For 20 prior years (1990-2010) I harvested hogs. A lot of hogs. Probably over 500 myself and that doesn't count the hundreds by Guests and Family. I got used to my hunting land being routinely "destroyed"; some places being unsuitable to drive the tractor for fear of breaking an axle on the "land mined" earth; the abundant opportunity to shoot; the additional meat in the freezer; the reduction in the number of deer that frequented the property - thinking it was the hogs (and Poachers) that had run them off.
After the recent 2.5 years of Professional "Hog Trapping" (and other game mismanagement - or so I believe) on the adjoining 4,000-acres of State owned land, I have no hogs to shoot and the the number of deer and bobcats that used to frequent my property has, by observation and Trail Camera evidence, decreased. I am not shooting them and got ZERO (deer) and two hogs for ALL of last season/year (hogs are 24/7/365 in FL - and I hunt them HARD).
Coyotes (3 - 1 of which look pregnant on camera), bear (1), and a white Shetland Pony (that looks like a Unicorn) have been tagged as "on the rise" by the game cameras. Poachers have been absent too, unless they are just frequenting the State's Property in other locations, the cumulative impact of which being a noticable drop in deer frequenting my land.
I find that I am truly saddened by the loss of hog shooting opportunities, something I thought I would be glad about, if it ever happened. It is akin, I think, to the loss of a limb and the "ghost pain" of an itch that can no longer be scratched.
I believe that once (if) the Professional "Hog Trappers" are disbanded by the State, that the hogs will eventually increase in numbers that will overrun the available space (like it used to be). I find that I am looking forward to this.
How should I go about confronting the State's Land Managers with the empirical information gathered about the game "losses" (deer) I am experiencing on my land? I had a Guest that took photos of the Hog Trapper's trap and shooting stands on the State's property. Nothing wrong with us wandering around over there as it is open to the Public for this purpose, except the parking area for the Public is 7 miles further south. I don't expect to see John Q. Public walking near my land, but there is no impediment to me or my Guest to walk over there (unarmed).
The Trapper's "Hog stands" overlook 300-yard roadway crossings that all game frequent. If there is no one from the State to oversee the Trappers on a "routine basis", who is to stop the Trappers and their assistants from killing all of the State Land game regardless of their contract's provisions? Changing the Trapper every other year only changes the name on the State contract as the one of the assistant's becomes the "new boss".
I asked the State after Trapper-Year 2, via email (8 mo. ago), to look at the trap and stand photos, gave them GPS coordinates, and got an email in return. They asked the Trapper, who confirmed they are his and that he states he isn't taking any game besides hogs. I guess that makes it true because he said it and the State believes it. My Guest didn't mess with anything over there. It didn't belong to him and I don't want trouble from them.
