Pig Trap Materials Quesiton

admin

I'm a welding student, an old one, but a student nonetheless.  A really good friend wants me to build him a pig trap.  He's agreed to give me some time to increase my skill level but he's a firm believer that you learn by doing, as am I.   I have a question about materials and what I should be building this out of.The details.  It would be similar to what is pictured below.  10'X5' in size with a door similar to what is pictured, and with a hinged top so that his father in law can chain the pig and lift it from the trap with a front end loader.  It will have hooks welded on it as well which will facilitate lifting and moving the trap.I was thinking of 1"x2" rectangle tubing in 11gage, or possibly 1.5" square tubing in the same 11 gage steel.  Would that be stout enough for the project?  I plan to brace it up likely every 2 or 3 feet and enclose it with panel wire.Your input is welcomed, so please free to give as much as you'd like.  If I need to get stronger steel, please tell me.  Likewise, if I'm over-engineering this, please feel free to let me know.  This will be my first welding gig as I like to tell my wife and I want to make sure I do a good job.  My budget is $500.Pic below.  Thanks in advance for your help.   Miller Diversion 165 TIGMillermatic 211/141 with Auto-SetHobart Stickmate LX235 AC/DC StickNorthern Tool 135 MIG & Dry Cut SawKlutch ST80i/ST200i Stick/TigGrizzly G9742 BandsawMilwaukee Circular Steel Saw/Portaband/SWAG Offroad Table
Reply:1" square tube on 1 foot centers, covered in hog wire panels is what the pens are made of we use for the pigs at 4-H for the Grange Fair, so your material sounds fine.Biggest issue I see is you will need to be able to anchor this solidly to the ground. If the hog can get his snout under it, he'll flip it no problem. I saw a 300 lb hog, toss a 2x hog carrier it took 2 full size adults to move, over a 3' high fence to get to what was under it. I've seen them root thru frozen ground you couldn't dig with a pick..No government ever voluntarily reduces itself in size. Government programs, once launched, never disappear. Actually, a government bureau is the nearest thing to eternal life we'll ever see on this earth! Ronald Reagan
Reply:I plan to put wire along the bottom, with supports/crossmembers as well as along the top.  Hopefully that will deter or at least slow down the escapees.  LOL    Your input is appreciated.  I'd hate to meet up with the pig that tossed your trap.Miller Diversion 165 TIGMillermatic 211/141 with Auto-SetHobart Stickmate LX235 AC/DC StickNorthern Tool 135 MIG & Dry Cut SawKlutch ST80i/ST200i Stick/TigGrizzly G9742 BandsawMilwaukee Circular Steel Saw/Portaband/SWAG Offroad Table
Reply:Originally Posted by DSW.Biggest issue I see is you will need to be able to anchor this solidly to the ground. If the hog can get his snout under it, he'll flip it no problem.
Reply:Originally Posted by DSW1" square tube on 1 foot centers, covered in hog wire panels is what the pens are made of we use for the pigs at 4-H for the Grange Fair, so your material sounds fine.Biggest issue I see is you will need to be able to anchor this solidly to the ground. If the hog can get his snout under it, he'll flip it no problem. I saw a 300 lb hog, toss a 2x hog carrier it took 2 full size adults to move, over a 3' high fence to get to what was under it. I've seen them root thru frozen ground you couldn't dig with a pick.
Reply:300 lbs is a "small" one. Ours at the fair typically run between 280-350 lbs and they are only about 4 months old.My buddy's sow weighted well over 650 and the boar came close to 800 IIRC. Sow went thru a wall made up of horizontal 2x's when her piggies were upset, to get at the people with them. Put the wire on the inside of the bars. That way the wire is forced against the bars if they try and push out. I made our pig cage for the small pigs out of heavy gauge rewire mats. I want to say they were 4ga or 6 ga  wire on 4" centers. It's what I had on hand at the time. A bottom would certainly solve issues, but might cause problems if the cage can't sit flat on uneven ground..No government ever voluntarily reduces itself in size. Government programs, once launched, never disappear. Actually, a government bureau is the nearest thing to eternal life we'll ever see on this earth! Ronald Reagan
Reply:I'm 57.  Some days I still don't have 16 or 17 years of smartness.  LOLMiller Diversion 165 TIGMillermatic 211/141 with Auto-SetHobart Stickmate LX235 AC/DC StickNorthern Tool 135 MIG & Dry Cut SawKlutch ST80i/ST200i Stick/TigGrizzly G9742 BandsawMilwaukee Circular Steel Saw/Portaband/SWAG Offroad Table
Reply:Originally Posted by SpEdI'm 57.  Some days I still don't have 16 or 17 years of smartness.  LOL
Reply:i have heard a lot of hog stories..i would use 1 - 1/2" x 1/4" angle .  and #4 rebar  on a 6" grid for the walls floor and roof. and weld the rebar where it crosses rebar not just to the angle.
Reply:Originally Posted by SpEdI'm a welding student, an old one, but a student nonetheless.  A really good friend wants me to build him a pig trap.  He's agreed to give me some time to increase my skill level but he's a firm believer that you learn by doing, as am I.   I have a question about materials and what I should be building this out of.The details.  It would be similar to what is pictured below.  10'X5' in size with a door similar to what is pictured, and with a hinged top so that his father in law can chain the pig and lift it from the trap with a front end loader.  It will have hooks welded on it as well which will facilitate lifting and moving the trap.I was thinking of 1"x2" rectangle tubing in 11gage, or possibly 1.5" square tubing in the same 11 gage steel.  Would that be stout enough for the project?  I plan to brace it up likely every 2 or 3 feet and enclose it with panel wire.Your input is welcomed, so please free to give as much as you'd like.  If I need to get stronger steel, please tell me.  Likewise, if I'm over-engineering this, please feel free to let me know.  This will be my first welding gig as I like to tell my wife and I want to make sure I do a good job.  My budget is $500.Pic below.  Thanks in advance for your help.
Reply:Hogs .. wild hogs ... SOB's ... Ive hunted these bad boys, trapped these bad boys and what ever u think ... STRONGER is better!!!Mn Dave ... Oh how much I'd like to take u on a Red River hog hunt ... I mean nothing personal to you BUT ... some of the things these wild bastards do can make a full grown man wet himself !!!I'm older now and when we go I drive the gator ... I watch the young'ins ... the tough boys (I was one) ... when that big ole boar charges and flips em ... tusk marks thru the pants ... hollering, screaming HELP ME !!! I wet myself in the seat of the gator!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!Now coyote hunting is a whole new ball game!!!Sorry I got side tracked ... Build it to hold an buffalo ... then when he's free ask yourself "how he do that"!!!!Located In SE OklahomaLincoln Mig 135Hobart Ironman 230 Mig5x10 CNC Table with DTHC & FTHypertherm PM65 on the tableMiller Bobcatwww.caneyagequipment.com
Reply:I've built a bunch of hog traps and always framed them with 2"x2" angle and welded the panels inside the angle. Just make sure you get the heavier gage of live stock panels. A complete bottom is essential.
Reply:All good input guys.  I appreciate everyone's help with this.Miller Diversion 165 TIGMillermatic 211/141 with Auto-SetHobart Stickmate LX235 AC/DC StickNorthern Tool 135 MIG & Dry Cut SawKlutch ST80i/ST200i Stick/TigGrizzly G9742 BandsawMilwaukee Circular Steel Saw/Portaband/SWAG Offroad Table
Reply:I think the magazine Fur-Fish-Game has articles on catching hogs in some of their issues. You might get some ideas there.
Reply:A free-range cage with long iron 'accessories' works well,"Discovery is to see what everybody else has seen, and to think what nobody else has thought" - Albert Szent-Gyorgyi
Reply:I'll add that to my to do list.  LOL  That's awesome!Miller Diversion 165 TIGMillermatic 211/141 with Auto-SetHobart Stickmate LX235 AC/DC StickNorthern Tool 135 MIG & Dry Cut SawKlutch ST80i/ST200i Stick/TigGrizzly G9742 BandsawMilwaukee Circular Steel Saw/Portaband/SWAG Offroad Table
Reply:NICE!!! thats gona be one big pig roast......................Of all the things I lost I miss my mind the most...I know just enough about everything to be dangerous......You cant cure stupid..only kill it...
Reply:we could use that technique to control some of the animals on long island.....lolOf all the things I lost I miss my mind the most...I know just enough about everything to be dangerous......You cant cure stupid..only kill it...
Reply:@ SpEd - didn't me to detail your thread.  The crossbow w/ LumaNock work from e.t. 4:00-4:45 is trick.  Back on point, hear of folks who slooowly build a 4-wall fence around the hogs.  Bait n wait n install.  The swines don't even realize they're get'n "boxed in".  Wild.  Hogs are a nemesis throughput the mainland and the Islands."Discovery is to see what everybody else has seen, and to think what nobody else has thought" - Albert Szent-Gyorgyi
Reply:Originally Posted by MinnesotaDaveAt about 16 or 17 yrs of smartness, I jumped into a pen to take a rope off a pig that had gotten knotted.No one told me what a mistake that would be....I'm glad there were no cell phones back then or it would have more views than Jody at WT&T.I learned they are stronger than they look, and that when an old guy says "are you sure you want to try that?" - it means "hey everyone look - because this will be awesome!"
Reply:Originally Posted by ManoKai@ SpEd - didn't me to detail your thread.  The crossbow w/ LumaNock work from e.t. 4:00-4:45 is trick.  Back on point, hear of folks who slooowly build a 4-wall fence around the hogs.  Bait n wait n install.  The swines don't even realize they're get'n "boxed in".  Wild.  Hogs are a nemesis throughput the mainland and the Islands.
Reply:These folks trap and release a lot of hogs."USMCPOP" First-born son: KIA  Iraq 1/26/05Syncrowave 250 w/ Coolmate 3Dialarc 250, Idealarc 250SP-175 +Firepower TIG 160S (gave the TA 161 STL to the son)Lincwelder AC180C (1952)Victor & Smith O/A torchesMiller spot welder
Reply:The video is quite impressive... However, unless it is done like that as means of pest / population controll... I don't think many hunters would approve that way of hunting. I am no tree hugger at all, I am a spearfisher myself and while I have never gone hunting, I would love to try. This helli-hunting thing seems like the wet dream of any first person shooter game player... It may also bring back memories to some vets...Back to the topic of the trap, I also think that overbuilding it a bit won't hurt in the long run.
Reply:I have and continue to use multiple hog traps. Biggest thing you are missing is a bottom. Really need to have a bottom.You can see in this video, our trap is very simple with hog panels and rebar. Not saying it is the best design, but very simple and it works! This trap is 10+ years old and has caught many a hog. Caught 5 in it this past weekend. It is bent up mainly by dragging it with atvs or tractors.I made the video for fun one day.Last edited by Kaos; 03-05-2015 at 12:41 PM.MillerMatic 212, Lincoln Precision TIG 225, Hypertherm 45XP
Reply:I love to hunt (many diff species Not just deer) for fun a food. I soooooooooo want to go on a fair chase hunt of one of those pigs it hurts. You texas boys have all the luck.Dave ReberWadsworth OhioOriginally Posted by Mikel_24The video is quite impressive... However, unless it is done like that as means of pest / population controll... I don't think many hunters would approve that way of hunting. I am no tree hugger at all, I am a spearfisher myself and while I have never gone hunting, I would love to try. This helli-hunting thing seems like the wet dream of any first person shooter game player... It may also bring back memories to some vets...Back to the topic of the trap, I also think that overbuilding it a bit won't hurt in the long run.
Reply:Originally Posted by Mikel_24The video is quite impressive... However, unless it is done like that as means of pest / population controll... I don't think many hunters would approve that way of hunting. I am no tree hugger at all, I am a spearfisher myself and while I have never gone hunting, I would love to try. .
Reply:^ Smoke 'em!  The FMJ Greens should do the trick and then some.  The Greens ejected from SAWs are awesome "Discovery is to see what everybody else has seen, and to think what nobody else has thought" - Albert Szent-Gyorgyi
Reply:What do those wild hogs taste like compared to store bought pork?  I had one guy tell me that the only part worth eating was the bacon and ribs.  I know in Europe, wild boar is served at upscale restaurants.  Thanks.Lincoln Precision TIG 185.Flex-Loc 150 torch.Super-Flex hose.Lincoln MIG 180.Victor Oxy/Act torch set.DeWalt Bandsaw with SWAG stand
Reply:The one I served at my housewarming BBQ was described by several as delicious ("best BBQ I've ever had," said one).It'll depend on what they've been eating and how they were treated, just as any game meat.Hobart cutting/welding torch.MM252, and nothing else.  My first welder.  Buy once, cry once....but I really would like a nice 50/60A circuit to run it at full strength.A bunch of ideas, and not enough time and money to bring them to life.
Reply:I hope they don't just kill those hogs and let them rot.I mean, there are probably quite a few mosque's we could send them to, to feed their hungry!"Where's Stick man????????" - 7A749"SHHHHHH!! I sent him over to snag that MIC-4 while tbone wasn't looking!" - duaneb55"I have bought a few of Tbone's things unlike Stick-Man who helps himself" - TozziWelding"Stick-man"
Reply:Pig Traps? I welded Pig Traps but they weren't anything like that. They were made for the Trans Canada pipeline for cleaning it.
Reply:Originally Posted by WenValleyWhat do those wild hogs taste like compared to store bought pork?  I had one guy tell me that the only part worth eating was the bacon and ribs.  I know in Europe, wild boar is served at upscale restaurants.  Thanks.
Reply:My limited understanding is that if they are roasted low and slow in their own juices and "Secret Rub". Its actually quite tasty!This was and is told to me by a fellow that hunts them almost exclusively on Military airbases in Georgia!
Reply:Never meant that it wasn't tasty by any stretch. It's all in the preparation of it. I've tried ferrel over 175 lbs prepared a few different ways and it's almost always chewy. The best by far, is under 150, closer to 100, much more tender and not a lot of scarring in the boars, sows are a bit different. Still they don't have the same flavor as pork from your local market. Personally I prefer slow smoked. Bubba.....
Reply:I got an old girlfriend that ended up married to a guy with a rap sheet so long the only way he can make a living is off the land. They live in a shack up on stilts up in the Little River flood basin on this side of Lassalle parish. They poach and trap year round. I can depend on that little gal to always deliver a live little feral hog anytime....Not one of them great big ones, but tender little ones cheap.What you do is wait to kill and dress it out until the evening before pig roast. Then erect your cajun microwave over an oak and hickory fire pit that night and set it ablaze to build big deep bed of coals to burn off all the paint from your microwave and radiate heat toward your lawn chairs and stump chairs.......Great excuse for the guys to hang out all nite drinking beer and shine and comparing old GF's we all got in common and what they look like today...then just before daylight, you hang that pig in the microwave and fetch more beer when the beer store opens at 6AM.....By sunset, the smell of that pig has done invited all your neighbors so have plenty of beer or polite neighbors with a job that can afford to bring beer, and hope none of them are dating or married to one of ya'lls ex's.
Reply:This here is the basic design of an authentic Cajun microwave designed before microwaves were invented. This one in the pic is a cheater because they added an automatic rotisserie and used new materials bought from the big box store. you do'n't need no rotisserie because you goona be tending it with wood and poking the coals anyway taking turns tween whoever is sober nuff to stand so forget the rotisserie.An authentic Cajun microwave is framed from old bed frames you salvaged out of your brother in laws yard, and sheeted with tin roofing you helped remove from your uncles shed after it fell own where you used the ones with fewest bullet holes....The pig basket should be constructed from seat springs out of an old pickup....and you certainly don't erect it over concrete or gravel like shown, you just place it on ground near back door close to beer box in kitchen and directed to where the wind hits it from behind. If you get lucky and have an old trampoline out in yard that ain't rotted out, then drag it up next to fire because it makes a great place to nap several folks thru the cooking/sober/not sober process.
Reply:Originally Posted by WenValleyWhat do those wild hogs taste like compared to store bought pork?  I had one guy tell me that the only part worth eating was the bacon and ribs.  I know in Europe, wild boar is served at upscale restaurants.  Thanks.
Reply:Originally Posted by AlbinWild hogs have to work for living, not much fat on them, hence not much if any bacon.It's all in how you prepare them and cook them.  Good luck.
Reply:Originally Posted by Stick-manI hope they don't just kill those hogs and let them rot.I mean, there are probably quite a few mosque's we could send them to, to feed their hungry!