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Subscribe to RSSFeral pigs are now affecting the ecosystem, agriculture and human health. Steven Luke of NBC station KNSD of San Diego reports.
An Oklahoma woman was recovering Wednesday from injuries she suffered when the pickup truck she was riding in struck a pack of feral hogs in the road this week — again raising the danger posed by the nation's rapidly growing population of wild pigs.
Carolyn Martin, 63, of Ryan, Okla., was upgraded to serious condition at Oklahoma University Medical Center after initially having been listed as critical, NBC station KFDX of Wichita Falls, Texas, reported.
The state Highway Patrol said the accident occurred Monday night when the driver of the truck swerved to avoid the hogs, who were meandering along U.S. 81 in Waurika, near the Texas border.
Martin's injuries weren't specified. The truck's driver was treated and released from a Waurika hospital.
Feral hogs — which are descended from domestic pigs that once escaped or were set loose in the wild for hunting — have become an increasing concern in Oklahoma and other parts of the southwestern United States.
The Oklahoma Agriculture Department has declared them an "invasive species" whose population density is growing in 77 counties.
"Feral swine have proven their ability to adapt and multiply, and it is unlikely they will ever be eradicated," it says.
Because hogs are among the most intelligent animal species, wild hogs "learn to avoid danger very quickly" and "attempts to control them just make them less susceptible to future control efforts," according to the Texas A&M University Extension Service.
The extension service cited estimates that feral swine cause as much as $1.5 billion in damage to property and crops in the U.S. each year.
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Sounds like a good idea for the Middle East. Bring the troops home a ship over a million hogs.
Great idea......! Love it.....
AMEN to that Stone, or would you say holy ma lickum. Plus good eatin', as mentioned.
To add some motivation for the hunt, put lipstick on them and call them Hillarys. I'm just sayin'
Names we could use as in Abdul El Bacon, Hogiam, Hamadam a din dong, Ueat a piga,
Any country can be defeated in war without bombs & bullets; just smuggle feral hogs & rabbits into the country & wait. No profit to be made there, so it won't happen.
Having been deployed to the middle east (Iraq) several times as an attack helicopter pilot. Trust me they have they have their own feral hog problem. Not sure where they came from. However i still like Stonepipe2's idea.
Have open season on 'em.
...nothing tastes better then some ham, ribs, chops & pork shoulder!
I live in Alabama where we have a serious problem with them. I still have family living in Washington St. who now tell me they have problems with them. This has become a national problem.
The problem is that everyone wants to make a buck out of this problem. Private land owners even though they admit they have a problem want to charge you up the kazoo to hunt them. State & Federal lands have restricted hunting seasons. Bankhead National Forest is tore up with them. Our deer populous is suffering due to the increased competition for food. Hunting feral hogs is open year around but the ability of hunters is restricted by seasons on public lands, & the outrageous fees required by the private property owners that think we hunters should pay them for all of their crop damage & then leave them a profit for their services.
vet, that's called capitalism
There was a bounty on wild pigs in Hawaii for a while because they are so destructive to the native flora there. They should do the same in OK and the other states that have a problem with a feral species.
Vet: Private property owners should be able to restrict hunting on their property in any way they see fit. Feral hogs are a problem, but don't use that problem to try to get laws passed that people can hunt on private property without permission. A lot of people are against hunting, and a lot of people don't want to walk outside in all seasons and worry about getting shot in their backyard by people who don't even know how to handle guns and shoot at anything that moves. Coming from a state that encourages people from cities to come in and bring weapons without knowing a thing about safety or good sportsmanship, I fear people with guns in the woods. Open season on one animal species is a bad thing because poachers can use it as an excuse for why they are carrying guns in the woods at night or why they are trespassing. I'd rather have feral hogs than some of the people that call themselves hunters that I have come across. There's a big difference in my mind between a hunter and a killer.
"released into the wild for hunting"? What kind of MORON.........
Been open season for years on them genius, come on down and slaughter some.
If Oklahoma will allow night hunting of wild hogs using spot light, they will extinct in a few years.
What is not mentioned in the article is how deadly these hogs are. They will kill you.
Even domestic hogs will kill and eat you if you fall into their pens and it's feeding time. Hunting wild hogs is a dangerous sport. But if you want to go for it, both Alabama and Louisiana have bred dogs specifically for that purpose, and I suggest you obtain one. It will save your life.
The dogs are the American Bull Dog and the Catahoula (sp.) Cur.
Hogs are extremely protective of each other even more so of their young. When threatened they have no qualms about turning on the threat. But its just not one, if one turns one you they all (adult) will.
Not that big a threat they are easily shot from trees.
Just don't get down from the tree until you've killed them ALL. They WILL kill you!
And hogs will eat all of you except teeth, I raised 3 pigs 1 year for the freezer and learned that it is better left to the pros, them things got out one day and ruined my front yard with all the rooting they did, a lesson well learned
All you have to do to drive any species to extinction, whether invasive or not, is to make it economically attractive to some part of society. If we could kill all the passenger pigeons off we can surely take care of pigs in Oklahoma and boas in Florida.
For those who love pork, it's already economically attractive. But like dandelions, we will probably never eradicate this introduced and destructive species in the wild lands.
Feral hogs are not just a problem in the Texas, Oklahoma and the South but places in the West also. Oregon has trouble with them and it is open season on them year around but they still cannot get rid of them.
Far north as Wis.
These pigs are smart.....and procreate abundantly.....! This is hilarious......
Help - help...! We're running from........pigs.....!
What'll we do......?!
LCG
You obviously have not done any research nor have you experienced the damage they can cause and the extreme difficulty in eradication.
Your post proves it.
Just like letting that Harmless Snake go in the Everglades when one no longer wants the responsibility for it. Just letting one go cant do any harm now can it? Its just a snake. Its that attitude and yours that creates the problem.
LCG your ignorance is showing. These hogs are a plague in this country, destroying crops and farmland and they're mean as Hell.
Why don't you come on down to Texas and join in a hunt.
Good post roc. Pythons and Boas are now ruling the Everglades.
Hogs can get very nasty. It is not like shooting rabbit. Like the coyote, they will soon spread to all of the lower 48 States and become a problem.
Open season in Arkansas too.
And Missouri.
And Hawaii...
And Texas and Florida....
virtually anywhere they exist
i dont think they are a problem in idaho yet, but if they are in washington and oregon its only a matter of time i guess. when that day comes im sure most if not all of the hunters in my family will be happy to help and we all love pork.
Have to admit, when I saw 'feral hogs', my first thought was our DC politicians.
my thoughts were all politicians from the city right up to ovomit!
Me, too.....mostly our congressional fear-mongerers - and lawyers.
"...the nation's rapidly growing population of wild pigs........"
Very funny.....!
Then, I assumed the "pigs" were the Steubenville - and Connecticut - rapists......the teenage boys who sexually abused the teen girls......until I realized they were talking about real animals. Oh, WAIT....
Those boys actually WERE the "real animals."
LCG
Put your head back in the sand.
how do they taste compared to farm pigs? SERIOUSLY , id love free pork. fire up the smoke house n do buncha canadian bacon n hams n bacon n picnics
Like pork but less commercial, more natural. I know a few hunters who bag these monsters and have a feast afterward.
But feral hogs are sometimes pretty dangerous I've been told.
Not dead they're not
If they are over about 250 pounds you can't get the gamey taste (or smell) out of the meat. The smaller hogs from about 80 pounds up to 150 pounds are fairly tasty if cooked right.
The plague of feral hogs is one argument against gun magazine limits, along with other varmints that often work in packs. (or herds, or whatever you call a bunch of pigs..)
Take a hint from the chinese and dump'em all in the river.. js
If the traps won't control the number needed to be destroyed then give pig hunters free hunting licences and allow high number of kills. Let them keep a percentage of their kills and use the rest to feed the poor.
Most states already have unlimited hunting of feral hogs-they are all over SE Ohio-and in a few other parts of the state,been open season,year-round on them for years-in maybe 5 more years-they will be in every state-
As someone else stated-it will take legal night hunting in all states,not just some,and many more people hunting them to get rid of them-even then-best that will happen is the numbers get temporarily reduced-sows can have 3-4 litters per year-up to 12-15 piglets per litter-won't take long for them to re-populate.
Yes and they are very intelligent and hunt in packs so they are very dangerous to hunt. I agree night hunting needs to be open and the use of night gear scopes as well as silencers need to be allowed without making pig hunters pay huge fees to be able to use these technologies. Our fearless leaders would be scared if too many people were using silencers..LOL
I don't know about now but in England you could buy a "silencer" over the counter. They wanted people to use them because the loud gun reports from people hunting were disturbing too many people. They call them "moderators" over there.
Real good idea, great way to feed people
If we don't get these things under control, they will be responsible for poisoning the food supply of this nation. They destroy crops and spread disease. Open season on wild hogs!
This is all a bunch of media hype. There's no place where you can go and hunt them without being charged out the waahoo.
Private landowners are out to make a big buck and state and federal lands are off limits to hunters. Even if you are a landowner you have to buy a tag - $5 and if you're an out of state hunter you have to buy an out of state license $150 (Tennessee and Texas that I know of for sure).
So if they're really the nuisance that we're being led to believe they are, why can't we go onto state and federal lands and hunt them? Why do the farmers and ranchers want so much ($300 per person in Texas) to eradicate them?
East Fork Stables in Tennessee PROTECTS their wild pig population. The pigs have 12,000 acres of free range and food plots are planted for them.......sounds like what you'd do for an endangered species.
Feral hogs can be hunted on state hunting lands in Ohio-free of charge-our DNR doesn't want them here-considers them an invasive species-no closed season,no bag limit.
Not sure what non-resident hunting license is-but all states require a hunting license-at least Ohio doesn't make landowners buy tags-for any species.
Forever - that's what they do to thin the deer herds. Make sense to me
Chicago is running wild with coyotes (reported in "The Economist"), New York is running wild with bats (no kidding), Florida is running wild with some venomous snakes and deadly sharks and Oklahoma is running wild with wild hogs.
Well, well, well...who says animals don't adapt or evolve? They are getting so cunning and shrewd that some bears in California have figured out how to get into their town's dumpsters without being noticed, and only attack when someone sees them and tries to shoo them away. One bear has learned to lift the trash can lid quietly and elegantly like a human being and then holds it while his sibling bear grabs stuff out of it. Then he places the lid back quietly and runs away. It was caught on video camera. It looks impressive and amazing.
These animals are learning really fast. People are turning into idiots and animals are turning into cunning or civilized urban creatures. Almost wants to make one believe in God or a Goddess! :))
Next...a large alligator in your pool that tries to talk you out of your credit card while telling you about his new bank he is starting under the lake.
I hope these wild animals go after more "men", the gender responsible for most of the global ecological harm, damage and destruction. :))
Men...be scared, be really scared....really really scared!
Lets see sperm whales for oil for perfume manufacture, blue whales for bayleen for the manufacture of womens corsets, carrier pigeons and many other species of bird for hats, god knows how many fur bearing animals for coats and wraps. Yea your right, its the men who should be scared. What a putz.
Pay Rand Paul talk at them for about 13 hours, or pay Sarah Palin to screech at them for about 20 minutes. Those hogs will commit suicide.
Sarah will do it for about $20, as long as the cameras are rolling.
Feral Hogs? geeze for a minute I thought they were talking about Nancy Pelosi and Moochelle.
bob-2579213
No , they are Feral Apes.
Seems to me there's an opportunity here; hogs are pretty good eaten'. In CA all we have are scrawny, tough Javelina.
Javelina are a native species, not the best eating but not to bad if slow cooked on the grill or in a smoker. Mean tough little buggers though!
Its human's fault they are an issue in the first place. Typical. We F things up then are puzzled and outraged when it gets inconvenient for us.
I agree that they are a problem in some states. But they need to be killed humanly, not the way I saw on TV. in the south. They caught live feral hogs and put them in an enclosed area and let a pack loose to tear them apart. I was sick watching these monsters having fun while these feral hogs were screaming in pain.
Humans are the most violent and disgusting species in this world.
The dogs don't "TEAR" them apart. The bite down & hold the pigs. We stick them with a Bayonet in the heart/lungs after the dogs have them caught. You are talking about a Baying Contest. They may get bloodied up & squeall but they don't get torn apart.
Have you ever seen what happens in slaughterhouses every day?
Do you eat pork & beef? Visit a slaughterhouse and see how your meat is prepared.
Watching laws being made by Congress is like the slaughter houses doing their thing. You don't want to see that either.
Yes, Nation, that is sick - and definitely inhumane.......humans are a violent species....toward EACH OTHER, too.
Our national fascination with violence is disgusting - almost feudal - and will destroy us from within - if we don't silence it. We are the generation that needs to fix this - by speaking up - and exposing this grotesque, disgusting practice. You-Tube would be a good place to start. Post a video. Then do the same thing on FaceBook - or Change.org.
These pigs should be slaughtered appropriately.....then the meat sold to China, or South America, or India - or whoever wants it.
Better yet, let all the people who love their guns - more than life - loose on these hogs - in every state.
Perhaps, they'll "accidentally" shoot one another........
Perhaps, they'll "accidentally" shoot one another........
You're a SICK bitch, aren't you?
I have a hard time looking at your tag name and wondering if you are protecting our borders! I hope not.
We have a shortage of food to feed the poor and hungry. There is an almost unlimited source of Pork in the Deep South.
Back in the 30's, 40's, 50's we used to have Wolf Hunts in Nebraska (to get rid of Preditors) You can do the same in the South. Set up a ten Square mile area, Get hunters with shot Guns (use Slugs) and every body walks to the middle. All of the Hogs in that area will move to a center location. Kill all of the Hogs, give the meat to the Poor or Food Banks to feed our Hungry.
You could do two hunts a week in ever state and in every county.
not only would it be fun, people would get the exercise they need and get rid of the Hogs as well.
The hunts can be set up by the Game Wardens in each State, land owners would be contacted, Live Stock brought into the barn yard and kept safe.
Done right you would need trucks to haul away the Meat.
There is no need to have permits, only safe hunting practice.
Nothing could be shot except the Ferel Hogs in that given area.
You have never dealt with a scared or cornered 250lbs hog.
I hear that there's a guy named Ferrell Hogg who plays linebacker for some Division lll school.
Maybe the actual problem is too many people.
Vctor a shot gun with slugs isn't enough unless your using a saiga 12 with a magazine.they travel in mass groups.a belt feed weapon would be perfect for hunting them
MG71...Just last week MSN had a report on Ted Nugent. He bought the proper permits to hunt feral hogs from a helicopter with an automatic weapon. ( Whaaaaaa ? Did he say automatic weapon ? ) Yea a real assault weapon not just a .22 that looks like an assault weapon. (idiots) Boy the anti gun nuts and animal activists were crawlin' outa' the woodwork for that one. Now MSN seems to think that feral hogs are a bad thing, hmmmmmmmmm go figure.