Feral hogs

[Gene K]

FYI - The upper Current has a feral hog problem and it's growing. The land owners around the Parker area have multiple traps set (via MDC), and while they have been successful, it seems the numbers just keep increasing. We see them on the river banks on occasion,  but mostly in the woods or our fields. They are mean SOBs and there's no way I will hike the woods without a firearm any longer. That said, even that wouldn't guarantee you from harm from an angry pack. It can take multiple shots from an AR-10 to drop a single hog.

The below pic was the day after the above hogs were eliminated. About 1/2 mile apart.

[Dutch]

If my memory is correct hog gustation time is 3 months 3 weeks and 3 days with as many as a dozen piglets in the litter.

[Gene K]

52 minutes ago, Dutch said:

If my memory is correct hog gustation time is 3 months 3 weeks and 3 days with as many as a dozen piglets in the litter.

A quick search would say you are correct. Hard to keep up with that kind of multiplication factor along with the rugged terrain that they can hide in. I have a trail cam pic from back in the spring with 9 piglets amongst 4 adults. 

[BilletHead]

            MDC say they can and would rather try to control the hogs themselves. Told us hunters if we hunt them, we break up the sounder by not killing them all. Thus educating the hogs and spreading them out.   From what you say @Gene K MDC is losing the battle. 

[Gene K]

15 minutes ago, BilletHead said:

            MDC say they can and would rather try to control the hogs themselves. Told us hunters if we hunt them, we break up the sounder by not killing them all. Thus educating the hogs and spreading them out.   From what you say @Gene K MDC is losing the battle. 

It's an early battle, so I don't think hope is lost yet. MDC is 100% correct that we shouldn't hunt them. They are in control of the effort. Wait until they're in the trap and then unload 😉. Taking a shot at one only hurts the eradication effort.

 

[ness]

This is why I always spay and neuter my feral hogs!

 

[Daryk Campbell Sr]

Interesting how in the video even though they are trapped they are not cowering from the danger.  

[BilletHead]

I do know the ones I killed in Texas are very tasty. Texans are proud of the wild swine. From the damage I seen from them we still don't want these. 

[ness]

15 hours ago, Gene K said:

It's an early battle, so I don't think hope is lost yet. MDC is 100% correct that we shouldn't hunt them. They are in control of the effort. Wait until they're in the trap and then unload 😉. Taking a shot at one only hurts the eradication effort.

 

My gosh! The number of shots it takes is unbelievable to me. Maybe these guys weren't taking the right shots, but still...

Pheasant hunting about 10 years back we came across a field that was all torn up. I figured I didn't want to tangle with hogs, but took a little comfort in that there were about four or five 12 gauges among us. Those would have just ticked them off!

[fishinwrench]

This whole thing about not shooting them because they want to trap 10 at a time would be ok if they actually were truly and repeatedly successful at it.  

Otherwise, if you kill every one that you see, then it won't be long until you don't see them anymore......and isn't THAT the goal ?