Feral Pigs, a favorite target coming to an area near you...

[Hobie]

Just thought you'd be interested...

http://www.foxnews.com/scitech/2011/02/ ... latestnews

[shooter]

In the article it mentions how smart pigs are, and that they are more challenging than deer and bear to hunt. I have always heard they were smart, but in my experience it is the opposite that's true. I find them much easier to hunt, especially to stalk and get close to, than deer. Maybe that's just my experience, and maybe I've just been lucky, but I've walked up on plenty of hogs when I wasn't trying to be quiet and they never knew I was there.

[Rusty]

4 million nation wide, HA! We have that many here in Fla. alone.

[RIHMFIRE]

you should see the feral hogs walking around downtown and standing
in the welfare lines!!!!!!!!!

[RSY]

We had something strange happen at our place: A few years ago, the hogs finally showed up. After about a year we stopped seeing them. They had actually left the area. I've never heard of that before or since.

Scott

[piller]

At a cousin's place near Warner, Oklahoma they had a feral hog problem until a neighbor started hunting them with dogs. Soon after that, the hogs moved out. My conclusion is that the hogs don't like to be chased by dogs. I could be totally wrong, but that is what it seems like to me.

[DennisD]

They have been in SE Texas for quite a while. They are fairly smart but they don't have very good eyesight and I don't think their hearing is that great either so it is possible to sneak up on them. Their sense of smell is very good however.

From my observation, one reason they might disappear from an area is that they don't like dry conditions. If there is a drought and they can find an area with moist ground they will move. 10 to 15 miles from my camphouse there are some rice fields. When there is some moisture in the ground, I might see them or their activity in the woods but when the conditions dry up (as during the last few years from the drought) I see very little sign of them in the woods. And believe me, the less I see of them the better.

[Blaine]

They are classified as pests/vermin in Washington (no, not congress ), and no licence is needed. I'll be darned if I've ever seen any. They were set loose/escapees from logging camps.

[horsesoldier03]

Might have known the animal lovers would be saying we should just neuter them and killing them is barbaric. They would rather increase our taxes and pay big $$$$ to deal with the issue rather than allow hunters or trappers to shoot them. Back home in Texas, I see more hogs on the side of the road dead from being hit by a vehicle than I do deer. Personally, I think trapping is probably the better option.

Here in Kansas shooting a hog is ILLEGAL! The only way anyone can shoot a hog is to have a depridation permit from a Conservation Officer. Before they will issue that, they will come out and evaluate the problem. I was skeptical at first, however, it seems to be working so far. Theory is, is that most of the hog populations were originally placed by hunters or land owners to be used as game in pay to hunt situations. This law prevents that situation completely.

[Blaine]

Might have known the animal lovers would be saying we should just neuter them and killing them is barbaric. They would rather increase our taxes and pay big $$$$ to deal with the issue rather than allow hunters or trappers to shoot them. Back home in Texas, I see more hogs on the side of the road dead from being hit by a vehicle than I do deer. Personally, I think trapping is probably the better option.

Here in Kansas shooting a hog is ILLEGAL! The only way anyone can shoot a hog is to have a depridation permit from a Conservation Officer. Before they will issue that, they will come out and evaluate the problem. I was skeptical at first, however, it seems to be working so far. Theory is, is that most of the hog populations were originally placed by hunters or land owners to be used as game in pay to hunt situations. This law prevents that situation completely.

Sounds like some crazy "stuff" Vern Miller came up with..... Does Kansas still have that no liquor by the drink law? Vern used to have agents on planes to bust Stews serving those little bottles of booze over Kansas air space.

[Rusty]

If you think you have hogs in your area and want to bait them up get some whole corn and put it in a pan or bucket and cover it with water. Allow the corn to turn sour, then set it out in an area where you think the hogs are they will smell the sour corn a looong way away.

[Beaker]

Rimfire, LOL

Blaine, Vern tried that on planes but the courts ruled Federal Law superseded him, he did do that on trains in the '70's and made some arrests.

[horsesoldier03]

I dont think so, but honestly I dont drink so I am not the best person to ask.

SOUR CORN is definately a good way to get the hogs in. We like to sour a 50 lb bag and then slosh about 1/3 of it on the ground and the rest gets put into holes dug by a hand auger with some dirt covering it. If you leave all the corn out in the open, the crows and coons will clean you out. Another meathod to keep other game off of it is to spray the corn lightly with diesel, the hogs will still eat it.

[meanc]

The state (Florida), which is estimated to have about 6,000 wild swine, now has a “shoot on sight order,” which means anyone with any type of hunting license can legally kill a feral pig. In July 2011, it will become legal for a person to shoot a hog that comes onto his property as well, she said

Now, I just have to find someone willing to let me clean off their land.

And anyone that thinks there are only 6000 running around here, hasn't been to the state of Florida.

[AJMD429]

you should see the feral hogs walking around downtown and standing
in the welfare lines!!!!!!!!!

[RSY]

If you think you have hogs in your area and want to bait them up get some whole corn and put it in a pan or bucket and cover it with water. Allow the corn to turn sour, then set it out in an area where you think the hogs are they will smell the sour corn a looong way away.

We used to get a 5-gallon painter's bucket with a snap lid, fill it up about 2/3 with corn, pour in a few cans of cheap beer, seal, and set in the sun for a few days. They love that stuff. You're right, it's amazing how well and how far away they can smell it.

[horsesoldier03]

HOPE NONE OF THEM HOGS WERE UNDERAGE!!!

[RKrodle]

4 million nation wide, HA! We have that many here in Fla. alone.

Rusty I know what you mean, they say Texas has a million hogs but I see way more hogs than deer and we are supposed to have 4 million deer here. These articles all seem to repeat the same stats over and over. Some of the stats, like a hogs ability to reproduce, are best or worst case scenarios. Reality falls somewhere in between. Hogs are smart, if you ever raised any you know how easy they can be trained. But they don't seem to be as cautious as deer, especially when they are in a sounder. Old dominant boars that have staked out an area can be hard to get and a lone sow with shoats can be very cautious and quite dangerous. Al in all they are fun to hunt and I'm glad to have some around, but I've also seen first hand the damage and destruction they can do to environment.

[cnjarvis]

I find myself enjoying hog hunting even more than deer hunting these days. Perhaps it's because there's no "season" and I can hunt year round. I try to go once a month.

I had hogs disappear from my property for 18 months after a large grass fire swept through the area. They're back with a vengeance now.

[RSY]

...I've also seen first hand the damage and destruction they can do to environment.

Yep. If you ask me, that's why sometimes it's OK to just "feed the buzzards". They like pork, too.

[RKrodle]

...I've also seen first hand the damage and destruction they can do to environment.

Yep. If you ask me, that's why sometimes it's OK to just "feed the buzzards". They like pork, too.

I agree Scott. If I don't need the meat and can't find someone who wants it, or if it's a big rank smelling old boar, then the coyotes and buzzards get it. Most of the time I know someone who can use it. I know a lot of folks shoot them and leave the lay and I don't have a problem with that. I also know people who gut shoot them on purpose so they will run off and die someplace else, I have a big problem with that. Everything deserves as clean of a death as possible.

[RSY]

I also know people who gut shoot them on purpose so they will run off and die someplace else, I have a big problem with that. Everything deserves as clean of a death as possible.

Agreed. Cruelty has no place in the field.

[Dave B]

I had an old co-worker once tell me that there are some North of Phoenix. I've been here all my life and have never seen any. Sure would like to find out where they are.

Dave B

[Beaker]

I would love to hunt hogs here, with my 30 WCF, unfortunantly, I live in Kansas. Kansas has lots of feral hogs but as stated previously for dubious reasons does not allow a season on them.

[cnjarvis]

I would love to hunt hogs here, with my 30 WCF, unfortunantly, I live in Kansas. Kansas has lots of feral hogs but as stated previously for dubious reasons does not allow a season on them.

Don't worry, they will once the population gets large enough and they start destroying crops.

[Lawyer Daggit]

The pigs in the picture look more like european boar than feral pig.

Feral pigs have gone some of the way back to its origins- but not that far.

[Machado]

Hobie, feral pigs are pestering us too. And we're a no-hunting country.
This pig was found dead in the farm, apparently after attacking dogs and apparently after attacking people too.
A SWAG autopsy might suggest that the animal inadvertently intercepted the trajectory of a 158 gr JSP bullet apparently travelling at a velocity in excess of 1,800 fps, apparently fired by a careless shooter using an M-92 Rossi carbine. No shells were found. The bullet was not found either, despite only one hole in the critter. Maybe it shook itself loose in handling, dropped though the entrance hole and was lost forever.
Unfortunely, nobody has the faintest clue as to who was the pervert capable of such barbaric atrocity.
The pig tasted good, too, roasted and pururuca, with beer and pinga.
Best,
Antonio

[Lawyer Daggit]

They love the smell of decaying meat. A dead sheep, Cow or Kangaroo attract them very well, but they will also eat greens- corn etc. I will have to try the corn and beer technique, it might be nicer to sit near than decaying meat.

Once read of a fellow who fed them on potatoes three days in a row- on the third day there were detonators buried in the potatoes for the pigs to chew on. Interesting way of solving a pig problem.

[stew71]

Mmmmmm......feral hogs........tasty.........

[RKrodle]

Congrats on some nice hogs there.

[FWiedner]

I think that's the most well-groomed hog I've ever seen.

You mighta bagged somebody's sweet little "Petunia".