the USA ferral hog situation ....

[Kevin Dill]

"I guess the main thing most have to remember is that this is a war and its not about being sporting or ethical, its about killing every one you come across regardless of means or methods as long as they are legal and do not harm non target species."

And may I say Amen and Amen! The answer is not "hunting" pigs and treating them as a worthy species where they are not wanted. The answer is "eradication". Part of accomplishing that is giving people NO reason to want feral hogs or pigs in their state.

[Benny Nganabbarru]

"Love thine enemy."

[beendare]

Originally posted by monterey:
I wonder if there are any health reg/issues regarding donating the meat to food pantries, etc.  Maybe some special processing requirements?

Many years ago I did depredation here in Ca for the state parks and we used to give the meat to the church soup kitchens- they loved it.

Then the ACLU stepped in and said we could not give the same meat -that my family and friends were eating -to the church since it didn't have an FDA meat stamp on it. Too costly to get the meat inspections..... We ended up digging a big trench and burying the carcuses- it just made me sick, what a waste!

[Ragnarok Forge]

And.......ACLU again = stupid interference!   The Oregon invasive species biologist told me to buy a license and kill them all.  No recovery required.  Southern  Oregon has a few hog groups that migrated in from northern California.

[arrow flynn]

theres some blm here in ca and forest service stuff where all motorized stuff is banned rough ground accesable with horses .so im  learning to ride .when im agood rider and im learnig quickly i think were going after them.i get to ride the mustang .i want to mount my quiver on the saddle somehow .any horseback riders ot there that have done that?

[hills of texas]

Here in the Texas Hill country we have a ton of pigs.  Every year there is more and more.  Texas parks and wildlife stated that you would have to kill 70% of the population every year just to maintain the numbers.  In truth I doubt even 8% are killed and or trapped.  Hogs are smart and learn quickly.  Around here donated pork is not accepted because of disease, so most people leave the big ones laying in the field and butcher the small ones.  We hunt them at night with bows and its alot of fun.  The flip side is that they destroy farm/grass land and overpopulate quickly.  I don't think its a problem thats going away.  Its here to stay and probably only going to get worse.

[Widow's Son]

I dread the day when feral hogs show up on our hunting lease. I figure it is just a matter of time. Although if I were on a homestead trying to make a living out in the wild I would probably turn some hogs loose. You can eat your way through a deer herd pretty fast. I think the hogs would bred faster than you could eat them.

Just a thought:
Lets get out there and take them out!

Ross

[The Vanilla Gorilla]

I like having them around.   Good to hunt all year round, tailor made for bowhunting, every hog is a trophy, and they taste great.

They sure haven't affected the deer population in my area. I've yet to see a deer root for grubs, or a hog eating kudzu or greenbriar leaves.   I think the biggest competition between hogs and deer is gonna be at the corn feeders.  

In My Area.....hogs don't do much damage.  It's hard even for hogs to screw up steep terrain comprised mostly of rocky, sandy soil filled with pine and blackjack oak.

But, I'm aware other places do have problems.  And I hate to hear about anybody losing money to a feral critter.  But have any of these guys decided to break open their checkbook and do some fence modifications?  Maybe run a hotwire or two?  There's ways, but it might require some financial thought.  For the amount of money some farmers spend on equipment every year, they can afford to pay some local high school kids to bury some wire paneling in the ground to keep hogs from digging under. Me and 4 other fellas did that back in '95 around a 400 acre peanut field in exchange for beer when I was 18, and that land is still hog free.  Just takes some elbow grease, some money, and some gullible 18 year olds.

[tarponnut]

They have been here 500 years and aren't going anywhere soon.
They are destructive, just as many native species are. I certainly don't support introducing them to new areas, however.
One thing is for sure, they are a great game animal, possibly the best, especially for the bowhunter.Just my 2 cents.

[snakebit40]

I just read the forum from page 1 to 8 and IMO I think educating the people to treat the hogs like pest is the best way to get rid of them. The bounty thing sounds great but like one person said, money runs out quick.

I've heard people here in KS talk about seeing a hog, but I've never seen one. It's illegal to hunt hogs here and I think that's a very good thing. I do think criminals that call themselves "hunters" are responsible for the spread of some hogs. I've hunted them once and it was a blast. I've also seen what they can do to fields and was glad that I was 10 hours away from home. If I ever see a hog I will shoot it, leave it lay, and then call the game warden.

[OBXarcher]

Yep they are  bad bad bad but only hunt them during certain seasons and with certain weapons..... Come on do you want them controlled or not. NC is finally coming around but still has a way to go.

[smoke1953]

I think we should introduce wolves.  

[gringol]

Originally posted by smoke1953:
I think we should introduce wolves.      

Exactly! Introducing new species works everytime. I can't think of any drawbacks, especially with wolves.

[highpoint forge]

http://feralhogs.tamu.edu/2011/05/agrilife-today-busting-feral-hog-myths/

Lots of bs surrouning feral hog numbers but  we kill 20 a weekend at my place.

[DeerSpotter]

Originally posted by Montanawidower:
I have the solution... We'll give you some of our wolves!    We've got plenty    

Same here we have to many, also yotes !

[arrow flynn]

i live on the edge of a large timber co holding part of it includes the last virgin redwoods in the us and is protected .i d love to see hogs on it but they would not make it it is thick in most places . hasnt got enough of what hogs eat.i envey you guys in texas with all your hogs.

[Roadkill]

Wild horses are liken to pigs.  There are "wild" horses here that have brands on them. Too costly to keep them so they just turn them loose.  They cover a lot of ground and eat the same vegetation as deer, elk and antelope.  In July a stallion will stake out a water hole for his band, and will allow nothing else to water.  Seen them chase lopes away with hoofs flying
These are not native animals as some you have you believe.  These are just feral a animals  with a bleeding heart following. Humans toy with nature at their- our peril
I love to hunt hogs and used to hunt them cheaply in CA, but greed over took common sense and it cost a fortune now.  Common sense ain't all that common. I believe there is an answer, but will vary by region and habitat. What works in TX will not in KY

Luck to us and the future of hunti g