Wild hogs

[Ben.MN/WI]

I think if the deer hunting ever goes downhill too far, someone should accidently release wild hogs in MN. I just got back from my first wild hog hunt in Texas and it was a blast. Being able to legally hunt a big game animal in March in Minnesota would be awesome. I actually think Brooks was invited on this hunt since we have a mutual friend, but he wasn't able to go. 3 of us ended up bagging 9 pigs - it was way different than the hog hunts we've seen on TV. These pigs have been pounded with rifles near the feeders for 3 months, so we spent all of our time spot and stalking them. They can't see very well, so it was pretty easy to get in bow or gun range once we spotted them.

Pigs might tear up food plots and fields, but I'm cool with that if it means I have something to hunt in the off season.

 

[bat man]

If you can plant anything they will wreck it. I love hunting them and have often said the same thing, but I have a feeling I would hate them after they were here for awhile. Everybody hates them after they move in.

 

[j-bird]

IN has some remote pockets of them and I really fear the day they expand their range. The rate at which they reproduce is just crazy - and though they don't see well - they are not stupid either. We are allowed to hunt them year round you just have to report each harvest - not sure about actually buying tags and how it all works.

The destructive power of them dwarfs anything the deer do to an ag crop and to top it all off they can be dangerous as well.

You boys up north better watch out - once the wolves eat all your deer - they might have to bring hogs in just so the wolves have something to eat!!!!!

 

[wiscwhip]

If you can plant anything they will wreck it. I love hunting them and have often said the same thing, but I have a feeling I would hate them after they were here for awhile. Everybody hates them after they move in.

I would think our winters would be a huge determining factor in whether or not they "took over" areas like they do in the south? Am I way off base on this?

 

[Tree Spud]

Probably the worst thing you could introduce into an area ... would destroy habitat and out compete deer for available food sources like shrubs, plants, acorns, etc.

http://farmflavor.com/us-ag/tennessee/environment-tn/hog-wild-tennessee/

 

[Ben.MN/WI]

I probably would hate them at some point because of the damage they cause, but I could put up with a lot if it meant I had a big game animal I could hunt all year.

 

[j-bird]

How long is it going to take...........

 

[Ben.MN/WI]

After seeing the lengths folks will go to reduce their numbers and hearing how their presence negatively impacts deer numbers....I sure don't want them around. Just my $.02

I used to think the same thing, but then I hunted them and made pulled pork sandwiches out of them and now I can look past some of their negative attributes. I don't think it will be very likely that someone will bring in feral hogs into their area with good deer hunting, but the guys who sit on stand for an entire year without seeing a deer likely won't have a lot to lose from a deer hunting standpoint. I think our long winters and far shorter breeding seasons would decrease the likelihood of populations explosions that take place in the south. But then again that's just a guess - a week and a half ago I had never seen a hog and now I can't wait to hunt them again.

 

[dipper]

That's a horrible idea!

 

[kabic]

I didn't either...until some yahoo did exactly that in Crawford County, WI. As far as winter controlling them...the true Russian boars live in some darn cold areas naturally and are grown/raised/hunted in the UP of MI.

I dont hear much about the hogs in Wisconsin anymore. Are they still here & are there places you can go hunt them?

 

[tooln]

I'd rather be over run with yotes than pigs. It would be easier to eradicate yotes.

 

[Satchmo]

Had feral hogs come through a 40 we use to hunt east of Clayton. It literally looked like 100 people had gone through there and dug worms from one end to the other. Everything was destroyed. They are absolutely the last thing I would want to see get established anywhere. Watching the helicopter hunting videos is cool though.

 

[Bowsnbucks]

Here in Pa., the PGC has said they want them killed if seen. I read something about some being seen along the border with Maryland and West Va. From everything I've read in numerous sources, farmers hate them a lot worse than deer for the damage they do.

 

[bat man]

Only thing worse is those worms from Tremors. We had a few 3 years ago and Kevin Bacon came out to help get rid of them. We use their tunnels for stand access now and it works out pretty sweet.

 

[j-bird]

Only thing worse is those worms from Tremors. We had a few 3 years ago and Kevin Bacon came out to help get rid of them. We use their tunnels for stand access now and it works out pretty sweet.

Hell - everybody knows Kevin Bacon!:D

 

[Jordan Selsor]

I have never seen one but swore I found a wallow with tracks on our place in Mo right after we bought. Havnt seen a sign of them since. MDC has a hog guy, if you see sign or spot a pig they will be out asap to set traps

 

[Jim Timber]

I spent about 30 seconds thinking it'd be sweet to pen off 20-30 acres of my South 40 (pretty boring turf) and have a high fence bacon ranch - come whack a pig, pay too much for lunch, go home happy and me smiling all the way to the bank. The problem is if a preggo sow got out, I'd be the a-hole who introduced them to the Northern part of the state and no amount of insurance would cover the liabilities. That pretty much chit canned the whole idea.

I have a buddy who goes somewhere in Southern Wisconsin every year and bags a big boar for around $550 for a 2-3 day hunt. They stay in a lodge, have heated stands, and it's pretty much a trigger pull hunt. Processing is extra. I haven't been able to scrape the cash to go yet, but would like to just to see what the experience is all about. He's been doing it 4 years now and raves about it.

 

[sandbur]

Jim-about 20 years ago, someone tried to start a low class operation about 10 miles south of you. The state was very concerned about them for wildlife purposes and for domestic hog disease reasons. They were eliminated. If I remember the story correctly, the pigs were in an enclosure with wrecked cars.

 

[Jim Timber]

I was thinking it'd be a natural looking hunt pen - just woods, some clearings with the stands set up to shoot into the property (safer for neighbors), etc. The idea of a critter getting under the fence made it a moot point. I'd have to be on site 24/7 to repair any digging or have thousands of feet covered by cameras.

Maybe if I had a bigger parcel and wasn't so close to the uppity lake folks it'd be more do-able, but I've pretty much given up on the idea. I'll have some hobby farm critters instead and leave well enough alone with the wild pigs.

 

[foggy]

Don't even think about it Jim. We do NOT need hogs! So many folks (with good intentions) thought they could run a fun hog hunt......and infected the whole areas. I say we need a law to keep 'em out of MN.