There is more to baiting feral pigs than throwing corn onto the ground. Feral hogs often feed during low-light periods. Large boars tear up land and chase other native species away. They are smart and difficult to hunt using traditional means. Luckily pigs have one major weakness, they cannot overlook an easy meal. For this reason hunting feral pigs over properly prepaired bait can be extremely successful.
Using a corn feeder is the most common way to bait wild pigs. Feeders come in several different styles. Some use timers to spread the corn and some use gravity. Timers usually spread corn twice a day, once shortly after day-break and once in the late afternoon. When the timer goes off corn is tossed onto the ground. After the pigs become accustomed to the sound of the feeder, the noise becomes a diner bell to them. Gravity feeders typically use a long pipe filled with bait. As the pigs eat the bait from the bottom of the pipe, gravity pushed the bait down. Gravity feeders are cheap and easy to use. The biggest problem with feeders is after the bait is gone the pigs move on.
Another popular way to bait feral pigs is to broadcast the bait over the hunting area. Once hogs find the bait, they remain in the area. Rebaiting the same food plot keeps the wild boars nearby. As the pigs start to feel safe here they will arrive earlier and stay in the baited area longer.
Corn, the most popular bait for wild hogs, is like candy to a pig. Dry corn is easy and mess free. Simply either dump the corn directly into a feeder or use your hands to broadcast over the hunting area. When using corn on a food plot one way to increase the action is to ferment the corn a few days ahead of time. Fill a five gallon bucket half way with corn. Add 1/2 cup sugar. Pour just enough water into the bucket to cover the corn mixture. Let this set for at least two days. Dump this bucket in small piles throughout the food plot, then broadcast the remaining dry corn to fill in the bare ground. Over time the wild boars will till the ground leaving nothing but bare dirt.
Baiting with corn can keep pigs in the area for a long period of time. However, for hunters that want a quick hunt nothing works better than slop. Slop is old leftover food. When planning a pig hunt start saving your leftover food weeks ahead of time in a five gallon bucket with a lid. Do not refrigerate it. The best slop smells so bad you want to gag every time the lid is moved. When there are maggots crawling in the slop it is ready to be used as bait. To hunt with slop simply pour your bucket on the ground downwind. Any pig within miles will come running. Its a good idea to wear gloves when handling slop.
Hunting feral pigs over bait is a great way to get a younger person interested in hunting. Basic hunting principals such as scent control, wind direction and lack of movement must be followed but not to the same extent as other big game. The pig’s habit of visiting bait sites during low light periods keeps the time on stand short. To make hunting pigs even better, some states do not have a closed season. Wild boar make excellent table fare and larger boars look impressive when mounted.
Written by Bert Holopaw
