15 replies to this topic

[hassell]

With so many States having so many problems with Feral Hogs, where did they originally come from? Did they come up from Mexico, imported and put on these exotic game farms and escaped or what? Just curious.

[wilded]

People used to raise hogs in the old days on open range. They would notch the ears with their paticular sign and then round them up and catch them with dogs or trap them. Many became mostly wild and some where never caught. As many litters as they have per year and with 8 of every six born surviving it did not take long to have a feral population. Just like wild horses and cattle they were just livestock that got away.

[hassell]

Any pic's or video's that I've seen of them, they have a mean looking tusk that I wouldn't want any part of, must be the breed? They must get air miles for as much traveling they have done!

I know Washington State introduced or reintroduced Turkey's some years ago, and we are now over run by them, they are now in the general hunting season, they were trapped and transplanted to other areas and are included in their open general season also.

[wilded]

It only takes about three generations in the wild for a domestic hog bloodline to revert back to what many call a razorback. The will get long teeth, a long slim head with small hips and grow much more hair. Many look almost like a Russian Boar. Some hunting resorts have brought in European bloodlines which have escaped and bred their genes into the feral population. Here in Central Texas some of our ferals look just like they walked off a hog farm and other will have babies striped like a watermelon similar to European wild hogs. The striping occurs in just pure ferals with no Russsian or European lines after several generations in the wild. However they got here there are plenty to go around.

[wilded]

What gave our population a jump start was back in the 1970's there was a pork crash. Hog farmers could not sell their hogs and feed prices were high. Many went broke and some just walked out and opened the gates to their pens letting the hogs go out on free range as they could no longer buy feed for them. The hogs then bred with what free ranging populations that were already out there and started taking over the State of Texas like a fire out of control.

[Bigdrowdy1]

They have moved in the larger lake areas here around DFW. Lake Lavon is so over run thye had a special drawing this year to allow unlimited hunting and trapping for 160 hunters. Shotguns Bows and Traps were permited with exclusive access to area for 3 months I believe. They were invading homes and nieghborhood areas and distroying peoples yards. They will be like the yote one day able to adapt and exist about anywhere and never be eradicated IMO.

[hassell]

Thanks- good bit of history. Ah yes the Razorback, couldn't remember the name, mean looking sucker, the place I'm on now used to have 400 cherry trees, the neighbor used to raise meat rabbits, got tired of it I guess and released them, they ringed every one, so if the rabbit can do that much damage I can't imagine what hogs can do?

[ebbs]

I think we should change wilded's profile name to wildencyclopedia! That's what he is! I knew that they came from farmers releasing them and breaking free or wandering off, but nowhere near that detailed about how they become wild again and reverted back to their razorback days. Very well said! Got me hungry for some ribs. Good thing we're having pork ribs tonight!

[hassell]

Love to talk about history and how things became what they are today! People like wilded are very important to us, so that we may one day pass a little history on down to our generation and our kids.

People are so into whats going on today and tommorow that they forget about the past and how things came to be!

[wilded]

Thanks for the kind words guys. My grandfathers both believed in passing on outdoor skills but also in telling the history of the land, people and animals. I also had an old professor in my Wildlife Biology and Management classes at Abilene Christian that made you study everything about the habitat and why it is the way it is and what caused it historically. It became a habit to investigate the lands I hunt and trap on and learn as much as I could about the animals that call it home. Sometimes I even get to pass some of it on as we all should to those that will take our place. JMHO ET

[hassell]

Good ol Grandfathers, they ingrained into me some pretty common sense things, about life , the outdoors, and attitudes of others, and to thank the good Lord for every day that we are here.

[hassell]

wilded- I was hoping guys from other states would comment on their feral hog problems, I now know the Texas history, the hogs that are so far from your state must have started out pretty well the same way as the Texas problem? What do you think, sorry for picking your brain so early in the morning.

[wilded]

hassell said:

wilded- I was hoping guys from other states would comment on their feral hog problems, I now know the Texas history, the hogs that are so far from your state must have started out pretty well the same way as the Texas problem? What do you think, sorry for picking your brain so early in the morning.

I know hogs in the South all the way over to Florida have pretty much the same history whether it was the French, Spanish or English settlers that brought them. Hogs in many other states were actually taken there and released on purpose. There was a live market for hogs here in Texas for years and I am sure they were being trucked to other places to be released and hunted. Now that they are established most everywhere they have started to outlaw transporting them or releasing them. A day late and a dollar short or so they say. I am sure your local Wildlife Biologist could give you the history of feral hogs in your area.

I would say all of the European or Russian type Wild boar were brought in and most released illegally for hunting purposes. Some of those released were offspring from Zoo animals. Others were brought in legally and released on Hunting preserves then escaped to breed with the feral populations. You can not keep hogs fenced in a place, sooner or later they will get out. Each locale seems to establish a dominant type of wild hog and colors. Some areas almost all of the hogs are black while in other areas they are multi-colored. I have hunted hogs where they look like domestic hogs and just run wild, while in other areas they all have the long body and head with little hips like the razorback. Every once in a while we kill something that looks like it walked out of the Black Forest in Germany and could eat you for lunch. Whether you like them or hate them I am afraid they are here to stay and are coming to your area soon if you do not already have them. Here in Texas you see hog traps sold at feed stores and even fast stop convenience stores in hog county. The hogs here destroy millions of dollars worth of crops and wildlife every year. It has become a constant battle in many areas to control them.

They not only compete with native wildlife but will also kill and eat young they come across. There is no telling how many turkey and other gamebird nests they destroy. I have seen fields that look like someone dug the whole thing up with shovels and turned over all the ground killing the crops. On one ranch someone had to sit out with a rifle while feeding the cattle in the winter to keep the wild hogs from eating all the cattle feed that was put out. The big ones will walk though fences and are always tearing new holes in them. They will eat newborn kid goats and lambs. They will wallow and muddy water supplies for game and livestock. I have seen a group of wild hogs just stop and devour salt and mineral blocks put out for cattle. Never feel bad about shooting wild hogs or even leaving them for the coyotes and buzzards. They are not natural to the habitat and you are helping all native wildlife everytime you pull the trigger. JMHO

[hassell]

Wow! Thanks again, we don't have feral hogs here, and sure don't want them, have a 3/4 acre market garden and can't imagine them in there rooting it up, have an electric fence around it, the odd deer will get in, but if they get zapped they will graze around it, our game birds here have enough problems trying to survive with yotes, ravens,crows, hawks etc. never mind hogs.

[FLTaxidermist]

We have a ton of hogs here in FL. Almost--if not every--county here has a population of them, though they are much more numerous in the northern part of the state.
They can be extremely destructive to the environment, and even in places where hunters are taking them out year round, it doesn't even look like they've put a dent in the population! We don't really have true "russian" boars here, we mostly have those big black or multicolored feral ones.
I have one mounted on my wall that is bright reddish with black spots, and another in my freezer, jet black colored, which had obviously been caught once before because his ears were notched and marked (and his male parts were cut off). I'll probably be going on another hog hunt come January or Feb. so hopefully I can help take out a few more!

[hassell]

By the sounds of things you may have to switch over to full auto. when you go hunting!