He Made Wild Hogs His Business

He Made Wild Hogs His Business HOG EQUIPMENT & IDEAS With an estimated 1 1/2 million wild hogs in Texas R A “Bubba” Ortiz has plenty to do His Ortiz Game Management catches and removes wild hogs from clients’ properties His contract client list includes municipalities universities companies and private landowners “We’ve helped out national parks golf courses and even an international airport ” says Ortiz “We have worked up to 200 to 300 miles from our offices ” Services include a population survey monitoring development of strategy and trap design He does minor brush clearing if needed sets up the trap and begins baiting monitoring and relocation of the trap if needed “I may need to try several baiting methods to assess and interpret hog behavior ” he says “Monitoring may also suggest needed changes in the trap or site ” Once he has them trapped Ortiz transports them to his certified state approved holding facility Bubba’s Bacon Station Hogs are held until he can get the best price That may be from a certified game ranch a meat processor or an individual wanting to butcher out a wild hog for its lean meat While he also buys hogs from other trappers he says his operation is fairly unique “Most trappers don’t do it full-time ” he says “This is all we do It’s how we pay the mortgage ” Most years Ortiz traps between 300 and 400 animals although he hit a record 750 a few years ago “It is easy to be a hero when you chase hogs in a target-rich environment ” he says “In Texas there are 2 kinds of landowners - those with wild hogs and those who will eventually get them ” To do his job Ortiz maintains around 35 trapping systems with electronic as well as traditional mechanical sets He alters them as needed explaining that the feral hogs are very intelligent They quickly learn to avoid a particular type of trap door or tripping mechanism “Some traps work better than others but success depends on the education of the hog ” says Ortiz “If pushed hard with a particular kind of trap they will learn to consider it dangerous and avoid it ” When that happens he will redesign a trap switching out the door feeding mechanism or other components Technology is making a difference as Ortiz has added remote wireless cameras and other equipment to his tools Now he can set up a trap and check the area visually from a smartphone or other device If hogs are in the area he can trigger a bait release and when the hogs enter trigger a door “The remote equipment allows me to cover a bigger area more effectively ” he says “It also lets me insure that the bait attracts hogs not deer and raccoon as prebaiting a trap can do “You can’t beat boots on the ground ” he says “Even with remotes you need time and the knowledge to scout track and redesign as needed I try not to let the hogs outsmart me ” Contact: Farm Show Followup Ortiz Game Management and Hog Removal of Texas 594 Froboese Ln New Braunfels Texas 78132 ph 210 771-8541; ortizgamemanagement@hotmail com; www ogmhogremovaloftexas com

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