, as pigs like the security this provides when they travel.
If you are having trouble catching pigs, consider changing the trigger style to avoid non-target species. For example, if deer are entering your trap, do not use a trip string trigger mechanism. You could also try using a raised electric fence that is high enough to prevent deer from entering but has a gap at the bottom for pigs.
If you are using a live capture trap, the pigs should be shot while still inside the trap. It is important to catch a whole group of pigs at once to minimise the impact on non-target animals.
