Feral hogs

[tjm]

When I was a kid Dad and Grandpa and others in the area free ranged hogs until the pigs were 50-60# and then we trapped the sow and pigs by tolling with whole corn for a week or two (depending on how far from home)  until they'd go right in the pen when they saw you dumping corn. I reckon a 3-400# sow with 12-15 pigs is as dangerous as I ever want to see. I have no doubt that she would eat a man. A week in the pen and they start to become somewhat tame again, but you still don't dare enter the pen with her and you extract the pigs with a lariat. these were sows that we had raised in pens until they were breeding age. Two liters a year and from four up to six years of production, our average litter of 12-15, (they'd butcher a sow the farrowed less than 10 or one that failed to keep them alive) is something like 90-180 offspring from one sow.  Every farm in the area had an earmark that was recognized by all the neighbors. Crop, split, overbit, underbit and combinations of, with left and right ears both marked makes a lot of marks to used.  I guess that probably ended about 1970, maybe a year or three sooner.

 

[Dutch]

We did a modified free range where we fenced areas with woven wire and a barb on the bottom.  Keeping the sows back was done with a piece of plywood with a hand hold cut out in the top center.  Keeping the bottom on the ground was crucial.  If the sow got her nose under it you were in trouble.

[jdmidwest]

1 hour ago, tjm said:

When I was a kid Dad and Grandpa and others in the area free ranged hogs until the pigs were 50-60# and then we trapped the sow and pigs by tolling with whole corn for a week or two (depending on how far from home)  until they'd go right in the pen when they saw you dumping corn. I reckon a 3-400# sow with 12-15 pigs is as dangerous as I ever want to see. I have no doubt that she would eat a man. A week in the pen and they start to become somewhat tame again, but you still don't dare enter the pen with her and you extract the pigs with a lariat. these were sows that we had raised in pens until they were breeding age. Two liters a year and from four up to six years of production, our average litter of 12-15, (they'd butcher a sow the farrowed less than 10 or one that failed to keep them alive) is something like 90-180 offspring from one sow.  Every farm in the area had an earmark that was recognized by all the neighbors. Crop, split, overbit, underbit and combinations of, with left and right ears both marked makes a lot of marks to used.  I guess that probably ended about 1970, maybe a year or three sooner.

 

Sounds about right.  Our were always kept in pens or farrowing houses.  We ran registered Chester whites or Hamps. They were alot of work, and even a tame sow would tear you up when they heard a piglet squeal. Hog house would always be stirred up when we worked a new batch pulling milk teeth and trimming tails.  Nasty work, but good eating and good money back then.

[snagged in outlet 3]

6 hours ago, Dutch said:

You guys who think you could drive them and shoot a bunch must not have spent much time around hogs and haven’t thought about the terrain in vast areas this state and Arkansas.

I was shooting from the hip with my comment.  Sounds like fun though right?   I haven’t seen one in the wild yet.   My in-laws neighbor farm raised them.   I would not like to be on the wrong end of a POd pig.  

[Gene K]

On 11/23/2023 at 12:57 PM, snagged in outlet 3 said:

I was shooting from the hip with my comment.  Sounds like fun though right?   

Maybe helicopter shooting, but not on foot on my terrain, save the field area. I was watching TV last month and started hearing what I thought was pig squeals coming from the TV. So I muted the TV and I still heard them. They were right next to my house so I grabbed the AR and walked out on the front deck. All I saw was some movement in the dark. They were gone in a flash down a steep ravine. Even if I were to get a shot off, it would have been a potshot at best. 

I don't know what differentiates a situation where a pig that charges at you or them running away, but I prefer the latter - and waiting for the trap to catch them. 

I can fly my drone over where the traps are placed, but they spend much of their time in the ONSR, and drones are prohibited in the ONSR (software prohibits).

[Skeeter ZX190]

Earlier today I was fishing just upstream from Baptist Camp.  I got up on the bank to walk downstream to the parking lot and spooked something (at least 2 something's).  The grass was waist tall so I never saw them, but they were too short to be deer.  They made quite a bit a noise as they bolted but only went 10 or 15 feet and stopped.  I didn't go to investigate considering if they're feral hogs they can be mean, so I just kept on my trek to the truck.  

[snagged in outlet 3]

11 hours ago, Skeeter ZX190 said:

Earlier today I was fishing just upstream from Baptist Camp.  I got up on the bank to walk downstream to the parking lot and spooked something (at least 2 something's).  The grass was waist tall so I never saw them, but they were two short to be deer.  They made quite a bit a noise as they bolted but only went 10 or 15 feet and stopped.  I didn't go to investigate considering if they're feral hogs they can be mean, so I just kept on my trek to the truck.  

Mountain lion?   I think that area has one of the first documented sightings.  

[Skeeter ZX190]

8 hours ago, snagged in outlet 3 said:

Mountain lion?   I think that area has one of the first documented sightings.  

I know one was photographed somewhere south of there in the Current River drainage basin that was feeding on a dead elk, but there were at least 2 animals.  If it was a momma and a little one (mountain lion) I think I would have been toast.  

[Gavin]

We haven't seen any feral hogs in the ONSR yet, but thanks for the heads up. We haven't seen an mountain lion or bear either. There are plenty of armadillo's.

The presence of hogs might explain why I haven't seen the usual numbers of Turkey down there though.

 

[snagged in outlet 3]

42 minutes ago, Gavin said:

We haven't seen any feral hogs in the ONSR yet, but thanks for the heads up. We haven't seen an mountain lion or bear either. There are plenty of armadillo's.

The presence of hogs might explain why I haven't seen the usual numbers of Turkey down there though.

 

Signs of feral hog activity is pretty apparent isn’t it?