Chad Tallent is a third-generation farmer growing rice, soybeans, and corn in Prairie County, Ark. He has farmed his entire life on the same ground as his father and grandfather – just four miles west of Des Arc. But around five years ago, Tallent encountered a destructive problem that was new to the family farm.

Feral hogs began to plunder, and Tallent quickly realized the importance of management to prevent his crops from becoming an endless buffet for the invasive species.

He first attempted to control the wild pigs with thermal hunting. However, that method requires significant time and effort. So, Tallent turned to panel traps, and while trapping proved effective, the metal traps were expensive, and setup was time consuming and labor intense.

Then Tallent discovered Pig Brig, a cost-effective feral hog trap designed as a net – making it portable and easy to assemble. He purchased a Pig Brig trapping system three years ago and reported success on his first try. Since then, he has relied on the same trap for feral hog management.

Trapping hogs with a net

On Tallent’s farm, wild hogs have a particularly strong appetite for corn. He said the damage caused by a sounder, or a group of pigs, is devastating and happens fast.

“They can knock out an acre in a couple of nights. They will root freshly planted corn out of the ground. They go right down the row, rooting it up. They can also knock out standing corn.”

Hogs cause similar damage in the soybean crop. They also damage rice fields by wallowing the mud on top of levees, causing washouts that leave behind dry levees.

To get ahead of the hog problem, Tallent focuses on trapping during the winter months. In 2024 alone, Tallent reported trapping a total of 28 wild hogs. He also traps as needed throughout the year – noting summertime hogs are hardest to catch.

The process beings with the evidence of hog damage or fresh rooting. Tallent then baits the area with corn and puts out a trail camera to confirm activity. Once confirmed, Tallent sets up the trap and the conditioning phase begins.

Setup is easy, requiring a set of T-posts and the Pig Brig net. While Tallent said one person can easily set up the trap alone, he usually has a little help to speed the process.

“We are getting pretty good at setting it up,” he said. “Everyone knows what to do, and it doesn’t take us long. In about 30 minutes, a couple of us can have it put together.”

Conditioning a sounder takes three days to a week. It requires baiting the area with dry corn – or whatever food the hogs prefer – to get them comfortable with the net. During conditioning, the pigs root under the net to feed, able to come and go because the trapping mechanism is not yet set.

Once the sounder drops their guard, it is time to drop the net and catch the hogs. As they come to feast under the set trap, they are unable to escape the netting. Tallent monitors the set trap with a trail camera, and any caught hogs are euthanized in a timely and humane manner the following morning.

Not to worry, the meat does not go to waste. Tallent has a waiting list of locals wanting a hog to process for breakfast sausage and porkchops, and he gives the hogs away.

History of the Pig Brig system

The idea behind Pig Brig came out of necessity and development began in 2017. Aaron Sumrall, director of outreach, education, and research at Pig Brig, said the initial goal was to control nonnative goats, deer and pigs in the U.S. territory of Guam.

In that part of the world, digging or using T-posts is not an option due to unexploded ordinance that remains underground from World War II. Thus, the original trapping system leveraged the landscape with a net that could mount to trees and easily mold to the shape of the jungle floor.

The trapping system proved effective. Pig Brig owners Tony and Vickie DeNicola then reached out to Sumrall, who is specialized in feral hog research and management along with factors like biology and behavior, mitigation, disease, economics, and human/feral pig dynamics.

Sumrall said, “The DeNicola’s realized this was a pig management tool that was too good to be kept in house and needed to be shared around the world. Pig Brig needed to be evaluated and explored for us to gain knowledge and to help people better use the system.”

In 2020, Pig Brig went public, and the trapping system gained international attention. In just 40 months of commercial availability, Pig Brig’s presence expanded to 34 countries with patents in the U.S., Canada, Australia, and Europe.

Sumrall has since traveled as far as Figi, Samoa, Canada, China, and Italy to provide training. The company also collaborates with universities and research entities to increase their understanding of feral hogs.

“The more you think you know about a species, the more it unveils that you really don’t,” Sumrall explained. “We have our thumb on what is going on with wild pigs throughout the world, and that is made possible through outstanding collaborative efforts.”

Advantages and a cost-share opportunity

Pig Brig touts user-friendly advantages over traditional metal or wooden traps, many of which Tallent has experienced firsthand.

First, the cost of a standard Pig Brig system starts at $2,500. That is a huge savings compared to traditional systems typically costing upwards of $10,000.

The lightweight design of the Pig Brig also makes it super portable. Tallent said, “It fits in the back of my side-by-side. I can take it way back in the woods or wherever I need it, with no need for a trailer.”

Additionally, Sumerall emphasized the small footprint of the net. He said some farmers keep one rolled in the floorboard of their tractor so they can stop and assemble the trap as soon as they notice hog damage.

The net is also strong. Tallent reported catching as many as 11 hogs in the trap at one time.

Another important factor is technological simplicity. While Tallent uses a trail camera equipped with cell service, it is not required.

“You don’t have to have cell service to catch pigs. You can still use a game camera and pull the memory card to check for hogs. When you are on the back-40 with limited cell service, that is very helpful.

“Plus, the trap works without me watching my phone all night for activity. Once the pigs go into the set trap, they can’t get out,” Tallent added.

Of all the advantages, Tallent said the most notable is Pig Brig’s customer service. “For any kind of problem, they are just a phone call or an email away. They do more than just sell you a trap. They educate you on how to use it, and the information helps tremendously.”

Resources are available through monthly webinars and tutorial videos on the Pig Brig website at https://pigbrig.com. As a bonus, there is even a Facebook group for Pig Brig trappers to share tips and field questions.

Tallent plans to improve efficiency by adding a second trap to use in tandem with his current system. He hopes to take advantage of a pilot, cost-share program through the Arkansas Game & Fish Commission, paying a 75% reimbursement for purchase of a feral hog trapping system, with a maximum payback rate of $10,000.

Qualifying applicants should own or manage at least 100 acres in Arkansas, provide photo proof of feral hog damage on the property, and commit to reporting hog removals from use of the trap.  More information about this incentive opportunity can be found on the AGFC website at www.agfc.com.