I'm in an interesting situation. Let me just bullet point all the details, then get your opinion.
Now my question to you is how do you think trapping and thermal eradication should healthily work together in this situation? I've talked to several locals in the areas of the farms. They believe there is hardly a pig in the area that has not seen a hog trap. My thought process is to thermal eradicate every pig I can, especially the big older ones. But do any of you honestly think it would benefit the farmer to do no thermal eradicating during Sept - April? That leaves me hunting basically in the heat of the summer when the corn fields are nearly 8ft tall and in August when they start harvest. But I know I can do a lot of good during planting season as well, especially when they plant wheat in Oct. I think this trapper is just trying to keep pigs abundant for his income and doing his best to get me out of the picture. But all I can say is there is a reason the farmer called and asked me to hunt in addition to his trapping and is willing to pay me more per pig.
So if you were the farmer, what would you do?
- I'm friends with a family of farmers. They are actually elders of my church.
- Farmers have 10,000 + acres they own or lease. Currently are dealing with some major hog issues.
- About a year ago, they hired a local hog trapper and are paying him per pig. Trapper uses round traps that are about 7ft tall, has one entry gate about 5ft wide, and closes with a cell phone.
- He traps on my farmer friend's place for about a year.
- My farmer friend contacts me asking me if I will come hog hunting his place in addition to the farmer trapping, and works out a deal with me with where he bought me an Armasight Zeus 640 2-16x42mm Thermal unit, and I pay him back in hog kills.
- Farmer is willing to pay me more per pig than the trapper
- Trapper finds out I've been hired, and tries to show authority (that he does not have) and tells me when and where I can and can't hog hunt. The trapper basically said I don't need to be hunting from September - April. That is his "trapping season."
- I ignore him and continue to only communicate with the Farmer about when and where to hog hunt with the thermal I am paying him back. So I just politely ask when and where I can go hunting on that specific night, and I go there.
Now my question to you is how do you think trapping and thermal eradication should healthily work together in this situation? I've talked to several locals in the areas of the farms. They believe there is hardly a pig in the area that has not seen a hog trap. My thought process is to thermal eradicate every pig I can, especially the big older ones. But do any of you honestly think it would benefit the farmer to do no thermal eradicating during Sept - April? That leaves me hunting basically in the heat of the summer when the corn fields are nearly 8ft tall and in August when they start harvest. But I know I can do a lot of good during planting season as well, especially when they plant wheat in Oct. I think this trapper is just trying to keep pigs abundant for his income and doing his best to get me out of the picture. But all I can say is there is a reason the farmer called and asked me to hunt in addition to his trapping and is willing to pay me more per pig.
So if you were the farmer, what would you do?
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Hint hint?? Keep up the good work and I just repeated what has been said already. Like seeing the pictures. Shoot em up, and trap also the best deal for dead porkage!!! BANG BANG!!
