Author Topic: Pigs Downunder - the runt of the litter "  (Read 685 times)

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Offline BrnoB78

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Pigs Downunder - the runt of the litter "
« on: May 25, 2007, 03:23:14 PM »
“Imagine camping out in the scrub, nature calls about midnight and this little fella   sneaks up behind you and sniffs you on the butt !” (Refer attachment / photo below).

According to an article in the January 2007 issue of Sporting Shooter, this extremely large feral boar was shot on a cattle station in the Pilbara region of Western Australia. The article notes that the giant was first spotted during a helicopter muster on the station. During a subsequent windmill inspection run, the station owner came across the pig and shot it. The scales used to weigh the animal had a maximum capacity of 200 kg (440 lb). However, the station owner estimated that the pig weighed around 220kg (485 lb) dressed. Sporting Shooter estimates the live weight of the boar would have been more than 300kg (660 lb). Although the region where this giant was shot is quite arid, wild pigs in the area are known to grow unusually large.

In Australia, feral pigs are a serious environmental and agricultural pest. Wild pigs destroy the natural habitats of native species, destroy crops and spread noxious weeds. Current wild pig populations originated from domestic pigs that escaped from 19th century European settlements. It is estimated that there are between 13 and 23 million feral pigs spread across large areas of the Australian continent.

Offline Mikey

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Re: Pigs Downunder - the runt of the litter "
« Reply #1 on: June 02, 2007, 01:17:03 AM »
Hmmmm, that many feral pigs would make for an awful lot of pork chops, pork roasts and breakfast sausage.  I would probably be out there knockin' 'em over on a regular basis.  Dang, now I'm hungry again.  Mikey.

Offline Land_Owner

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Re: Pigs Downunder - the runt of the litter "
« Reply #2 on: June 03, 2007, 12:01:09 AM »
This post would get more exposure if it was reposted into the HOG HUNTING forum of Graybeard Outdoors.

Too bad the Australian People and their Government outlawed guns and confiscated / forced the turn in of most of them from law abiding citizens, calling it "amnesty".  I'm sure that law had a substantial positive impact in the feral hog's population increase to the detriment of farmers and sportsmen alike.  Not unlike an explosion of mice when the cats are all destroyed...leaving the snakes to be the beneficiaries.

Sure is a nice "big" hog though.  Bit tough on the chew I'll bet...

Offline sabretip

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Re: Pigs Downunder - the runt of the litter "
« Reply #3 on: August 15, 2007, 11:36:15 AM »
That's a good reason to have the 35 Whelen sighted in at all times............mmmmmm pork chops