Honest opinions wanted

[Ray Hammond]

I live and hunt where hogs have had a foothold for five hundred years....so I think I can say I have at least as much experience with them as most on here....

The advantage we have is a 10-11 month growing season... but they are as heavy here as anywhere in the country, believe me.

You cannot give wild swine to the food bank- don't even try. But what you can do is talk to your pastor- tell him what's going on- and I'm betting a dollar to a donut that he knows of private soup kitchens, families in need, etc that every time you go hunting he could have someone there to drag it out and take care of it-pronto.

The hunter who can provide protein to those in need is a Prince indeed! I know- the urban deer group I started has supplied over 1500 deer to the food bank systems and believe me- we got some serious thank you letters.

Don't dare let that hog meat go to waste without making a grand effort to get it used by someone- especially in our current economic climate.

Emotional? I'd say its a 'social' issue, not emotional.

I don't care if they're native or feral- or domestic- actually I'd rather eat feral than domestic any day with our current commercial meat industry practices. I'm betting most people across the country are the same.

[raideranch]

Shoot everyone you see and leave them lying where they fell.  You’re still not going to reduce the numbers unless you shoot a lot out of a helicopter (     )on a regular basis or some other very effective method(trapping and hunting won’t cut it).  As far as them affecting the native game, of course they do.  Every place large or small has a carrying capacity (the amount of game the place can support).  Every hog on a place reduces the amount of resources that the native game will have therefore reducing the amount of native game the land can support.  Same with cows but the serve a purpose.

[dragon rider]

Two thoughts:

1.  How long does it take for a species to become native?  As Ray says, hogs have been here since the Spanish came in the 1500's so it's hard to argue persuasively that they aren't native.  I'm pretty sure my family hasn't been here that long.

2.  I'm with Ray.  I can't in good conscience kill something edible and leave it while there are hungry people who could use it.