OT - Giant feral pig shot on Pilbara Cattle Station

[don Tomás]

I remember seeing the pics a couple of years ago and I think even Snopes shot the story down. Here's a fresh take on the story...
Tom
(Hey, isn't JimT also a pastoralist? )

Giant feral pig shot on Pilbara cattle station(link)


MYSTERY SOLVED: This massive feral pig was shot on a Pilbara cattle station by pastoralist John Anick, pictured.

(Australia; near Newman, 1200km northeast of Perth): THIS giant feral pig was shot on a Pilbara cattle station after it was spotted eating a dead cow.The picture has been circulating on the internet alongside claims the boar was killed at various locations across Australia.

It was written off as a hoax by many, including WA's Department of Environment and Conservation, and sparked much debate when published on website PerthNow.

But The Sunday Times has confirmed that the pig was shot on a Pilbara cattle station near Newman, 1200km northeast of Perth.

Sources close to the family of the man in the photo have confirmed he is Pilbara pastoralist John Anick and the picture was taken on his property three years ago.

The family refused to talk about the giant boar, for fear that illegal pig hunters would flock to the area.

The source said the 220kg beast was eating a cow when it was first seen by workers mustering cattle in a helicopter. Mr Anick saw it again on a trip to check windmills on the property and shot it.

``I can vouch 100 per cent, I don't even have to say 90 per cent, that it (the photo) was taken in the Pilbara and it is who I said it is,'' the source said.

This reader comment was left on the PerthNow report this week: ``Information I have on this photo is that it was shot by John Anick ... During muster a helicopter spotted it and when told John drove out and shot it! Many sausages were made and eaten, so I'm told!''

DEC spokesman Nigel Higgs said the picture was a fake.

``There are some pigs at De Grey River, east of Port Hedland, and some domestic pigs gone wild near Savory Creek, 200km east of Newman, but they are small and pink,'' he said.

Another source working in Perth claimed to have scanned the original photograph into a computer.

Hoax-Slayer.com says an article in the January 2007 edition of Sporting Shooter also states the boar was shot on a cattle station in the Pilbara.

There are estimated to be more than 23million feral pigs roaming the nation, predominantly in New South Wales, Queensland and the Northern Territory.

They prey on native species and destroy habitats.

The DEC has culled hundreds in the state's South-West over the past two years.

[2ndovc]

You beat me to it!

Just read that on CNN.

Bet that was a whole lot of sausage!

Article says 220kg. That thing sure looks like it weighed more than 485 lbs.

Looks like a there's a rifle hanging off his shoulder. Can't tell.

jb

[Blaine]

NICE! I'll bet that's some stinky old meat, though.

[O.S.O.K.]

You beat me to it!

Just read that on CNN.

Bet that was a whole lot of sausage!

Article says 220kg. That thing sure looks like it weighed more than 485 lbs.

Looks like a there's a rifle hanging off his shoulder. Can't tell.

jb

Yeah looks more like 800 pounds. And I don't see any rifle - besides, what would a pig be doing with a rifle?

[kimwcook]

Sure hate to have that thing after me. What minimum size rifle or handgun do you think you'd need? Just kidding. Couldn't help it.

[RIHMFIRE]

I was wondering what happened to rosie odonald

[mescalero1]

[morgan in nm]

I see the rifle but but the pig looks like a big duroc boar thats gotten too big for breeding. It looks exactly like one I seen at an auction in west texas. When it came across the scales, it was 895lbs. Nobody wanted the thing because it would cripple a sow. Still brought $.15 per pound.

[rangerider7]

That is a big pig, even if it is a photo trick,I don't know. We just shoot them in the stomach and let them run to where they want to die. They are pest and we have plenty of pork in the freezer. I killed one today. Not as big as that one, but plenty big. I wouldn't want to clean that one. What a smell!

[O.S.O.K.]

I'm betting he shot it in the ear. That's the best medicine for something like that - especially if your afoot

[gundownunder]

Do I believe it was shot in Australia? Yes,
Do I believe it was shot in WA? Possibly,
But Newman is about 300 miles from the DeGrey river at Hedland, and its 300 miles of dry, rockhard country that gets about 16" of rain in a good year. Its hard country on donkeys and dingoes, let alone a water loving pig.

[mescalero1]

Gundownunder,
Thanks for the info, now this is critical thinking.

[Ysabel Kid]

I was wondering what happened to rosie odonald

RIHMFIRE, you owe me a keyboard!!!

[mescalero1]

I'll pay for the keyboard, that post was worth it!

[Cosmoline]

You really think it got that big as a feral pig?

[Modoc ED]

That is a big pig, even if it is a photo trick,I don't know. We just shoot them in the stomach and let them run to where they want to die. They are pest and we have plenty of pork in the freezer. I killed one today. Not as big as that one, but plenty big. I wouldn't want to clean that one. What a smell!

Pest or not, they deserve a clean kill or at least a relatively quick kill.

It's BS to gut-shoot any animal and leave it to die a slow death.

Just my .02¢

[rangerider7]

Most of the time I'm using a Winchester 86 in 33 WCF. I aim for the back of the shoulder or a little lower. I try to get under the shield. Sometimes I don't hit the target, but with exit wound is so big they don't run over 100 yards. Some don't take a step. I don't want to miss them. They are tearing up our plots and fences. They wreak havoc on the ranch and reproduce like rabbits. I want go into all the things they do, it would take too long. I do the same with coyotes. I have seen them rip newborns from the cow as they are coming out. They fight over them and grab each end and tear them to pieces. Then they go for the rear of the cow while they are weak and take them down. They start at the genitalia and work forward. We lost twins and the cow this way before we could get our gun out of the pick-up and loaded. We heard her bawling but could not locate her in time. That cow would have died a horrible death but we were there and took her out of her misery. Hogs will eat anything. They can be predators or flee-rs. I guess you would call them opportunist.

[jdad]

I can remember about 20 years ago my wife and I were taking a horse ride, on Catalina Island. Our guide was the Chief of the FD. I saw these hill sides "plowed" up and asked what they were going to plant. He said that's what the pigs have done. A few years later CA F&G did a depradation hunt and eliminated the population.

[20cows]

They're hell on net wire fences.

[rangerider7]

The wild hogs we have in Texas will kill and eat young fawns and calves if the opportunity arises. They also eat young quail and turkeys. There is a lot more to learn about feral hogs and what effect they have on the wildlife and environment in which they live (or die).

[Travis Morgan]

The wild hogs we have in Texas will kill and eat young fawns and calves if the opportunity arises. They also eat young quail and turkeys. There is a lot more to learn about feral hogs and what effect they have on the wildlife and environment in which they live (or die).

It'd be more apropos to ask what they won't eat!

[Modoc ED]

The wild hogs we have in Texas will kill and eat young fawns and calves if the opportunity arises. They also eat young quail and turkeys. There is a lot more to learn about feral hogs and what effect they have on the wildlife and environment in which they live (or die).

I know all the negatives to hogs and coyotes. Hogs are harder to control but coyotes can be controlled somewhat by bringing in a group of shooters and having them concentrate on coyotes. That is what several ranchers do here in our area.

Mountain lions have been a problem here in the past but the ranchers started puting llamas in the fields with the cattle and the mountain lion problem was solved. They also found that llamas killed coyotes too. A rancher down the road from me put llamas in with his cattle and hasn't lost one cow or calf to mountain lions or coyotes since.