The History Channel - Monster Quest- Hogs !!

[CyberSniper]

On May 28th, the History Channel will start the new season with a show on wild hogs.
This was filmed mostly in Texas as far as I know.

[gstewart44]

I saw the show last night and really enjoyed it.   I have been hog hunting in Florida for over 25 years now and the show brought to light something I have seen ........most of the really big ones I have encountered are from the domestic gene pool and gone feral.    I have caught two hogs that were mostly European/Russian extract and they looked far different with longer snouts, narrower skulls, smalller rear hams, and nastier dispositions.   The meat is different as well.   Next time they show this one on THC I am going to record it.   

[billy_56081]

What an awesome show, I loved the hog cam.

[STUMPJMPR]

I missed it but thinking about buying the dvd

[lrs]

I enjoyed the show.
I did not agree with the "scientist" on everything, but he did make some good points.
There were some generalities presented which to me might be inaccurate.
Measuring the length of the snout, might have some validity in determining domestic vs european lineage. But it does not show if a hog was pen raised, or born in the wild.
He also stated that large hogs can only come from a farm, b/c the quality of food available in the wild is too poor to produce a large hog.  That can be the case, but not always.  Wild hogs often have access to sources of rich food, such as farms, deer feeders, etc.  I dismiss the notion that a wild hog can not achieve large proportions.
Same argument applies to the front teeth, which are spread in the front on domestic hogs, but are close together in wild hogs. 
Tight teeth in the front would certainly indicate a wild hog.  Spread front teeth could conceivably go either way.  If a hog is born into an area with a rich food supply, I would think a hog could have the spread front teeth. 
Speaking of teeth, there were 2 skulls of large hogs which were presented, which were killed in the wild.  I believe he declared these were farm raised b/c of the spread front teeth.  However the insiscors, or "tusks" were very long and pronounced on both skulls. 
I once worked on a hog farm at a University.  We were taught to cut these teeth soon after birth, I believe we called it "farrowing" or something to that effect.  I don't know if it is standard practice with farmers to cut their teeth all across America, but we sure did it.
I am guessing a little here, but if a hog has large tusks, he was probably not born on a farm.
I did enjoy the show, wild hogs are fascinating to me.  I have seen 4 large hogs in my life.  Two were estimated around 400lbs, another weighed in at 600lbs.  These 3 were all shot and killed.  My step father and myself saw a HUGE hog in October 2006.  I would put him in the 750 range.  He was in pretty thick stuff, and I could not get a shot at him.  Damn he was big, and scary.

[45454]

I enjoyed the show.
I did not agree with the "scientist" on everything, but he did make some good points.
There were some generalities presented which to me might be inaccurate.
Measuring the length of the snout, might have some validity in determining domestic vs european lineage. But it does not show if a hog was pen raised, or born in the wild.
He also stated that large hogs can only come from a farm, b/c the quality of food available in the wild is too poor to produce a large hog.  That can be the case, but not always.  Wild hogs often have access to sources of rich food, such as farms, deer feeders, etc.  I dismiss the notion that a wild hog can not achieve large proportions.
Same argument applies to the front teeth, which are spread in the front on domestic hogs, but are close together in wild hogs. 
Tight teeth in the front would certainly indicate a wild hog.  Spread front teeth could conceivably go either way.  If a hog is born into an area with a rich food supply, I would think a hog could have the spread front teeth. 
Speaking of teeth, there were 2 skulls of large hogs which were presented, which were killed in the wild.  I believe he declared these were farm raised b/c of the spread front teeth.  However the insiscors, or "tusks" were very long and pronounced on both skulls. 
I once worked on a hog farm at a University.  We were taught to cut these teeth soon after birth, I believe we called it "farrowing" or something to that effect.  I don't know if it is standard practice with farmers to cut their teeth all across America, but we sure did it.
I am guessing a little here, but if a hog has large tusks, he was probably not born on a farm.
I did enjoy the show, wild hogs are fascinating to me.  I have seen 4 large hogs in my life.  Two were estimated around 400lbs, another weighed in at 600lbs.  These 3 were all shot and killed.  My step father and myself saw a HUGE hog in October 2006.  I would put him in the 750 range.  He was in pretty thick stuff, and I could not get a shot at him.  Damn he was big, and scary.

Hi 
I think you have brought up some good points.
Watching the show now,for the 3rd time.
You have a good day.

[jmayton]

I gotta get me one of them hog-cams!

[alsaqr]

I don't know if it is standard practice with farmers to cut their teeth all across America, but we sure did it.

Good post. 

A domestic hog that goes wild in the woods will undergo a change.  His tail will go straight, his butt will become more narrow, the shoulders may get wider and his tusks may grow out.   

Watched that show a couple of times.  The hog that supposedly weighed 750 pounds was not colored right for a European or Russian boar.  The skull from that hog was one of the ones examined.  Personally think that the hog expert called that one right.   

We kill a lot of wild hogs in south western OK.   Most of the hogs here are European boars..  100 pairs were bought from Germany by a rich Okie and turned out all over SW OK.   2007 was a very rainy year here and there was a bumper crop of acorns and pecans.   The hogs in the oak and pecan woods are rolling fat:  The hogs that have been feeding on wheat are not quite so fat.  Get away from the wheat fields and the oak and pecan woods;  the hogs are lean.   Biggest hog I have killed to date weighed 352 pounds field dressed:  Next biggest one weighed just over 300 pounds field dressed.   There are hogs in this area that are much bigger.  Some of them look like black steers.   A European boar was killed last winter that went about 500 pounds on the hoof.  He had been eating corn under a big feeder.   
     
Killed two red hogs in May.  One of them was broadside to me with the hair on his back standing up several inches.   He was having a grunting contest with an unseen boar.   Beautiful sight.
 

Will make it a practice to look at the teeth of every one I shoot. 

[Graybeard]

I recorded it on my DVR while I was out in OK shooting prairie dogs. We watched it tonight. Until then I didn't know by buddy Kevin of www.texasboars.com was a famous movie star. He and Tim were one half of the show and no one got a big one on film or by gun.

I'm of the opinion that most all those over 400 pound hogs and many of the over 300 pound ones were pen raised most of their lives and the only thing wild or feral about them is the short time they spend prior to being shot after they are released.

[alsaqr]

I'm of the opinion that most all those over 400 pound hogs and many of the over 300 pound ones were pen raised most of their lives and the only thing wild or feral about them is the short time they spend prior to being shot after they are released.

Exactly.  Know a guy who traps hogs for a high wire hunting ranch.  The "ranch" owner pays up to $500 for big wild hogs. The trapper delivers the hogs to the fattening pen.  A few days before the hunters show up the hogs are turned loose.  At that place hunters pay by the pound for hogs killed. 

Both the big hogs that I killed had mixed blood or were big tame hogs gone wild.   The colors were not right and the big one had a turned up short nose. 

Here is the picture of a very old European boar that I killed last year.  His bottom tusks had been broken off for a long time.

[lrs]

I recorded it also.  I need to go back and watch it quick as I get a chance.  I remember the guy at the end, wearing the cowboy hat, giving his guestimate for the the huge hog @ 750 lbs.   
Is that Tim?

[rex6666]

alsaqr
where are you in s.w. OK. i was raised in Davidson,OK. Killed my first hog there in 1969.

[Graybeard]

I recorded it also.  I need to go back and watch it quick as I get a chance.  I remember the guy at the end, wearing the cowboy hat, giving his guestimate for the the huge hog @ 750 lbs.   
Is that Tim?

No that was the other team as I recall. I thought it kinda funny how that guy came up with the 750 pound weight with a scale that maxed out at 300 what a joke. The biologist sure didn't agree it was a 750 pound hog and neither do I.

Kevin and Tim are the two guys riding in Kevin's GMC 4x4 pickup. They set up trail cameras well in advance of the filming. It showed the shooting lights Kevin makes and sells now and the scent he put out. I'm pretty sure Tim is another fellow we met when we were at the Reed Ranch for the two Big Hog Outings held there several years back. At least both me and Faye agree he sure looks familiar to us and I'm sure we've met him as well. Kevin and I have been corresponding since before he or I either one had websites I think. We've visited with him a couple times.

[lrs]

I gotta go watch it again. 
They went through quite a bit of material in a short amount of time. 

[alsaqr]

alsaqr
where are you in s.w. OK. i was raised in Davidson,OK. Killed my first hog there in 1969.

We live between Lawton and Cache.  There were few to no hogs in this area in the late 70s when I was stationed at Ft. Sill.   Saw a few tracks but no hogs in the late 80s to mid 90s.  Did not start hog hunting until 1999.   

Sometimes we hunt hogs along the Red River not far from Davidson.  There are hogs all over that area.  Same for the Deep Red. 
The European boars were turned loose by a rich car dealer from OK City.