{"id":596,"date":"2020-03-02T02:04:54","date_gmt":"2020-03-02T02:04:54","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/tejas.realstackweb.com\/best-wild-hog-fence\/"},"modified":"2024-04-30T15:18:40","modified_gmt":"2024-04-30T15:18:40","slug":"best-wild-hog-fence","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/tejasranchfence.com\/best-wild-hog-fence\/","title":{"rendered":"The Best Wild Hog Fence"},"content":{"rendered":"

How to Effectively Protect Your Land with the Best Wild Hog Fence<\/em><\/p>\n

The problem:<\/strong> Significant property damage caused by wild hogs
\nThe solution:<\/strong> Control access with high-tensile fixed-knot steel mesh fencing<\/p>\n

This article answers a question we hear almost daily: How do I keep wild hogs off my property?\u00a0 These animals that roam a growing percentage of U.S. lands are smart and voracious. They are a combination of feral and wild swine. We will give you details for the best wild hog fence<\/strong>.<\/p>\n

WHAT ARE THESE DESTRUCTIVE ANIMALS?<\/h2>\n

\"TheThe terms “wild” and “feral” are used interchangeably when discussing feral hogs, though technically, “feral” refers to animals that were once domesticated while “wild” animals are those with no domesticated lineage. Likewise, these creatures are called hogs, pigs, or boars, with boars referring to both males and females. Sows begin breeding at 6 to 8 months of age and have two litters of four to eight piglets\u2014a dozen is not unheard of\u2014every 12 to 15 months during a life span of 4 to 8 years. Even porcine populations reduced by 70 percent return to full strength within two or three years.<\/p>\n

Wild hogs are a significant threat to property throughout much of the United States. Estimates put the number of hogs at 6 million in the 35 states where they\u2019re known to live, with 2.6 million wild hogs in Texas alone. Wild hogs are \u201copportunistic omnivores,\u201d meaning they\u2019ll eat most anything. Using their extra-long snouts, flattened and strengthened on the end by a cartilage plate, they can root as deep as three feet. They\u2019ll devour or destroy a whole field of sorghum, rice, wheat, soybeans, potatoes, melons and other fruits, nuts, grass, and hay. Farmers planting corn have discovered that the hogs go methodically down the rows during the night, extracting seeds one by one.<\/p>\n

According to the USDA, this invasive species<\/a> costs the United States $1.5 billion each year in damages and control costs. As Texas Parks & Wildlife notes, feral hogs compete directly for food with livestock and more desirable wildlife. They damage wildlife habitat, pastures, crops and fields, and watering sites. Their rooting, trampling, and wallowing behavior can destabilize wetlands, springs, creeks, and riparian areas. Additionally, these hogs can destroy forestry plantings and damage trees. Though they are not active predators, according to Texas Parks & Wildlife, feral hogs occasionally prey on fawns, young lambs, and kid goats and feast on the eggs of ground-nesting birds, such as turkey and quail.<\/p>\n

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TRADITIONAL WILD HOG FENCES ARE INEFFECTIVE<\/h2>\n

\"BarbedBarbed wire and hinge-joint mesh \u201cfield\u201d fences are largely ineffective barriers against feral hogs. Almost any kind of animal, except large livestock, can get through a traditional 5-strand barbed wire fence. Nevertheless, landowners have attempted to enhance this barrier for years by using a 6-strand fence on 6-foot T-posts. Initially, these added measures may be somewhat successful in their ability to deter, but because these fences are made from a weak, low-tensile wire, wear and tear caused by wild hogs, deer, coyotes, and livestock can open breaches and cause the fence to fail over time.<\/p>\n

\"HingeFor many decades in some regions of the country, the go-to ranch fence was \u201cfield fencing,\u201d which is basically a hinge-joint mesh. You have probably seen this type of fencing across rural America and often it is dilapidated and damaged. Field fencing has two main flaws:<\/p>\n

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  1. The hinge joint will slip and not return to its original shape when livestock, feral hogs and predators press against it. This weakness creates an opportunity for feral hogs who can work minor holes into large openings<\/li>\n
  2. The metal used on these older fences was soft and inadequately galvanized, which allows oxidation or rust, that, in turn, reduces the life of the fence and leads to failure over time.<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n

    Enough about the problem. Let\u2019s talk about the solutions.<\/p>\n

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    WILD HOG FENCE MATERIALS FOR EFFECTIVE CONTROL<\/h2>\n

    \"FixedHigh-tensile, woven-wire steel mesh with a \u201cfixed knot\u201d design is the foundation to the best wild hog fence.<\/p>\n

    If you are committed to eliminating the wild hog problem on your property, this steel mesh fixed-knot fencing is the best place to start. High-tensile, woven-wire steel mesh with a \u201cfixed knot\u201d fencing<\/a> is the material of choice for wild hog barriers, preferred over five-strand barbed wire and hinge joint fencing for its strength and safety and most importantly, for its resistance to breech by feral pigs.<\/p>\n

    The high-tensile, fixed-knot fence is the modern form of the old field fence and consists of interconnected vertical and horizontal wires forming squares or rectangles of overlapping and knotted wires. It differs from field fencing in its strength and available patterns.<\/p>\n

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    \"Best<\/a><\/td>\nInterested in downloading and taking this article with you? Click to download the printable PDF version<\/a>.<\/strong><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n

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    PERFORMANCE OF FIXED-KNOT WILD HOG FENCES<\/h2>\n

    When selecting wire mesh for fences, there are 4 things to consider:<\/p>\n

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    1. \"TheFixed-knot design<\/strong> – Fixed-knot wires are wrapped around the line and stay wires for superior vertical strength, which allows for increased post spacing and excellent resistance to animal impact<\/li>\n
    2. High-Tensile Wire<\/strong> \u2013 Professional grade 12.5 gauge is 300% stronger than traditional low carbon 12.5 ga field fence, providing a breaking strength of 500 vs 1,380 lbs. per single wire.<\/li>\n
    3. Coating Type<\/strong> \u2013 Minimum ASTM Class 3 galvanized coating is 3X more galvanization than typical Class 1 product.<\/li>\n
    4. Mesh spacing<\/strong> \u2013Fences have maximum 6-inch vertical stay wires with 5-inch max horizontal wires in bottom courses.<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n

      Class 3 galvanized, high-tensile wire and fixed-knot fences require very little maintenance, so landowners spend less time worrying about the integrity and durability of the fencing material.<\/p>\n

      A fixed-knot design combined with high-tensile wire makes this the strongest woven-wire fence available; it is highly resistant to animal damage. In fact, the breaking strength of each individual 12 ga. horizontal wire is around 1,380 lbs.<\/p>\n

      Crimps manufactured in horizontal wires are installed with significant tension so they can resist force exerted on the fence in a spring-like fashion. Fixed knots do not move or loosen with pressure from animals. Wild hogs can\u2019t \u201cwallow\u201d a hole in the fence fabric as they can in traditional low-tensile field fence wire. Additionally, the steel mesh spacing enables the fence to withstand animal stresses without losing shape or strength.<\/p>\n

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      BENEFITS OF HIGH-TENSILE, FIXED-KNOT WILD HOG FENCING<\/h2>\n