Introduction: Why Trapping the Whole Sounder Is the Only Way to Win

The feral hog crisis in the United States is growing at an alarming rate, with over 6 million wild pigs now spread across 35+ states. Experts warn that number could triple in the next decade without coordinated intervention, including whole-sounder trapping. For farmers, ranchers, land managers, and rural communities, the costs are already staggering—more than $2.5 billion per year in damage to crops, infrastructure, and livestock.

Among the many control strategies available today, whole-sounder trapping stands out as the most effective, scalable, and practical solution.

What Is Whole-Sounder Trapping?

Whole-sounder trapping is a method of feral hog control that focuses on capturing an entire family group (or “sounder”) at once. Unlike partial catches, which allow some pigs to escape and become trap-shy, whole-sounder techniques prevent hogs from learning to avoid future traps.

This method is endorsed by the USDA’s National Feral Swine Damage Management Program and supported by decades of field data. According to our Feral Hog Crisis research paper[research paper], whole-sounder trapping can remove up to 70–90% of a local hog population in just one or two cycles.

Why Partial Catches Fail

One of the biggest mistakes landowners make is triggering a trap too early—before the entire group is inside. When even a few hogs escape, they associate danger with that location and will actively avoid it.

Escaped pigs can:

• Educate other hogs to stay away from traps
  
• Scatter and form new groups in nearby areas
  
• Cause long-term behavioral resistance to trapping
  

That’s why whole-sounder trapping [faq] isn’t just more effective—it’s essential for any long-term hog management strategy.

How It Works: Step-by-Step Guide

1. Conditioning Phase

Start by baiting a chosen area using corn or other attractants. Hogs will begin to visit the site regularly. With Boar Blanket, the net is raised and secured above ground during this phase, allowing hogs to feed freely and associate the trap area with safety.

✅ Pro Tip: Monitor activity with trail cameras or a system like HogEye.

2. Switching to Trap Mode

Once the sounder is reliably feeding at the site, the net is quietly lowered to the ground. Because the site is already familiar, hogs will continue walking underneath the net to reach the bait—none the wiser.

3. The Capture

As hogs enter, the net tightens naturally. There is no need for a loud gate slam or live trigger—Boar Blanket is passive but deadly effective. The design ensures the hogs get in and cannot get back out.

This method requires no remote systems, no springs, and no guesswork.

Why the Boar Blanket Excels at Whole-Sounder Trapping

Unlike other trapping systems that rely on metal panels or drop gates, Boar Blanket [product page] was designed from the ground up for silent, scalable trapping of full sounders.

Key Advantages:

• ✅ Requires only 8 T-posts (vs. 10+ for other systems)
  
• ✅ No inner ground anchors needed
  
• ✅ Steel rings sewn directly into the net—no clamps
  
• ✅ Fully double-netted, tapered design
  
• ✅ Easy to relocate and reset
  
• ✅ Designed for mud shedding and low visibility to hogs
  

These features make Boar Blanket faster to deploy, easier to operate, and more effective at catching entire hog families in a single event.

Trap Type Comparison

Trap Type	Pros	Cons
Boar Blanket	Lightweight, quick setup, passive entry	Requires monitoring for conditioning & capture
Corral Traps	Durable, scalable	Requires large panels, gates, tools, and labor
Drop Nets	Fast activation	High skill & tech required, less scalable
Snares & Box Traps	Cheap, easy to deploy	Very low success rate with large sounders

Related Reading: Boar Blanket vs Pig Brig Comparison

For a detailed head-to-head breakdown of the two most talked-about trap systems, check out our full Boar Blanket vs Pig Brig Comparison. It dives deep into trap design, setup time, mesh durability, and why Boar Blanket outperforms in real-world use cases.

Expert Insight from the USDA and Beyond

The Feral Hog Crisis research paper[research paper] highlights the importance of whole-sounder trapping, citing that single-capture traps often result in only 20–30% population reduction, while multi-hog traps can clear up to 90% of a herd.

Federal and state agencies now prioritize funding and training for sounder-level solutions. Boar Blanket’s design aligns perfectly with these best practices.

Final Thoughts on Whole-Sounder Trapping

If you want to reduce the hog population on your property significantly and permanently, whole-sounder trapping is your most powerful tool—and Boar Blanket is the best way to do it.

Its smart, simple design makes it the most field-tested and field-ready net trap available today. Don’t waste time chasing hogs one by one. Trap smarter. Trap the whole sounder.

Ready to get started? Visit the Boar Blanket product page or explore our FAQ section for more.