EAST TEXAS HOG DOGGERS FORUM

Each October I see/ hear about hogs moving into neighborhoods and golf courses. I know Mike has fielded several calls this month from various neighborhoods. The past few years, I have had calls from neighborhoods in October due to hog damage.    Any thoughts to the significance of October, and the hogs getting on the move.

Any chance there is a grub or something in the soil that presents in October?   The hogs will root one yard, then travel across 10 or more, then root up another. 

Good question. Last year about now they hit up GC near me. Might be  new hatch or something like that.

http://www.kbtx.com/home/headlines/64076167.html

I would guess for the same reason you start seeing a lot of deer on properties this time of year......acorns.  They come out and get the acorns that are landing in residential yards and properties.  Also get a lot of mushrooms this time if year on manicured lots.

I thought about acorns...but right now there are plenty of acorns in the woods, and they are still hitting the yards. Some without any acorns.

There are no acorns in this lawn. damaged in October 2008
(http://i129.photobucket.com/albums/p204/ccoughran/DSC01652.jpg)

(http://i129.photobucket.com/albums/p204/ccoughran/DSC01660.jpg)

I think there can be alot of things surfacing - earthworms, herbs, grubs
 don't have a scientific answer, but the easiest thing would be to cut one down in the process of rooting and check stomach contents

possibilty that hunters or other something is invading their usual tromping grounds? water rising? depleated the food sources that stop growing this time of year?

Maybe the sugar/startch content changes in the roots of plants/lawns in the mowed/manicured yards with weather change? like in hay pastures?

 

My friend that lives in Tarkington is being plauged by these little black beettles that have been boiling up out of the ground all around her foundation or any concrete. She doesn't know what they are but she cleans them off of her sidewalk everyday only to find hundreds more the next day. They showed up a few weeks ago. WIERD :o

Thats funny I just posted some pictures up in the hog damage thread, the golf course in those pictures is only about a half mile from the red river, I worked there Summer 08 and there were lots of hogs around, but none ever rooted up the course or anything.

It seems like something had to of been under the ground right then to make them actually root up the course.

I don't what it is, but i've been contacted four times in the last week. Went and looked at gated community in Conroe the other day... worst yard damage i've ever seen. These poor folks front yard was completely rooted up... the whole yard! I wish I would have gotten a picture and unfortunatley they didn't have enough land to bring the dogs in.

Got a call from a gentleman this morning who i've hunted for for several years now. He said the hogs have moved into the neighborhood and are destroying yards... they normally just hit the golf course every now and then. He's been out there over thirty years and says he's never seen anything like it.

My lil bro harvested a mature boar a few days ago in the Metroplex area(will not disclose location) with archery equpment.

The stomach contents of the boar was FULL of earthworms and grubs!  To my suprise there were NO acorns.
Longshot

Maybe I was on to something with the grubs ???

I have seen more rooting in the past month than I do all year. I believe it is the grubs and earth worms but dont know for certain the timing.

I could only assume they are maturing during the fall. ?????

What Krystal says also makes sense.

   They got there days mixed up and though it was Halloween  and  they were

  Trick or Treating  early  >:D ;) :angel: O0 ;D

the army worms are thick right now maybe thats what their after. who knows

wow, thats interesting to know.

It definitely has something to do with worms.  I have noticed that almost all of the places they like to root are areas that are on a slope and maintain good moisture content.  I believe the worms really like these areas and in turn the hogs follow right along.  Alot of the yards are irrigated which creates a haven for these little worms and bingo.  A few years ago I noticed they were really focusing on the sides of the t-boxes at the golf course etc.  I could be way off but I think the worms really like the wet soil.  While hunting over the weekend I noticed the hogs were really tearing up a road that is on the side of a hill between a ridge and creek, no acorns in there just grass and they rooted it up big time.  I will see if I can find more out about the types of worms that might be out there this time of year....

From what I can find on the web grub worms are June Bug larvae.  They like to eat grass roots at varying depths in the soil throughout the year.  A theory that I have is that in October with a little rain we usually get a few cool days and then some warm days.  This gets the larvae moving around in the soil and the hogs catch em when they are moving up looking for a grass roots.  Moisture content and temp drive the mobility of the grub and so you get these times in the year (spring and fall) when you see the majority of your rooting, fall being worse with the existing grass roots that have made it through the summer.  Just a theory here but it sounds good  8)
MG

circle c , IVE GOT IT .





    IN OCTOBER THE HOGS SEE THE CORN TIED TO THE PORCH , THE PUMPKINS FOR DESSERT ,  AND THE STRAW FOR BEDDING .
     WHAT ELSE COULD IT BE ? LOL        HAPPY FALL EVERYBODY .

 rolleyes

Me and Chad White (CWhite) live in a residential area by a lake with alot of core land around, mostly flood planes which is where I would guess most "city pigs" hang out. With all this rain alot of the flood planes get flooded so we kinda figured it pushes them out. They are all over golf courses and neighborhoods bordering the flood planes and core land. And this happens no matter what time a year it is whenever we get alot of rain, but they do seem to be in peoples yards alot more this time of year.