Feral Pigs!

[NumaJohn]

Hello, all.

FYI, here's some disturbing news about feral pigs in the U.S. and Canada: https://www.nytimes.com/2019/12/16/science/feral-pigs-canada-texas.html.

If there's already a thread on this topic, my apologies for the duplication.

John

[pianoman9701]

There are a couple of inaccuracies and some questionable information, but overall, this is a big problem nationwide. I wasn't aware of the problem on our northern border. Build The Wall! Hogzilla was raised and wasn't a feral hog. I'd find it hard to believe that anyone is planting pigs in the wild to increase hunting opportunity, although some people are really stupid. It just seems unlikely. The Canada part of this report is tough to take. We should definitely be addressing that with their government if we aren't already.

[Rob]

There are a couple of inaccuracies and some questionable information, but overall, this is a big problem nationwide.

Questionable info from the NYT?  Get out!

[Stein]

Texas plants feral pigs all the time for hunting opportunity, I wouldn't be surprised if other places did it as well.

[WAcoyotehunter]

Texas plants feral pigs all the time for hunting opportunity, I wouldn't be surprised if other places did it as well.

The state of Texas?  I highly doubt they plant pigs, the landowners would go wild if that was true, they hate pigs down there

[Stein]

They may hate pigs, but they love trophy hunters and the money they bring.  There are many well known guys that trap pigs and then re-sell the big ones to hunting properties and send the small ones to a butcher.  I don't know the numbers, but if you see a property that is consistently kicking out huge monsters week after week, one might wonder how that could go on forever.

It's a well known secret, TX will never not have a pig "problem."  Way too much money in it.

[dontgetcrabs]

Texas plants feral pigs all the time for hunting opportunity, I wouldn't be surprised if other places did it as well.

BS

[ipkus]

Texas plants feral pigs all the time for hunting opportunity, I wouldn't be surprised if other places did it as well.

The State of Texas has nothing to do with planting feral pigs.  Are some landowners trapping and swapping?  Maybe.  But the State is not involved. 

[bornhunter]

We should ship Texas some wolves and cougars!

[Stein]

The state isn't moving pigs, Texans are, every day.  There are countless people that will bring you however many live pigs you have customers for.

On the other hand, we can simply believe that a small to modest ranch can produce a dozen pigs a week over 200# indefinitely from natural reproduction.  It's a different ball game down there from WA.

They make a big mess, but they also bring a ton of money.  We could eradicate them, but it will never happen. 

[ne kid]

My nephew lives in Austin my cousins live all around the Houston area they move pigs to the ranches the state is not involved they are wiping out many native species you don't even need a hunting license anymore, I've been down there twice the game warden we talked to last time sure encouraged shooting as many as possible.

[dontgetcrabs]

Texas, much like WA, has strict laws on transporting feral hogs.

[Birdguy]

Texas, much like WA, has strict laws on transporting feral hogs.

Lots of laws about a lot of things all over. Enforcement is the key!

[Stein]

Texas, much like WA, has strict laws on transporting feral hogs.

Sure they do.  WA has strict laws about a bunch of things that happen in Seattle.  You can't camp in the streets, you can't go #2 on the sidewalk, you can't punch a Bartell Drugs employee in the face, you can't shoplift, and car tabs are only $30.

If you think Texas wants to get rid of pigs then we are of a different understanding of the situation.

[Okanagan]

They may hate pigs, but they love trophy hunters and the money they bring.
…

... TX will never not have a pig "problem."  Way too much money in it.

^^ This^^

Let's see... ranchers hate pigs and want to eradicate them.  So they limit the number of hunters and charge them a hefty fee to shoot pigs one at a time.

In a quick random google of three Texas hog hunting sites, they each bemoaned the damage hogs are doing and begged hunters to come help eradicate them – so hurry to reserve a limited booking.  Costs ranged from a discount $250 for one evening in a hog stand to a starting price of $2000 for two days, and I did not check the cost of a helicopter hunt.  Hunting ranches add on fees for almost everything though the discount place lets the hunter shoot two hogs before adding fees for each pig killed after two. 

Yep, those ranchers are longing for the day when there is not a single pig left to charge hunters to hunt.