This page has been moved to http://www.fieldandstream.com/blogs/field-notes
If your browser doesn’t redirect you to the new location, please visit The Field Notes at its new location: www.fieldandstream.com/blogs/field-notes.
Shoot Wild Pigs, Please
From The Jackson Citizen Patriot:
The Michigan Department of Agriculture and Department of Natural Resources are urging hunters to shoot every wild pig they encounter. . . .
“By shooting feral swine, hunters are preserving Michigan's natural beauty for future generations to enjoy,'' DNR Wildlife Division Chief Russ Mason said in a release Friday. . . .
State agriculture officials said feral domestic and exotic hogs destroy natural habitat and crops, compete with native species and can carry diseases that can spread to farms.
Biologists say a Russian strain of wild boars escaped from various game farms in recent years and colonized nearly every county in Michigan.
Charge the game farms the cost of damages and cost to get rid of the hogs! The game farms sure charge the "hunters" who visit them enough.
Posted by: JJ | November 18, 2008 at 11:22 AM
Bacon, anyone?
Posted by: Blue Ox | November 18, 2008 at 11:26 AM
Nearly every county in Michigan? Its a wonder we haven't heard stories of encounters here in Indiana. It won't be long though I think, until we Hoosiers can step out our back door and shoot at some swine. They spread like Asian Carp and from what I understand just as difficult to control.
Posted by: bnorth | November 18, 2008 at 12:06 PM
I live in the UP and pigs are all over the place up here. We live around Escanaba, which has some of the best hunting and fishing in the whole world, and I don't want those pigs to be taking away food or habitat from the deer or what have you. So I'm joining in on this hunt.
Posted by: Travis | November 18, 2008 at 03:40 PM
Travis and every one who supports this hunt is an idiot its so unethical. Oh yeah an screw the freakin UP!
Posted by: Jim in Chicago | November 18, 2008 at 03:52 PM
We shot a few last week. It seems that the only place they remain these days is in the swamps, where(I contend) they actual help hunters. Normaly these swamps would be totaly impassible, but with the hogs rooting and running through the area, there are clearings and trails made. These trails allow hunters to access the swamps and hunt not only pigs, but the many large deer that prefer thick cover, as well as tons of ducks. As long as they stay out of the highlands, no matter what they do to the swamps, the florida lowlands will still always be heavily-vegitated nigh-impenatrable swamps. Deer hunters usualy knock them(hogs) off when their population density increases to the point that they move upland. Note that I am only refering to heavily hunted public lands. I do not know how bad hog populations are on private land since there are none on what little private land I hunt.
Posted by: | November 18, 2008 at 04:32 PM
Oh yeah, isn't unlimmited bag limits and no closed season pretty much informally begging us to kill all we see?
Posted by: | November 18, 2008 at 04:33 PM
Bnorth, we do have wild hogs in Indiana. Just in a few counties in the southern part of the state. We hunt them all winter long. They have been around for about the last 20 years.
Posted by: Tim | November 18, 2008 at 07:33 PM
Fellas, I'm a 5th generation Floridian and take my advice... Kill every stinking hog you see. They are worse than anything you can imagine on your deer,turkey, and quail. On my 800+ acres we shoot 30+ a year and that doesn't even stop them. If you enjoy any of the mentioned species, you must kiil those damn hogs.
Posted by: Florida hunter | November 19, 2008 at 09:14 AM
Are hogs included in hunter food donation programs? I have only eaten boar as chops or sausage - tasty! I presume
ground porker is usable by shelters and food banks, like ground venison.
Growing up I remember damage caused by feral hogs to a neighbor's crop lands. They were destructive brutes. These wild boars are, apparently, worse ... plus can get nasty with their sharp tusks. I have not seen one in the counties I hunt in Michigan, but will be sure to take any that I see.
Posted by: Mike | November 19, 2008 at 09:52 AM
Jim from Chicago,
I'm curious, how is hunting an invasive species that destroys the ecosystem and can highly impact negatively virtually all other animals and plants in an area unethical? I wonder if you have ever really seen the damage that feral hogs or wild boars in this case can do. I imagine you don't have a big problem with them in Chicago. Just curious.
Posted by: William | November 20, 2008 at 02:00 AM