Feral hog problem - UPDATE: GOT THEM !

[Major 2]

Here is the back pasture damage...bastards have torn up some front pastrue too.  

A neighbor  about 1/2 mile away has had damage also...there were 13...  a bore,  a sow and 11 little piggies
They trapped the Sow ( and she is MEAT )  I have not seen the boar yet, but heard he has 3" tusks
however, 4 of his little piggies did this .....

I took a shot the other night but they are Q*U*I*C*K    I missed  
They were back last night...I have hog hunting dogs and to guys coming out tonight.

with luck I'll have PORK for Thanksgiving  

[Rowdy Fulcher]

Major
Sounds like you need to try some Vintage HOG Hunting . 
   Good luck or Happy Hunting ?

[Major 2]

that photo was just one night worth !  the front is twice as big and over two areas

If they fail to night,  I'll go get box of  000 shot

[River City John]

This calls for landmines.


RCJ

[Will Ketchum]

In this case the heck with "vintage".  This calls for a night scope on a suppressed rifle

Will Ketchum

[El Coyote]

The best way to handle this is not alone. Call in some friends and form a posse. With a good plan you could cut the group in half in one night. Good luck, hogs multiple quick. Hopefully you can get in front of the problem before they really start reproducing!

[Cliff Fendley]

In this case the heck with "vintage".  This calls for a night scope on a suppressed rifle

Will Ketchum

With a thirty round mag.

I'm hearing they have gotten in parts of Kentucky, I hope they don't get around here, I'm told they will destroy your farm and Major seems to be seeing it first hand.

[Pancho Peacemaker]

I grew up killing hogs for ranchers in South Texas. They dig ruts in the cattle pastures and tripped up the cattle.  So. Texas ranchers HATE feral pigs.

One trick I learned:   Pick out a nice open area that is away from water or sloughs and is a good area to shoot.
Dig a 3 or 4 foot hole with a post hole digger then widen it up some with a shovel.
Drop a rail road tie in the hole.  Fill the dirt back in so the post is standing solid in the vertical position.
Wrap the base of the railroad tie up to about 3' with burlap. Staple, nail, or wire the burlap so it is secure to the tie
Drench the burlap with old cooking oil.

Pigs will rub on this like crazy.  They like rubbing against the oily burlap.  They will come to the post like clockwork to rub.  You will shoot one, retrieve the carcass and his buddies will be back soon after.    You'll need to periodically redrench the burlap and occassionally replace the burlap.  

In the warm months they ALL have fleas.  Proceed with caution.  If you eat them, cook the meat really well.  They carry liver flukes and a few other parasites that are shared between people and swine.  

My favorite pig cartridges:  30-30 and .308.  

[Shotgun Franklin]

I live in South Texas. Finding someone who'll let you kill a pig is a trick. One guy was in a local Newspaper crying about pigs tearing his stuff up. I called and asked about a pig hunt. He said that he'd HAVE to charge me $250. I told him to stick his pigs.

[Pancho Peacemaker]

I live in South Texas. Finding someone who'll let you kill a pig is a trick. One guy was in a local Newspaper crying about pigs tearing his stuff up. I called and asked about a pig hunt. He said that he'd HAVE to charge me $250. I told him to stick his pigs.

I was in high school in the 80's.  My family was in the Ag business and we knew dozens of ranchers from Pearsall down 35 toward Cotulla and also out west toward Sabinal and Uvalde.  They were more than happy to have some eager high school kids kill the vermin.

I realize that South Texas hunting has become a big business since then.  Its crazy that anyone would pay to kill a pest animal that is over abundant. 

[Professor Marvel]

I live in South Texas. Finding someone who'll let you kill a pig is a trick. One guy was in a local Newspaper crying about pigs tearing his stuff up. I called and asked about a pig hunt. He said that he'd HAVE to charge me $250. I told him to stick his pigs.

Same in NM. Owners make a huge fuss about all the damage they are incurring,  but when contacted they want some pretty hefty "hunting" or "trespass" fees.

yhs
prof marvel

[Major 2]

The hog hunting dogs and guys were a NO show !

I was out and saw the 4 little ones, I had my Shotgun , but could not get a shot off.
Being dark could not be sure of my field of fire, as I was to close to the fence line.
Later they were back in the rear pasture, again I did not want to shoot, there are horses back there.

the dog trapper said he'd be back 

[Mogorilla]

Just had an article about them in the Missouri Conservationist.  Getting to be a problem here.  Main problem is people turning hogs loose thinking they can charge people to hunt them.  Have you contacted your Conservation department?   They were asking missouri folk to do just that.   Funny same folks letting them loose will complain mightily when another invasive species inconveniences them.   

[Cliff Fendley]

They are trying to keep it from happening here in Kentucky but as you say people have turned them loose in some areas and they get out of hand. Right now they are advising against hunting them as they don't want them to get scared of people. Evidently they are not that scared of people yet in those areas and they are trying to trap them. I've been told that once there is a large population of them you can't hardly ever completely eradicate them by hunting. Is this true?

[Mogorilla]

Yes, once established nearly impossible to erradicate, without destroying the entire ecosystem, then it is still hard.
1. Pigs are, like us, omnivorous.  They can eat anything.
2. They have large litters, 6 to 8, so even loosing a few to coyotes is not that damaging.
3. Since few wolves in most area, once bigger, few if any effective predators on four legs.
4.  having raised a few, Pigs are smart.  Pain in the butt smart sometimes.   
5.  They are very invasive and in quick time will be the dominant species in the wild
6.  The nimrods who release them thinking, "I'm a goin ta shooooot me a hawg" out to be put out and see how well they fair. 

[Pancho Peacemaker]

I've been told that once there is a large population of them you can't hardly ever completely eradicate them by hunting. Is this true?

That's been my experience.

They reproduce very quickly.  Once they've been in the wild a few generations, they get very evasive.
In most areas, they have no natural predators, so they live at the top of the food chain.
In areas with crops and livestock, they are VERY destructive.

In my experience game animals are hunted.  Feral swine are not game.  They are vermin.  Kill them.  Destroy them.  Eradicate them. 

Texas currently does not recognize them as game animal, so there is no season and no limit on them. 

[Blair]

Yes, feral hogs can be a big problem.
This problem can be increased when feral, "gone wild domestic hogs" inter breed with introduced wild hog species.
Florida is full of these cross bread hogs. Most have taken on the look of their wild cousins, but usually much larger, faster and smarter. They also don't seem to show fear of Humans.
Extreme caution, when hunting these animals, is highly suggested!
Be safe Rodger, and don't go out alone.
Have a great Thanksgiving... and I hope it is with a lot of pork!
 Blair

[Major 2]

So far they are predictable, if they follow their SOP they should be in the back at about 7:30 PM that's well after dark.

SO WILL I ....we put the horse in the barn ... I set up a blind with good field of fire....

News at 11 

[Pancho Peacemaker]

[Trailrider]

And what are you using to "bring home the bacon"? It's been about a half-century since I hunted "hawgs" do to Tennessee. Range in the dense forest area around central TN called for the use of dogs, although I got three still hunting. Range was inside of 25 yds and about 5 yds at one point! The one that the dogs led me to was taken at 5 yds with a .30-06. The others with a .33 WCF.