They are definitely a pest. I know a farmer who had 10-20 acres of his best wheat crop destroyed by them. It was so rough he couldn't even run his combine through it. Also I live out in the country and had them up in my back yard rooting up the yard due to the dry weather. Once they get started in an area they are hard to stop.

I love hunting everything but it is easy to find ham in the grocery store, not so easy to find a lot of venison or other wild game. I can do without pigs running around my neck of the woods. If I was really interested in going after hogs I would go south. They don't need to be coming north

Here in north east Texas, we have areas over run with them, and a short distance away none at all. I think a plentiful food supply is the key. While there's ample proof they are distructive, and compete with other wildlife, I love having two big animals as tasty as hogs and deer to hunt in the same place. It is common knowledge we have less deer because of them, but there's still deer - another testament to the deer's adaptabillity- I think other factors are at work when we look at quail and turkey. Land use being the biggest.

This is an interesting post. We don't have hogs in my state. But the articles I've read and shows I've seen made me think it might be nice to have that opportunity here. I didn't know they were so destructive. I guess I'd be better off traveling to hunt hogs.

Just in case people don't know, Pennsylvania already has wild boars roaming a few parts of the state, they escaped from those high fence "hunting" (more like shooting) preserves. The state has asked hunters to shoot any hogs they might see out in the woods, but ill tell u what there is no way to get rid of them all because they breed like rabbits and will continue to escape from preserves so really all we can do is take advantage of another game species which actually is kinda nice because they aren't regulated so u can shoot them as much as u want and as many, plus i would love to get into running catch dogs like they do in the sourth, so i say i hope they continue to breed in the state of PA, the more game species the better

Matt,
I agree with you that the introduction of non-native species without a doubt causes problems both in the introduction of additional parasites, and so often in game species--those new commers directly compete against native animals for food and other natural resources. But,without the importation of some species (for example the Black-Buck antelope to Texas) they would likely be on the endangered species list. Black-Bucks (native to India) are unable to sustain a breedable population, and in fact there are more of these animals in Texas than on their native soil. Now your right that the importation of many species is motivated by economic gain, but how else do you propose to help save such species. Once again I agree with you that importation of non-native species often times brings about problems, but to say it should be prohibited is not prudent.

i think it just gives us cause to go and hunt these critters just as we would any other type of game , their great as table fare and are exciting to hunt, so if anybody knows where a guy from the northcoast of lake erie can hunt some pigs in the southern part of ohio , please let me know, thanks

Man, what a quandry.

I feel they are both a prize and a pestilence. No, I am not running for President of the USA.

I prize them for the skill required to take these animals. I truly fnjoy the wild pork far better than the stuff from the grocery.

Yes. They do reek havoc on the habitat and compete with other game animals and will certainly devour the turkey/quail/pheasant nest, dig out a cottontail den.

With their ability to reproduce, there is little chance of their demise as a species.

We just need more hunters to realize this and landowners willing to allow hunting for them without high trespass pass fees.

Caution must be taken when preparing the meat to keep disease from intering the human body. Also I suggest wearing strong Nitrile gloves when processing the animal.

to some of the hunters who think pigs are great because they are free done fool yourself. this is america and capitalist. here in california tag prices are skyrocketing. as soon as the gov't realizes you'll pay for something they put their finger right smack dap in the center of your pocket

Here in Michigan, all swine fall under Federal protection according to the DNR, and when I asked about "feral"-or actual wild-hogs doing damage to wildstock or one's property I received a sarcastic answer stating that shooting any type of pig "could cost you an arm and leg in fines and possible federal procecution if caught with the animal" Now I asked why they are protected if they threaten local game and tear up property? I am waiting for a response from my follow-up question which I e-mailed them over a year ago...For this reason,I don't totally support nor trust the DNR on this issue, for they can be self serving for whatever reason that's not in the best interest of the local game.

hunting wild boar is a sport which much to be respected as any other blood sport .
from few comments its not truly to be sportsman like but rather trigger happy slaughter squad intentions .
change in hog population cud be better than the ever growing human population .

They breed like rats. Their wallows, rooting and rubs ruin the woods. They kill fawns like a bear, they eat upland game's eggs and they do more damage to the terrain than ATV's after a week of rain. Any Eastern Deer Rifle will do the job in taking one down, but only a steady attack of Napalm would eliminate them from an area.
I am glad that we don't have many in the Northeast (except for a herd somewhere in New Hampshire. I don't think hunting them in the South can be too much fun (heat, humidity and mosquitos!)