Field-Tested, Landowner-Trusted: Inside the Pig Brig® Trap System

An interview with Vickie DeNicola, CEO of Pig Brig Trap Systems, and Tony DeNicola, Designer and Developer.

Feral hogs cause an estimated $2.5 billion in damage every year to farms, ranches, and wildlands across the U.S. For landowners, that damage isn’t just a statistic. It’s personal. It’s torn fences, lost crops, damaged pastures, and long nights worrying about what you’ll wake up to next. That’s why the Pig Brig Trap System wasn’t designed in a lab or a boardroom. It was built in the field, out of necessity, and refined by real-world use.

I first crossed paths with Vickie early in the Pig Brig journey. Even then, I could see this wasn’t just another company. It was something better. And when she asked me to join the team two years ago, I said yes without hesitation. We’re a small crew. There aren’t layers of people between our customers and the work. We are the work.

Recently, I sat down with Vickie, our CEO and Tony DeNicola, the designer and developer of the Pig Brig Trap System, to talk about the design details that set us apart, the lessons learned along the way, and why staying close to our customers has made all the difference.

From the start, the goal wasn’t just to trap pigs—it was to do it in a scrappy, no-nonsense way. We needed something one person could carry, set up quickly, and source parts for at the local hardware store. The trap had to work harder than the trapper. We were using it to remove pigs from large, fenced areas in Guam as part of a habitat restoration project. And when we realized it worked, we thought: this is too good to keep to ourselves. So we started working with trappers across the Southeast and a few researchers to test and refine it. We wanted it to be flexible, portable, and as close to bulletproof as possible. Every time a pig got out, we went back to the drawing board and made it better.

Q: Pig Brig looks simple, but it’s packed with intentional design. Can you break down the features that really set it apart from other traps?

Tony: For sure. And you’re right, it does look simple. But behind that simplicity is a whole lot of intention. We spent years working through failures and feedback to make something that’s both rugged and refined.

One of the first real breakthroughs came when we saw pigs hitting one wall of the net and lifting the opposite side of the trap off the ground, allowing escapes. We tried a cable system, we tried a lead rope and that’s when we added the internal anchor stakes. But that alone wasn’t enough. We needed more stability. So we added the mid-post cam straps, and that pairing gave the trap the flex and hold it needed. When pigs hit the wall now, it gives but it doesn’t let go. It works like a trampoline, absorbing the charge.

We also took a hard look at the netting. Originally, it was a single wall of relatively lightweight netting. Then we doubled it up for strength, creating the boar shield. But pigs were focused on chewing at the knots. That’s what led us to develop the Beefy Boar Shield, a knotless, high-strength mesh that forms the inner layer of the trap. It’s tough where it counts, and we didn’t bulk up the whole trap with unnecessary weight or cost.

What sets Pig Brig apart from other traps is how flexibly it works in the field, not just how it looks on paper:

• There’s no gate to trigger, so there’s no need for cell service or electronics. The trap works wherever pigs are. If you have cell service and want to use a camera, you can. We have a trigger and feeder mechanism for people who travel or have shy pigs … or want to condition pigs to come at a certain time.
• It’s designed for one-person setup. It’s lightweight and intuitive. Most folks have it up in under an hour. Lots of folks make some easy modifications to simplify set up even further.
• It’s quiet. No loud slamming doors or rigid walls to scare pigs off or make them trap shy.
• It’s portable. You don’t need a trailer or a crew to get it into place. You can set it using trees and you can set it on uneven terrain.
• And with 360-degree entry, pigs can walk in from any direction and enter throughout the night, making it a true multi-catch system

Vickie: Those features weren’t afterthoughts. They were direct responses to real problems we encountered again and again. That’s what makes the Pig Brig different and why it continues to get the job done.

Q: How do you balance design improvements with affordability and ease of use?

Tony: That’s been the tension from the start. We could add more parts or more materials, but at what cost? For our customers, price and portability matter. So instead of making it heavier or more complex, we solve problems with smarter design.

Like the T-Post sleeves. We considered adding them, but they would have increased weight and shipping costs. So we opted for u-bolt mounts instead. And guess what? A lot of our customers figured out how to make their own sleeves. That’s the kind of relationship we want. We build a smarter trap, and our customers run with it.

"Every evolution and every added feature came from the idea that this system needed to work for real people in real conditions. Quiet enough to avoid creating trap-shy pigs. Portable enough that you can carry it yourself to where the pigs are (or on an ATV). Quick enough to set up solo. And smart enough to capture multiple sounders or social groups with 360-degree entry and a “gate” that’s always open. That’s how the Pig Brig grew from a field idea into a full system."

Q: Five years in and over 10,000 traps sold. What do you think is the key to Pig Brig’s staying power?

Vickie: It’s trust. People trust us to deliver a trap that works. To answer the phone and help. To keep improving. We’re not a gimmick. We’re a passionate group of folks who care deeply about helping landowners reclaim their land.

The Pig Brig Trap System wasn’t just engineered. It was earned through failure, feedback, and a whole lot of field time. Internal anchor stakes. The knotless Beefy Boar Shield. Lightweight. Portable. Quiet. Built for one person. Effective with no gate, no trigger, and no cell service required. Backed by a team that answers the call.

If you’re facing wild pigs, we’re here with you. And we’re not done improving.
Field-proven. Farmer-trusted. Built with intention. That’s Pig Brig.