I know the subject of wild hogs comes up here from time to time and that they are a problem just about everywhere. I thought I would share some of our experiences here for what it's worth, and any advice from those who have had success battling wild hogs is welcome.

We have been battling them here in the Florida Panhandle for the past 7-8 years. Over the past 4 years we have shot 46 of them and haven't scratched the surface. More than 150 have been shot within 2 miles of my place. Shooting them in ones and twos does nothing but move them off for a while then they come right back.

The damage these hogs do is devastating to crops and forestry interests not to mention what they are doing to other wildlife. We planted 17,000 longleaf pine trees on 31 acres in February and in the past 2 weeks the hogs have destroyed more than half of them. I expect they will get the rest before they are done with us. We have 100 acres to plant but can't do it until these hogs are diminished.

Farmers plant peanuts one day and the same night the hogs are going down the row digging up the seed. The monetary damage done to growing crops is astronomical.

We have built and I am baiting several corral traps in hopes of trapping them in large numbers. My trail cameras are showing at least two sounders with more than 20 members each coming to the bait the past few days. I am being patient to let them get comfortable eating the corn in my traps before we set the traps. It may take a while, but the morning I find them in the traps there will be a reckoning.

The State of Florida Department of Agriculture claims to have declared war on wild hogs and I have had state wildlife biologists out looking at my fields to try to help us develop a solution. There is a hog specific poison bait that has been approved in some states but not yet in Florida. As soon as it is approved in Florida we will be buying it by the truck load. I am afraid it is the only thing that is going to work to eradicate these terrible pests.

It is illegal to transport or release wild hogs in Florida. I am told that a few years ago some morons thought it would be fun to release wild hogs in the area to hunt them. The stories line up with when we first started seeing them. If true I wish whomever released them had them in their back yard.

As time progresses I will post a few photos here to document our progress.

I haven't seen a single solution yet that will stem the tide of these things. They breed too quickly, have few if any nature enemies, and can and will eat anything, so they multiply at a rate faster than they can be culled. From what I've heard, Orlando International Airport and the aviation authority is becoming very concerned about hog populations on nature areas adjacent to the airport getting onto runways. I have no idea how they plan to address that issue.

Texas has been plagued by these things. I believe it is open season all year around. Lots of hunting going on.

https://tpwd.texas.gov/huntwil...nuisance/feral_hogs/

How are they for eating? Any difference from a farm-bred hog?

If you have to shoot them you might as well eat them.

quote:

Originally posted by parabellum:
How are they for eating? Any difference from a farm-bred hog?

If you have to shoot them you might as well eat them.

The meat of the sows and young pigs is excellent. Mature breeding males are usually tainted with musk and we dump them.

They are running wild on my cousin’s property south of Dripping Springs in the Texas Hill country. It is indeed open season all year. Some counties have a bounty on them I’m told.

The young ones are good to eat. My cousin calls them “pan pigs”. The older ones are not.

Last one I shot was 160 lbs. Hated to leave that much meat but am told it would be tough an gamey.

24/7..365 here in NC.

Any pig not in a pen is considered feral.

Yup, Florida is 24/7/365.

Only thing you CAN’T do to them in Florida is move them while they are alive (ie, they don’t want you to trap and relocate them. Trap and eliminate them is encouraged).

Bait them, shoot them, stab them, snare them, bludgeon them, it’s all good down here.

We had some problems here unti the neighboring property hired some professional trappers / hunters and mowed them all down. I’ve only seen one in person and camera in 18 months.

Train them to kill pythons.

When I was a pre-schooler we lived in a travel trailer near Leesville, La. They used to get under our trailer and it would bounce like an earthquake. My father, bless his heart, nearly got killed (kilt down there) squatting down and firing a Beretta Minx at them. .22 short is, shall we say, less than effective.

Maybe other way around?

quote:

Originally posted by rusbro:
Train them to kill pythons.

Not sure if its legal in Fl. but a good amount of tannerite in a bait pile could help.

Here in TX they are a shoot on sight vermin.....great practice with your stalking skills and AR. A buddy had thermals and I use PVS 7s at night, bait them go site at the truck maybe 200m away and wait.....once they start rooting and snorting they are fairly obvious.

Males are tougher so we just cook them longer

quote:

Originally posted by parabellum:
If you have to shoot them you might as well eat them.

Around here they're just plain vermin - factually, economically, legally, socially, whatever - rather than game animals. I'm all for stewardship and ethics but honestly, I'd no more feel guilty about not eating one than I would about not eating something as inedible as a gopher or coyote.

Wild hogs can decimate your property. Between them and coyotes, we are busy eradicating the vermin. We'll butcher the young hogs and donate the meat.

The problem I have seen with those that are overrun with the little bastards is their express desire to make a buck. These folks have put a price on shooting/hunting them instead of allowing others to come in free of charge to help eradicate the nuisance. Can't quite figure that out....

I have a problem, but let me charge you to help me solve it

Happily too cold in MT,Wy etc. so we are free of them.

What is crazy Cali doing to control them. I have read they are having issues as well. I'd be amazed if they had an intelligent policy in place.

quote:

Originally posted by FN in MT:
Happily too cold in MT,Wy etc. so we are free of them.

What is crazy Cali doing to control them. I have read they are having issues as well. I'd be amazed if they had an intelligent policy in place.

Register them to vote.

^^^ That right there is the joke of the week!

quote:

Originally posted by FN in MT:
What is crazy Cali doing to control them. I have read they are having issues as well. I'd be amazed if they had an intelligent policy in place.

We’re blessed to not have them here on the ranch, no bears either (though a neighbor nearly ran over a black bear on his entry road), but they are around in the county. My understanding is that one must have a hunting license and either tags or a depredation permit. I don’t consider that a good policy, I think the policy should be terminate with extreme prejudice however you like, same as ground squirrels, but nobody asked me...