Hogs in Kansas

[crittergitter]

While listening to the radio this afternoon I thought I heard a news report that the state fish and game commission was going to employ the use of helicopters and sharpshooters to eliminate feral hogs in several counties. Has anyone else heard this or know anything about it?

Am I missing something here, whats the reasoning behind it? I'd love to hog hunt in this state but they have already banned that I guess.

Rick

[bluegill]

Rick,

Try this link for answers.

  http://www.kdwp.state.ks.us/news/kdwp_info/news/weekly_news/2006_weekly_news_archive/6_22_06/new_rules_affect_2006_hunting_seasons  

Sean

[jchunt4ever]

“no person shall engage in, sponsor, instigate, assist, or profit from the release, killing, wounding or attempted killing or wounding of feral swine for the purpose of sport, pleasure, amusement, or production of a trophy"

Does that mean you can kill all you want to eat? And, does that rule out "general" hunting of them? That statement confuses me more each time I read it, but seems to imply that you CAN'T kill a feral hog no matter what, but the next statement says you can kill all you want if you own the land they are on.

[Big Sneaky]

They tried to fly over our property last year without permission but we caught wind of it and stopped them from doing it.  I did watch them fly over my neighbors.  They basically hover over the deep brushed canyons trying to spook them out.  Then they will line them out and the gunner(using a shotgun with buckshot) will start blasting them.  Their reasoning for waging war on hogs is that the they believe feral hogs carry diseases that will harm domestic livestock.  I just recently read a newspaper clip with a report on the hogs that were killed last year for testing.  Out of the 70 or so that were tested, all were negative.  Surprise, surprise.  Sorry to ramble on so long about this but they have been in this area for 12-13 yrs and from what I've seen the only thing they are bothering is the deer hunter's corn piles and feeders.

[crittergitter]

Well Cade, I'd be more than happy to come out and help with population control usin a stick and string.

By the way "why would they be more apt to carry desease than a regular domestic hog" as a young boy I worked for a hog farmer and I don't remember ever vaccinating the hogs for anything, unless there was a direct reason for it. I tend to believe it has more to do with the state losing revenue somehow. Follow the money and it usually leads to the answer.

[Kindred Mark]

Back in 1993/94 Fort Riley had a huntable population, contract hunters were brought in to shoot them at night from helicopters as well.  I think the reason these rules are in place is due to 2 fold. First is Kansas does not have to quarantine domestic hogs when they leave the state, second is hunters were bringing in hogs from other states, and dropping them off on state land to grow their own population.

[Big Sneaky]

I wish hunting them was that easy crittergitter, but it has been months since I have seen any or any sign.  I think it all started about 4 yrs ago south of Ashland, KS on the state line.  Murphy Farms had a confined hog feeding operation and a bunch of them got sick.  Well, a half mile north is the Cimmaron River in Kansas where there is quite a few hogs.  They flew it and shot 15-20 hogs.  All tests were negative.  I heard a few ball park figures on what it cost just for the helicopter to fly for 5 days last year and it was around 30,000 bucks.  If they belive they are such a problem they should just put a bounty on them like they used to coyotes.  I really haven't seen an increase in their numbers in the 6 yrs I have lived here.  Most folks seem to get enough of them to kind of keep the numbers in check.  Plus, this area is pretty rough and has a lot of cedar canyons.  Sorry to ramble again but I get a little fired up about it sometimes.