OT -Feral Hogs

[Barcelona Rick]

While I was waiting on Patton 360 to come on last night (History Channel) I watched a show on the Animal Planet. Got to admit it was the first time I had looked at this channel. It was about hogs in Georgia and how they were getting tougher/bigger/meaner. It turned out to be pretty interesting. Showed hunting with dogs, night vision scopes, and heat seeker lights. Then they talked about breeding with some Russian boars....they went to Russia and did some filming there. We are over run with feral hogs in East Texas. It is not uncommon to see them just tearing the ground up. I remember as a kid reading in Boy's Life about Russian boar hunting in Florida. Seemed like a safari to me. Now they have spread across the whole southern half of the country. Gotta a buddy that traps 'em....sells the boars to a game ranch for city fellows to stick an arrow in and worms/feeds the young ones for about 45 days then butchers them. Man they are good smoked. Always thought the Animal Planet was about ASPCA but I guess they have some interesting shows also.

jumbeaux

[Chuck 100 yd]

I saw that too. Very interesting!!

[Pisgah]

I saw a good bit of that show -- very interesting.

I have no doubt that some wild hogs in the south have a trace of Russian blood. In the dim, distant past there were a few private reserves that imported Russians, some of which later escaped and added to the wild population. And, I suppose it is possible that some folks have, in recent years, introduced some Russian boars into local populations.

But at the same time, swine fall into the same category as such critters as dogs in being one of the most genetically-diverse and unstable animals on the planet, a trait common to many domesticated animals -- that's how they were domesticated. Take a fat and sassy domestic hog and turn it loose, and that hog will begin to revert to wild characteristics in a few months, with subsequent generations getting more and more like the original wild edition. In other words, both their physical and behavioral characteristics will become more and more wild boar-like.

[rangerider7]

I have a buddy that traps and sells, but his source faded away. If I had a source near I think I would build a trailer with a trap, bait it, then pull up the pick-up , hook up and take them to the buyer. Getting them from the trap to the pick-up, while keeping them alive, is one hell of a job.

[Tycer]

I'd like to find a place in driving distance that needs some hogs removed.

[SJPrice]

Last time I was in west Texas quail hunting I watched them hunting hogs on the next ranch over. I was able to watch them because they were in a Bell Jet Ranger with the door open and using an M-4 (as in full auto) to track and hit them. Looked like a whole lot of fun, but way past the capacity of my wallet.

[Rusty]

I've seen a few full blooded Russians but most are crossed with a lot of domestic in them now.

The last one I saw was over near the east coast just S. of Melbourne. When I saw him it was from 125 yards and he looked like something had him stirred up. The bristles along his back were standing straight up. By the time I got to where he was he had vanished.

[Mike D.]

I have gone so far as to wipe 'em out using a Browning .50 cal MG mounted on the roll bar of an old International Scout. As far away as you can see 'em, they're fair game. THAT is what I call FUN!

[Bis]

Had several come into my lower pasture last year and just tore it up. A couple of them were in the 250 pound range.

Jumbeaux- where in East Texas are you, we are near Crockett.

[Barcelona Rick]

Bis,

I live in Harrison County in the Marshall area. My son and I have been very lucky not to have a hog problem where we deer hunt. They are all around us and I have seen some pretty good size hogs between Marshall and Hallsville. I know that once they get on a place they are darn hard to get off. Take care.

jumbeaux

[20cows]

They're hell on a net wire fence!

[Travis Morgan]

Last time I was in west Texas quail hunting I watched them hunting hogs on the next ranch over. I was able to watch them because they were in a Bell Jet Ranger with the door open and using an M-4 (as in full auto) to track and hit them. Looked like a whole lot of fun, but way past the capacity of my wallet.

I had an offer to do that in Australia; pigs, donkeys, camels, whatever, no limits! I was scratching off lottery tickets like crazy, for a while!

[Bis]

I have been lucky this year, just a few small pigs that didn't do much damage. My bigest problems have been from the miserable beavers.

[gunslinger598]

Here in S E Oklahoma we have plenty of hogs as well. The seem to stay off my place but are just within a mile or less on neighbors places.

[Travis Morgan]

I have been lucky this year, just a few small pigs that didn't do much damage. My bigest problems have been from the miserable beavers.

Marriage sucks.

[Travis Morgan]

Here in S E Oklahoma we have plenty of hogs as well. The seem to stay off my place but are just within a mile or less on neighbors places.

Let me know if anyone down there wants some hunted off; I grew up ranching (literally) and understand cow country etiquette, and would happily whack the hell out of any coyotes I saw. PLUS, I prefer to hunt horseback, instead of tracking up fields with a pickup and a sissy trailer. (If you have a microwave, you're not really camping!)