Author Topic: TEXAS IS STILL LOSING THE WAR ON FERAL HOGS  (Read 1634 times)

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Offline Graybeard

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TEXAS IS STILL LOSING THE WAR ON FERAL HOGS
« on: August 12, 2021, 11:26:28 AM »
https://www.wideopenspaces.com/texas-losing-war-feral-hogs-2/

Posted by John McAdams

Despite years of intense hunting and trapping, Texas is losing the war on feral hogs.
Since Texas Parks and Wildlife first began removing wild boars in 1982, the hog population in the Lone Star State has dramatically increased and there are now more than 10 times as many of these wild animals in the state as there were then. And they are causing some real headaches for farmers and ranchers when they use these hard-working men and women's livelihood as a prime food source. They also cause untold amounts of damage to landscaping, parks, golf courses, and more. Often using their big tusks to tear up the earth.

Unfortunately, the evidence is clear: Texans are losing the war on feral hogs. Full eradication may not be possible. The only thing hunters and wildlife services can do is keep it all in check.

Texas has very permissive regulations regarding hog hunting, and hunters may pursue hogs all year-round with no bag limit. You can go gun or bowhunting for them. You can hunt them over bait, trap them, hunt them at night. Heck, you can even fly around gunning them down from a helicopter. As a result, it is estimated that over three quarters of a million hogs are taken by recreational, commercial, and government hunters and trappers each year in Texas.

Unfortunately, though, it isn't enough.



Hunting for Hogs in Texas

According to Texas A&M studies, most of the feral hog population is made up European wild hogs and European/feral crossbred animals. Although there are some domestic pigs that have gone wild too after being released or escaping. Even though hunters and trappers are killing approximately 30 percent of the hog population in Texas annually, hog numbers are still growing by about 20 percent each year. Biologists and wildlife managers estimate that 70 percent of the hogs in the state will have to be killed each year just to maintain the population and even more must be killed to actually start reducing their numbers.

Yes, you read that right: 7 out of every 10 hogs in the state must be killed just to keep their numbers where they are now. No wonder wildlife biologists are concerned about soaring pig populations. It makes wildlife management that much more difficult.

So why are wild hog populations experiencing such explosive growth in this portion of the United States?

The main reason is that hogs breed almost as quickly as rabbits. They become sexually mature before they are a year old and can produce as many as 2-3 litters of up to 6-8 piglets every year.

Another reason they are difficult to control is because feral pigs are very intelligent and resilient animals.

They quickly respond to hunting and trapping pressure by changing their habits or just leaving the area for greener pastures when things get too hot. Since they are known to roam over extremely long distances in search of food, this makes long term hog control measures difficult and complicated.

War On Feral Hogs


Landowners and biologists have been relatively successful in controlling feral hog populations in small areas. However, these are usually short-term successes that only last until a new hog sounder moves in and the cycle starts over again.

While wild hogs are fun to hunt and provide some very tasty table fare, they also cause all sorts of problems. Their diet normally consists of things like roots, acorns, tubers and other plants, they will eat literally anything they can find or catch. Crops, snakes, insects, ground-nesting birds and even deer fawns aren't safe from a hungry hog. Obviously, that puts quite a strain on a state's natural resources. Especially when these animals have no natural predators.

Wild pigs are a textbook example of an invasive species and are causing significant damage to native wildlife and ecosystems in Texas. In addition to competing directly with deer for food, they damage vegetation that quail and turkey need to thrive. They also are carriers of a number of nasty diseases and there have even been cases of drinking water sources being contaminated by droppings from feral hogs.

So, what can be done about the hog problem in Texas?

Trapping Feral Hogs



The good news is that for all their strengths, hogs aren't invincible. Indeed, just about any rifle capable of taking a whitetail deer will probably also work very well as a hog hunting gun. While they are indeed very intelligent, they aren't geniuses, either, and trapping is a viable option for hog control virtually wherever they live.

Unfortunately, hog hunting and trapping are already going nearly full bore in Texas. Right now, these operations are taking less than half the number of hogs necessary to stop their explosive population growth and it's doubtful this can be achieved by those with trapping and hunting alone.

Poison has been touted as one potential way to turn things around in the American war on feral hogs. However, the use of a feral hog poison on a large scale is a very hotly contested idea.

Among other issues, researchers have really struggled to find a poison that'll quickly and reliably kill hogs without harming other wildlife. For instance, proponents of hog poison experienced a big setback when nearly 200 birds died after consuming sodium nitrite poison intended for hogs during field testing in northern Texas.

One key poison that has gained the approval of the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is Kaput feral hog poison. A key ingredient of this bait uses warfarin, a common rodent control product. Fortunately, the hogs are highly susceptible to warfarin. The company's website says the substance should be safe for deer, turkeys, cattle, and other animals that may accidentally ingest it. They also included a dye in the bait that turns the fat of the animal red to alert a hunter who shoots the animal that it may have been poisoned.

The Texas state government has enacted several measures in recent years to encourage feral swine removal like legalizing hunting hogs from aircraft and hot air balloons. In 2019, Texas Governor Greg Abbot even signed a bill into law that removes the requirement to possess a valid hunting license to take feral hogs on private land in Texas.

That means if you can think of a way to combat the pig problem, the Texas Parks and Wildlife Department are probably fine with it. Want to trap a bunch in a pen and then shoot them? They're fine with that. Want to use night vision to take down a whole herd at night? That's legal, too.

Plenty of other parts of North America have their own issues with wild hogs. California, Florida, South Carolina, North Carolina, and Georgia just to name a few states. However, none have quite reached the point Texas has, at least not yet.

Simply put, there are very permissive regulations for hunting feral swine in Texas. While those measures certainly help to a degree, they probably won't be enough on their own.

Only time will tell what the future holds, though.


Bill aka the Graybeard
President, Graybeard Outdoor Enterprises
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I am not a lawyer and do not give legal advice.

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Offline mcbammer

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Re: TEXAS IS STILL LOSING THE WAR ON FERAL HOGS
« Reply #1 on: August 12, 2021, 11:57:12 AM »
  Alabama is allowing night hunting for hogs starting this year .  None in my area so far , an I hope it stays that way .

Offline orerancher

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Re: TEXAS IS STILL LOSING THE WAR ON FERAL HOGS
« Reply #2 on: August 12, 2021, 12:22:25 PM »
Most of the Hogs in Texas on Private?

Do the Land Owners Let People on to the Land to Kill Hogs?  Or do They Gotta get Paid to let People Hunt?

Offline ironglows

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Re: TEXAS IS STILL LOSING THE WAR ON FERAL HOGS
« Reply #3 on: August 12, 2021, 12:29:46 PM »
.
  It would seem that opening land to free hunting, along with some kind of commercial processing plants, could result  in supplying canned pork to an increasingly hungry world.

  ..And provide Texans with another income source..  Shame to waste such a resource.

    Drop gate trap in Alabama (6 min video)

   https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Rcxow7lBr3Q
"They have the guns and therefore we are for peace and for reformation through the ballot. When we have the guns, then it will be through the bullet"      (Saul Alinsky) ...hero of the left..

Offline Dee

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Re: TEXAS IS STILL LOSING THE WAR ON FERAL HOGS
« Reply #4 on: August 12, 2021, 12:51:50 PM »
Most of the Hogs in Texas on Private?

Do the Land Owners Let People on to the Land to Kill Hogs?  Or do They Gotta get Paid to let People Hunt?

They used to, but disrespectful hunter broke'em of the habit. They drive on planted crops, leave gates open, dump trash, play on planted crops on four wheelers, and shoot anything moving, including horses, cows, goats,  sheep, farmers stock dogs, pets, and even each other.
Also, anyone injured on private property can sue the owner, regardless of who is at fault, and regardless whether they had permission to be there.
And that doesn't include crossing fence lines onto property where hunting isn't allowed.
You may all go to hell, I will go to Texas. Davy Crockett

Offline oldandslow

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Re: TEXAS IS STILL LOSING THE WAR ON FERAL HOGS
« Reply #5 on: August 12, 2021, 12:56:54 PM »
Don't believe for a minute that warfarin is safe for any mammal to consume. Read up on it and how it works.

Offline mcbammer

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Re: TEXAS IS STILL LOSING THE WAR ON FERAL HOGS
« Reply #6 on: August 12, 2021, 01:36:59 PM »
Don't believe for a minute that warfarin is safe for any mammal to consume. Read up on it and how it works.
  That goes for any poison . My neighbor wiped out my entire bluebird population with ant poison .

Offline Dee

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Re: TEXAS IS STILL LOSING THE WAR ON FERAL HOGS
« Reply #7 on: August 12, 2021, 01:43:17 PM »
Yeah, poison is a great idea. Let some family eat a feral hog that a farmer or rancher has posioned. :o

The family survivors will own the farm or ranch, and the poisoner will do life.
You may all go to hell, I will go to Texas. Davy Crockett

Offline orerancher

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Re: TEXAS IS STILL LOSING THE WAR ON FERAL HOGS
« Reply #8 on: August 12, 2021, 01:47:57 PM »
Most of the Hogs in Texas on Private?

Do the Land Owners Let People on to the Land to Kill Hogs?  Or do They Gotta get Paid to let People Hunt?

They used to, but disrespectful hunter broke'em of the habit. They drive on planted crops, leave gates open, dump trash, play on planted crops on four wheelers, and shoot anything moving, including horses, cows, goats,  sheep, farmers stock dogs, pets, and even each other.
Also, anyone injured on private property can sue the owner, regardless of who is at fault, and regardless whether they had permission to be there.
And that doesn't include crossing fence lines onto property where hunting isn't allowed.

Yep just like Everywhere...Few Bad Apples get all the Gates Locked.....

Offline ironglows

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Re: TEXAS IS STILL LOSING THE WAR ON FERAL HOGS
« Reply #9 on: August 12, 2021, 04:51:45 PM »
Most of the Hogs in Texas on Private?

Do the Land Owners Let People on to the Land to Kill Hogs?  Or do They Gotta get Paid to let People Hunt?

They used to, but disrespectful hunter broke'em of the habit. They drive on planted crops, leave gates open, dump trash, play on planted crops on four wheelers, and shoot anything moving, including horses, cows, goats,  sheep, farmers stock dogs, pets, and even each other.
Also, anyone injured on private property can sue the owner, regardless of who is at fault, and regardless whether they had permission to be there.
And that doesn't include crossing fence lines onto property where hunting isn't allowed.

Yep just like Everywhere...Few Bad Apples get all the Gates Locked.....

   Sadly, that is sometimes true.  There would have to be some kind of selection process for those who will be on the property.  Perhaps selected groups, who will be responsible for each other.

    These groups would only be welcome back, providing they respected the property.  It seems that if the Texas legislators recognize the hog population problem, they could redo the laws to protect the land owner from liability.

  If processing were set up, the sportsmen could hunt for free, but the ranch owner would get the pay for the pork.

  A co-op could be set up between or by the farmers/ranchers...and the processing plants.

  I hate to see all that pork go to waste, and the land owners miss out on the cash crop.
"They have the guns and therefore we are for peace and for reformation through the ballot. When we have the guns, then it will be through the bullet"      (Saul Alinsky) ...hero of the left..

Offline Dee

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Re: TEXAS IS STILL LOSING THE WAR ON FERAL HOGS
« Reply #10 on: August 12, 2021, 04:54:37 PM »
A lot of the larger hogs aren't fit to eat.
You may all go to hell, I will go to Texas. Davy Crockett

Offline ironglows

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Re: TEXAS IS STILL LOSING THE WAR ON FERAL HOGS
« Reply #11 on: August 12, 2021, 05:12:37 PM »
.
  Yes, some of those old boars may e a bit rank, but then there could be a dog/cat food division.  Do you think that would work?
"They have the guns and therefore we are for peace and for reformation through the ballot. When we have the guns, then it will be through the bullet"      (Saul Alinsky) ...hero of the left..

Offline Ranger99

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Re: TEXAS IS STILL LOSING THE WAR ON FERAL HOGS
« Reply #12 on: August 12, 2021, 05:30:12 PM »
There's not a polite description of the
way stinky feral hogs smell.

JMHO-  they're a pest worse than rats
I shoot at one if I see one regardless
of what I'm doing if I happen to be armed.
I don't consider whether the shot is an
optimum shot or not as long as it's safe.
The traditional ethical shot don't waste
mindset doesn't work for destructive varmints
like hogs and coyotes and such
You can have nice edible game animals
or a nice vegetable garden or keep your
pets safe and healthy or have your
flock of fowl for eggs or meat, etc.

or you can have cute cuddly varmints

I just got through with a not really
friendly discussion about disposing
of coons that rob and destroy deer
feeders. He doesn't like that I'll
trap possums and coons and
feral cats and nuisance squirrels, and
just toss the carcass out back for
the buzzards or use pieces for
coyote bait 
He wants to trap everything in a
havahart live trap, and drive it a
mile down the county road while
he talks and coocoos to it, then
turns it out only to make it's way
back after a while. He just can't
understand why he can't get rid
of the " thousands " of coons
( probably 3) that wreck his feeders
and eat his expensive deer corn
18 MINUTES.  . . . . . .

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Re: TEXAS IS STILL LOSING THE WAR ON FERAL HOGS
« Reply #13 on: August 13, 2021, 12:01:15 AM »
When you run a hog is any fashion, by helicopter, ATV, dogs, "deer" drive, wound it, etc., and the animal dies slower (by comparison) while it's heart is pumping a Primordial Soup of chemicals (principally adrenaline) through its veins and into its muscles, that meat, when prepared for the table, is going to taste GAMEY.  Smelly meat is generally musk-scent glands not yet removed.  Forget one of those before baking (say a ham) and you WILL smell up the whole house and ruin dinner with inedible meat.

In another life, I enticed them with whole kernel corn and shot them in the neck from a rock steady rest.  They never took another step and fell in their own tracks.  DRT.  They never knew what hit 'em.  No adrenalin rush in that meat, which was always good to eat, even the big-ol' boar hogs.

I cannot say the feral hog population in FL is "equal" to that in TX.  I only know that in 1539 Hernando de Soto came to FL (and Ponce de Leon in 1521).  Some of their European domestic pigs were released (or got away).  Those hogs found a rich, abundant resource, few predators, and their population burgeoned exponentially.

My land was initially overrun by hogs.  The boys and I had a LOT of "trigger time" eliminating and eating many.  I was "allowed" to continue to hunt and kill them ONLY if there was room in the freezer, so I kept quite a few families supplied with meat. 

The State hired trappers to catch and shoot them on the adjacent Public land, which effectively eliminated their prevalence in my woodland "neighborhood" for the foreseeable future - though the hog population, in its own time, will burgeon again. 

Some thoughtless individuals trap, live transport (illegally) from one place to another, and release hogs into "their" woods, believing a new and different species, equating to more game, will improve future trigger time.  Soon and very soon the neighborhood into which those animals are illegally released will realize a new level of destruction they have never observed before.

There is no eradication in sight for the State of FL and there is none for the State of TX.  There is no "End of Line" with hogs - and some are making the problem worse while thinking they are "improving" their hunting conditions.

Offline ironglows

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Re: TEXAS IS STILL LOSING THE WAR ON FERAL HOGS
« Reply #14 on: August 13, 2021, 03:22:57 AM »
.
  "He wants to trap everything in a
havahart live trap, and drive it a
mile down the county road while
he talks and coocoos to it, then
turns it out only to make it's way
back after a while. He just can't
understand why he can't get rid
of the " thousands " of coons
( probably 3) that wreck his feeders
and eat his expensive deer corn"


   ..And he is one that would likely drop off a litter of unwanted pups or cats, on a side road somewhere.
"They have the guns and therefore we are for peace and for reformation through the ballot. When we have the guns, then it will be through the bullet"      (Saul Alinsky) ...hero of the left..

Offline ironglows

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Re: TEXAS IS STILL LOSING THE WAR ON FERAL HOGS
« Reply #15 on: August 13, 2021, 03:30:07 AM »
When you run a hog is any fashion, by helicopter, ATV, dogs, "deer" drive, wound it, etc., and the animal dies slower (by comparison) while it's heart is pumping a Primordial Soup of chemicals (principally adrenaline) through its veins and into its muscles, that meat, when prepared for the table, is going to taste GAMEY.  Smelly meat is generally musk-scent glands not yet removed.  Forget one of those before baking (say a ham) and you WILL smell up the whole house and ruin dinner with inedible meat.

In another life, I enticed them with whole kernel corn and shot them in the neck from a rock steady rest.  They never took another step and fell in their own tracks.  DRT.  They never knew what hit 'em.  No adrenalin rush in that meat, which was always good to eat, even the big-ol' boar hogs.

I cannot say the feral hog population in FL is "equal" to that in TX.  I only know that in 1539 Hernando de Soto came to FL (and Ponce de Leon in 1521).  Some of their European domestic pigs were released (or got away).  Those hogs found a rich, abundant resource, few predators, and their population burgeoned exponentially.

My land was initially overrun by hogs.  The boys and I had a LOT of "trigger time" eliminating and eating many.  I was "allowed" to continue to hunt and kill them ONLY if there was room in the freezer, so I kept quite a few families supplied with meat. 

The State hired trappers to catch and shoot them on the adjacent Public land, which effectively eliminated their prevalence in my woodland "neighborhood" for the foreseeable future - though the hog population, in its own time, will burgeon again. 

Some thoughtless individuals trap, live transport (illegally) from one place to another, and release hogs into "their" woods, believing a new and different species, equating to more game, will improve future trigger time.  Soon and very soon the neighborhood into which those animals are illegally released will realize a new level of destruction they have never observed before.

There is no eradication in sight for the State of FL and there is none for the State of TX.  There is no "End of Line" with hogs - and some are making the problem worse while thinking they are "improving" their hunting conditions.

  How about that drop gate trapping system I posted earlier?  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Rcxow7lBr3Q

  It seems they almost go to sleep, if left for a while, then they could be quickly knocked off with a.22 to the head.
  As you said, the state hired people to go in and kill those hogs.  To me it seems like marketable pork would be a great alternative more spending of taxpayers money.
"They have the guns and therefore we are for peace and for reformation through the ballot. When we have the guns, then it will be through the bullet"      (Saul Alinsky) ...hero of the left..

Offline Dee

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Re: TEXAS IS STILL LOSING THE WAR ON FERAL HOGS
« Reply #16 on: August 13, 2021, 03:49:59 AM »
 ;) I find it humorous that people whom have no concept of a regional issue they have never experienced, or even comprehend the layout of the issue, believe they have the solution.

If the solution was that simple, it would have been instituted DECADES AGO.
You may all go to hell, I will go to Texas. Davy Crockett

Offline Buckskin

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Re: TEXAS IS STILL LOSING THE WAR ON FERAL HOGS
« Reply #17 on: August 13, 2021, 04:32:15 AM »

  How about that drop gate trapping system I posted earlier?  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Rcxow7lBr3Q

  It seems they almost go to sleep, if left for a while, then they could be quickly knocked off with a.22 to the head.
  As you said, the state hired people to go in and kill those hogs.  To me it seems like marketable pork would be a great alternative more spending of taxpayers money.

Yeah, worked good, but took over a month to do and they had an established bait site!  Maybe you don't realize how big Texas is or how many hog traps that would take to even make a dent.  They figure about 3 million hogs in Texas, if they do estimating like the do wolves in Wisconsin you can easily double that. But say 3 for now.

They need to kill an additional 1.2 million to get population to stabilize.  Say they get 40 hogs per set, per month.  That's 480 per trap, per year at best.  That's 2,500 of those traps running non stop and everything working perfectly.  If they can pull that off, they stabilized the population and have to do that every year...  When they stop, population skyrockets in short order.

In 2002 some asshat who owned property in Texas and Wisconsin trailered up a load of hogs from Texas and released them on his farm in Wisconsin.  Of course some panty-waste judge dropped the charges.
Buckskin

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Offline oldandslow

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Re: TEXAS IS STILL LOSING THE WAR ON FERAL HOGS
« Reply #18 on: August 13, 2021, 04:36:22 AM »
I don't know about that. Remember you are dealing with politicians and bureaucrats to do the instituting. Neither has enough common sense to come in out of the rain. NM has always had a coyote problem and they employ control officers while restricting hunting them on state land to only doing so during a valid hunting season the hunter has a license for. This is a perfect example of government taking care of a problem. NM has a lot of state and BLM land. At least the BLM is somewhat smarter than the state and allows coyote hunting year round.

While Texas state government seems to have more brains than NM does it is only in certain areas. I don't know how it would apply to hogs plus there is the issue of mostly private land to deal with.

Offline ironglows

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Re: TEXAS IS STILL LOSING THE WAR ON FERAL HOGS
« Reply #19 on: August 13, 2021, 04:59:47 AM »
.

  " If the solution was that simple, it would have been instituted DECADES AGO.


   "Yeah, worked good, but took over a month to do and they had an established bait site!  Maybe you don't realize how big Texas is or how many hog traps that would take to even make a dent.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
   
    So is the answer, just to quit trying?  ...Or let government sponsored hunters keep pecking away?

   There was a time when some great minds feared that Columbus could not sail around the world without falling  off the edge.

  Some people gathered near Kill Devil Hill , so they could watch those crazy Wright brothers fail.

  Some engineers thought that Rudolph Diesel was chasing a pipe dream, as he tried to build a compression ignited engine.

  Likely, as the above events transpired, many thought that if such were possible, "it would have been done long  before" !
"They have the guns and therefore we are for peace and for reformation through the ballot. When we have the guns, then it will be through the bullet"      (Saul Alinsky) ...hero of the left..

Offline Dee

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Re: TEXAS IS STILL LOSING THE WAR ON FERAL HOGS
« Reply #20 on: August 13, 2021, 05:15:51 AM »
A hog trap works a few times, then it doesn't. Call a coyote in, miss the  shot, and see if he'll come back in to the call. He won't.
Feral hogs are territorial. ANY pressure, and they'll move out.
Farmers and ranchers have paid out millions of dollars, as has the state of Texas trying to solve this years old problem of an invasive species known as feral hogs.

Armchair solutions are as laughable as the elimination of the English sparrow.
You may all go to hell, I will go to Texas. Davy Crockett

Offline Buckskin

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Re: TEXAS IS STILL LOSING THE WAR ON FERAL HOGS
« Reply #21 on: August 13, 2021, 05:20:32 AM »
Definitely should keep up the fight, but you implied a simple solution to a very complicated problem.  Trapping is being done now and hasn't made hardly a dent.    It certainly could be manage, just a matter of how much resources they want to throw at it. Poison, bounty, trapping, tannerite, etc...

https://www.bing.com/videos/search?q=tannerite+hogs&&view=detail&mid=4A9F8B20F45DDAF46BC84A9F8B20F45DDAF46BC8&&FORM=VRDGAR&ru=%2Fvideos%2Fsearch%3Fq%3Dtannerite%2Bhogs%26FORM%3DHDRSC3
Buckskin

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Offline ironglows

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Re: TEXAS IS STILL LOSING THE WAR ON FERAL HOGS
« Reply #22 on: August 13, 2021, 05:37:55 AM »
  Somewhere we didn't connect.  I didn't offer a single solution...I suggested opening up for free hunting, while legislating protection for land owners.

   Dog hunting, where feasible..   Should be able to sell many millions in pig skins to China..who can send them back as footballs .. ;) ;) ;D

  Not to mention the boost in local economy, and jobs in processing, shipping etc. for some small towns .
"They have the guns and therefore we are for peace and for reformation through the ballot. When we have the guns, then it will be through the bullet"      (Saul Alinsky) ...hero of the left..

Offline Buckskin

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Re: TEXAS IS STILL LOSING THE WAR ON FERAL HOGS
« Reply #23 on: August 13, 2021, 06:22:31 AM »
Sorry, I thought you were the guy who posted twice about that drop gate trap being the cat's meow...
Buckskin

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Offline Dee

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Re: TEXAS IS STILL LOSING THE WAR ON FERAL HOGS
« Reply #24 on: August 13, 2021, 06:43:13 AM »
There is nuthin like having a pack of dogs and a hog squared off in the middle of town, or a neighborhood front yard fighting to the death. Yeah, its happened MANY TIMES.
How about the court house lawn in downtown Nacogdoches Texas.
These aren't coons, foxes, or Bobcats. They're 50 to 350 pound hogs that will tackle and kill anything unlucky enough to corner one.
They are wild animals, that carry all kinds of parasites, and diseases. When they reach a certain age, they aren't fit to eat.
They are transient, they move with the weather, they move with the pressure, they move with the food supply.
Building kill, and packing plants is laughable. The idea makes no economic sense.
Farmers are busy farming, and ranchers are busy ranching. They don't have time to supervise bubba with a pack of dogs, or some nimrod with twice the rifle he needs, no livestock sense, and no concept of farm crops.

This problem has been in certain parts of Texas for almost 200 years.
What you don't understand ironglow, is that you don't understand. Go back  and read Ecclesiastes. Your ideas are reruns. ;)
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Offline Ranger99

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Re: TEXAS IS STILL LOSING THE WAR ON FERAL HOGS
« Reply #25 on: August 13, 2021, 11:06:02 AM »
I know of a lot of people that won't
do their diligence to work on the
varmints.
I think I've mentioned the guys that
feel they shouldn't shoot anything
that doesn't go to the freezer

I talked with a similar but different
man today about hunting and hunting
issues, and he's one that's in the
camp of  " I don't want to fire a shot
while I'm deer hunting and spoil my
deer hunting time.  . "
Well,  you can't have it both ways.
You can either work on the problem
in a proactive manner, or continue
to waste expensive deer corn and
sit around camp guzzling beer and
wondering why nobody's seeing
deer and turkeys etc.
18 MINUTES.  . . . . . .

Offline Ranger99

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Re: TEXAS IS STILL LOSING THE WAR ON FERAL HOGS
« Reply #26 on: August 13, 2021, 11:10:29 AM »
FWIW  many of the East Texas wild
hogs are descendants of hogs
from LaSalle in the late 1600's how
ever long ago that's been
They've had a pretty decent head start
18 MINUTES.  . . . . . .

Offline DDZ

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Re: TEXAS IS STILL LOSING THE WAR ON FERAL HOGS
« Reply #27 on: August 13, 2021, 11:57:25 AM »
So how are the wild hogs to eat? I have never tried wild hog. Is their any similarity in taste to domesticated hogs. 
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Offline Graybeard

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Re: TEXAS IS STILL LOSING THE WAR ON FERAL HOGS
« Reply #28 on: August 13, 2021, 12:07:04 PM »
So how are the wild hogs to eat? I have never tried wild hog. Is their any similarity in taste to domesticated hogs.

Other than wild ones are generally a bit more lean, no not really.

I've eaten all of them I've killed but would guess they topped out around 200 pounds or so. I seem to recall we put one on a scale out in Texas long ago when I shot the Grey Ghost Whumpus Hog one night. Best I recall he was around 180 but I cannot recall if that was before or after we gutted him. After I think but am not positive. Was a long time ago.

That's the only one I've killed and was able to put on a scale.


Bill aka the Graybeard
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I am not a lawyer and do not give legal advice.

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Offline billy_56081

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Re: TEXAS IS STILL LOSING THE WAR ON FERAL HOGS
« Reply #29 on: August 13, 2021, 12:41:51 PM »

  How about that drop gate trapping system I posted earlier?  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Rcxow7lBr3Q

  It seems they almost go to sleep, if left for a while, then they could be quickly knocked off with a.22 to the head.
  As you said, the state hired people to go in and kill those hogs.  To me it seems like marketable pork would be a great alternative more spending of taxpayers money.

Yeah, worked good, but took over a month to do and they had an established bait site!  Maybe you don't realize how big Texas is or how many hog traps that would take to even make a dent.  They figure about 3 million hogs in Texas, if they do estimating like the do wolves in Wisconsin you can easily double that. But say 3 for now.

They need to kill an additional 1.2 million to get population to stabilize.  Say they get 40 hogs per set, per month.  That's 480 per trap, per year at best.  That's 2,500 of those traps running non stop and everything working perfectly.  If they can pull that off, they stabilized the population and have to do that every year...  When they stop, population skyrockets in short order.

In 2002 some asshat who owned property in Texas and Wisconsin trailered up a load of hogs from Texas and released them on his farm in Wisconsin.  Of course some panty-waste judge dropped the charges.

I remember seeing a dead feral hog along I90 by Lacrosse many years ago.
99% of all Lawyers give the other 1% a bad name. What I find hilarious about this is they are such an arrogant bunch, that they all think they are in the 1%.