Bobby Creel, who lives near Jonesville, was standing one day and looking at his field that
had paid the price of an abundance of feral pigs and decided he had to try and do something about it. The wheels started turning and he began imagining a system that would get hogs into a trap and prevent them from getting back out.
“I had this idea, went home that night and didn’t go to bed until I had sketched out a gate
that in my mind would work,” Creel said.
Apparently the U.S. Patent Office thought he had something special because they issued him a provisional patent after he contacted them with details of what he had in mind. Since starting to produce his gate in March, Creel knows of some 200 feral pigs that have been caught in traps using his special door. The concept that formed in Creel’s mind had to do
with a hogs tendency to use his snout to root.
“We set out the gate in a conventional trap and leave the gate open for awhile until hogs
start getting accustomed to it. Then we drop it a little at a time until we have hogs entering the trap to enjoy what we call an ‘all you can eat buffet’. Then we drop the heavy-duty metal mesh all the way down and the hogs continue to root under the mesh to get in. Once they try to get out, they can’t because of the way the mesh lays out. They can root to get in but they can’t root their way out,” Creel said.
Creel operates an auto repair business near Jonesville where has been in business for 37
years.
“I’m 59 years old and am giving thought to getting the hog gate business up to the point
that I can turn the auto repair work over to my sons and spend my time developing these special gates to help folks with their hog problems,” he said.
Creel says it takes maybe two hours to put one of his special gates together. He is working on getting his product out to more sporting goods stores but as of now, there is one
business in Jena that carries his product and otherwise, he’s selling them from his shop.
“The word is getting out about our hog gates and I even had a contact from the country of
India where they had heard of our product. Also,” he added, “some of the products on the market today that operate by a remote system whereby a gate can be dropped by use of a cell phone. I was talking to someone using these types of gates and he mentioned having to sit up and wait for his phone to ‘ping’ to trip the gate. I told him that when I have my door laid out right, I go home and go to sleep because all I have to do is go back the next morning and take care of the hogs that have gotten in the trap by themselves and can’t get out.”
When he finds that his trap has worked and he dispatches those that are there and can’t
get out, he has folks lined up to take the hogs for home consumption.
“Last week, I went to the trap one morning to find 13 hogs the trap had captured. I
contacted folks and had them lined up to come get the hogs I had caught,” Creel said.
The C&C Catchall Hog Gates can be purchased at Creel’s business in Jonesville or by
contacting him at 318/452-6742 or his son Tyler at 318/452-6589. He is selling the fully
constructed door, freshly painted with the heavy wire mesh door for somewhere in the
neighborhood of $1000.00.
In my opinion that is a small price to pay because first, you are putting a dent in the feral hog population on your property and second, you can go to sleep at night while the Catchall Hog Gate is doing the work for you.
FISHING REPORT
BLACK BAYOU – No report. Contact Honey Hole Tackle Shop 323-8707 for latest information.
OUACHITA RIVER – The water is at pool stage. Crappie fishing has been off and on with fish
scattered. Fishing at best has been fair. Bass are around the cuts and hitting shad imitations. For latest information, contact the Honey Hole Tackle Shop at 323-8707.
LAKE D’ARBONNE – Crappie fishing has been good with best catches made along the edge of the flats just off the channel and deep sloughs on shiners or jigs. Look for the bass to still be schooling some and hitting shad imitation lures. Also some are being caught around the grass on fake frogs, Rat-L-Traps, Bandit crank baits and soft plastics. Bream are fair while catfish are biting cold worms fished off the banks. For latest information, call Anderson Sport Center at 368-9669 or Honey Hole Tackle Shop at 323-8707.
LAKE CLAIBORNE – Crappie fishing has been good on shiners or jigs with best catches
coming from the 1000 foot channel fishing 10-12 feet deep. Bass and a few stripers are still
schooling some and hitting shad imitations. Fishing around boat houses and piers, skipping a jig underneath the piers or using crank baits are working fairly well. Catfishing has been fair to good on set hooks using small bream for bait. Some are also being caught on yo-yos. For latest information, call Kel’s Cove at 927-2264 or Terzia Tackle at 278-4498.
CANEY LAKE –Bass are schooling with the some of the schoolers being in the 3-4 pound range whereas previously they had been running smaller. Shad imitation lures are working best. Crappie fishing has been fair to good fishing jigs or shiners around deep brush. Bream are slow to fair. No report on catfish.. For information contact Hooks Marina at 249-2347, Terzia Tackle at 278-4498 or the Honey Hole Tackle Shop at 323-8707.
LAKE POVERTY POINT – Catfishing has been good on a variety of baits. Crappie fishing has
been spotty with a few caught here and there. No report on bass or bream. For latest reports, call Poverty Point Marina at 318/878-0101.
LAKE YUCATAN – The water is quite low at pool stage and fishing has been fair for catfish,
crappie and bass. For information, call Surplus City Landing at 318/467-2259.