Over the last several days I have seen pig groups of a scale I have never seen or heard of before. I saw a wall of pig that consisted of at least 50 and have encountered other large groups over the last three nights I have shot a few but holy cow....will they ever be put in check??
the pig apocolypse is drawing near.
- Thread starter rickyrick
- Start date
BombthePeasants
New member
uhh, where in the "USA" are you located? I see no pigs outside our window, but then again we live in a large town north of Dallas. I guess we're safe...FOR NOW.
They are awful beasts! Kill every one on sight, they tear up crops and property in general. If you live in an area of the U.S.n't have them, you will. There is no way to completely get rid of them, they breed too fast. All you can do is shoot and trap all you can to try to keep them under some kind of control.
Double Naught Spy
New member
Texas has the highest feral hog population in the country with approximately half or more than the 4 million present in the US. Dryer areas have historically not been to the hog's liking, but they are now well into the driest of areas so long as they have consistent supplies of water. In short, there are just about everywhere in Texas now. Folks in New Mexico are feeling the problem as well.
Will they ever be put into check? So far, no state program has met with any success in being able to say that they have ceased hog population increases in their state and none have a program that has been found to be effective on a wide scale basis that would be needed to actually limit the population.
Depending on the researcher making the estimates, the hog population has the potential to match the projected human population by 2050 or 2060. In short, you can't shoot enough of them.
While there are no limits and they aren't native, land owners are not quick to let armed strangers onto their property to shoot hogs. It is a bad idea from a personal safety standpoint and a bad idea from a liability standpoint. Think about it. Would you give armed strangers the run of your property? What happens when they accidently shoot someone in your family or a neighbor? They can sign a wavier that they won't sue you if they get injured, but that doesn't protect you if they shoot somebody not associated with their hunting group. You can be held liable for allowing the activity, maybe only fractionally so, but is it worth the risk?
Hogs do damage, about $25 per head per year in Texas and that number is increasing. A lot are killed early in life and don't do much damage, but some of the older hogs may accumulate thousands of dollars of damage over the course of their lives. So the landowner needs to consider the costs of the hogs relative to the costs if something goes wrong. It can be a tough decision.
Hog Buster
New member
Went looking for pigs late this afternoon. Doesn’t look like an apocalypse here. Our count is way, way down compared to the last few years. All I saw was Hoover Hogs.... You should see what a 45/70 does to them Texas transients.
eviltravis
New member
I'm in Montana. The wolves they introduced up here have done a number on our elk population. I don't suppose you folks in texas would want a few grey wolves would you? Take all ya want. I'm not sure if they would put a dent in your pig problem, but few here would miss them.
rickyrick
Ran into a government trapper here in NM a week ago.He told me his secret for ridding hogs off people's land. He traps a sow and puts a radio collar on her. He releases her and gives her a day or two to rejoin her family. Then he comes after them knowing there exact location and cleans them out. Of course he has a plain at his disposal, but just knowing there where about after they run for the hills is half the battle! He stated that he has killed herds of hogs where they number in the 60s.
Ran into a government trapper here in NM a week ago.He told me his secret for ridding hogs off people's land. He traps a sow and puts a radio collar on her. He releases her and gives her a day or two to rejoin her family. Then he comes after them knowing there exact location and cleans them out. Of course he has a plain at his disposal, but just knowing there where about after they run for the hills is half the battle! He stated that he has killed herds of hogs where they number in the 60s.
themusgrat
New member
My dad said a week or so ago a farmer paid for a few guys to go up in a helicopter with some rifles, and they had like 150 confirmed hog kills in 1 day, this is central Texas. On our 800 acres, we hunt pigs very vigorously, and the ones that survive are very careful and don't present much of a shot, if one at all, ever, but once in a while pigs will come from surrounding areas and we'll get some. So not a big problem right where we are, but I've heard of pretty big groups. Right now is the best time of the month to get them, since the moon is pretty much full and comes out early, I'll be out the next few nights looking around.
Lloyd Smale
Moderator
was down in tx a few years back and knocked on some doors. All but one place wanted us to pay money to shoot them. Its the same way up here. Farmers complain that deer are eating there crops but wont let the public shoot them unless the pay for the privilage. Some get crop damage permits from the dnr and then try selling them. Heck i know of one guy that raises crops to sell for deer feed and then gets permits from the dnr that he sells because the deer are eating his deer feed! Im sure its not that way for every rancher in tx but i dont feel a bit sorry for someone who has the problem and isnt doing his part to stop the problem.
reloader28
New member
I agree with Lloyd. I've seen 2 or 3 ranchers around here wine and complane about the big number of deer. Then they hunt and take other hunters onto someone elses property or public ground. They wont even hunt their own property. That pretty much gets me blood boiling.
At least the game warden knows what is going on and these people get NO gov check.
Me and a couple buddies would gladly come down for a week or 2 and give you a hand getting rid of some. We aint paying someone so we can hunt. But, we will come help you get rid of the vermin.
At least the game warden knows what is going on and these people get NO gov check.
Me and a couple buddies would gladly come down for a week or 2 and give you a hand getting rid of some. We aint paying someone so we can hunt. But, we will come help you get rid of the vermin.
Job advertisements...
... some of my friends were recently looking at an ad for jobs in Texas, basically flying helicopters around, hunting hogs. They are hiring helicopter pilots; not sure if they are hiring shooters, or if those will be provided by a state agency.
Another friend was treed (or telephone poled, more accurately) by a herd(?) of hogs last year in Texas. Saw a few young hogs, thought it would be funny to oink at them, then decided it wasn't funny when the 25 or 30 more he hadn't seen all came around the bend, running for him.
He might just apply for that helo job....
... some of my friends were recently looking at an ad for jobs in Texas, basically flying helicopters around, hunting hogs. They are hiring helicopter pilots; not sure if they are hiring shooters, or if those will be provided by a state agency.
Another friend was treed (or telephone poled, more accurately) by a herd(?) of hogs last year in Texas. Saw a few young hogs, thought it would be funny to oink at them, then decided it wasn't funny when the 25 or 30 more he hadn't seen all came around the bend, running for him.
He might just apply for that helo job....