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  1. #41

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    Quote Originally Posted by Tipi Walter View Post
    I love seeing wild pigs in the mountains of TN/NC where I go backpacking. I consider them forest companions sharing the wilderness with me---and going thru their life cycles just like I'm going thru mine. Live and let live. Being a vegetarian for the last 45 years certainly makes it easier for me to develop this kind of respect and regard.

    I love how people harp on how much damage the wild hogs do to our mountain landscape but they never mention the true damage done by a real habitat-destroying mammal---Humans. The mountains are in fact becoming more developed and more domesticated by Humans and not by hogs.

    I've encountered dozens of wild hogs on my backpacking trips---once had one perform a mock charge while the rest scattered---and have seen dozens of baby pigs jumping around like dogs.


    Saw this little guy on the BMT by my tent.


    The grand southern tradition.
    No doubt man has and will continue to impact the mountain landscape, but we have also made great strides in protecting it, but no need to debate that fact in this thread. However, your forest companions are considered an invasive species by every Wildlife Agency in the US, and the huge negative impact they are having on the environment is indisputable. The economic impact is in the tens of millions nationally with their destructive impact on agriculture. The prolific reproductive rate combined with their ability to eat virtually anything has them out competing much of the native indigenous wildlife. They are notorious for destroying wild turkey nests to eat the eggs, and they gobble up many of the limited food sources in the mountains used by deer and other wildlife. Finally, as a hunter and meat eater I have an incredible respect for all wildlife including hogs, but I also understand the negative impact they are having on the mountain landscape and it's native inhabitants.

  2. #42

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    Pigs have been in woods hundreds of years.
    They aren't doing any"damage" anymore really. Seem to be at steady-state. Like it or not they have become part of the ecosystem for a long long time now in us. They tend to come and go with the water. In dry years they move out and when it gets wet they move back in.

    But they do eat a sheetload of snakes. We used to have to wear snake chaps we had so many cottonmouth copperheads and rattlesnakes . We have 3 creeks running thru our property. Anywhere near water you were going to see a snake. After a couple of years of high # hogs because it was really wet, didn't see snakes no more.

    I recall one turkey hunter one time who said he got nervous when a big boar came out of the woods somewhere close to him and headed toward him. He shot it with his shotgun, it ran off. He said it was 300-400 lb.
    Last edited by MuddyWaters; 02-05-2018 at 13:59.

  3. #43

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    Quote Originally Posted by jboggg View Post
    I spend a lot of time hunting wild hogs... They are an invasive species and are very destructive to the ecosystem, severely impacting native wildlife...

    Yes, an introduced invasive destructive species.

    Quote Originally Posted by Tipi Walter View Post
    I love seeing wild pigs in the mountains of TN/NC where I go backpacking. I consider them forest companions sharing the wilderness with me---and going thru their life cycles just like I'm going thru mine.

    I love how people harp on how much damage the wild hogs do to our mountain landscape but they never mention the true damage done by a real habitat-destroying mammal---Humans. The mountains are in fact becoming more developed and more domesticated by Humans and not by hogs...
    Maybe, just like humans an invasive destructive introduced species like us, like you?


    Actually, in some areas there certainly is an overrun of very destructive non native introduced wild hog populations - usually introduced by humans - causing much harm to the environment we all love so much. It's the same with non native goats, sheep, plants, etc.

  4. #44
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    Quote Originally Posted by TNhiker View Post
    ive been told that its a tough meat.......
    Just have to cook them low and slow.

  5. #45
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    I only know from Southern Europe, where hogs are a massive issue.
    While most of the wilderness-like landscape is arid, mostly thorny things, shrubs, low trees and such that can survive the hot summer months without precipitation, any small green that might grow inbetween is not only eaten, but dug out by the hogs so there soon is no small plant whatsoever left.
    Within a few years the only plant thats left are (low growing, shrub-like) oaks. Miles and miles of oaks. Exactly the favorite food plant of hogs.
    There no longer is any competing big animal left, just the hogs.

  6. #46

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    Quote Originally Posted by MuddyWaters View Post
    Pigs have been in woods hundreds of years.
    They aren't doing any"damage" anymore really. Seem to be at steady-state. Like it or not they have become part of the ecosystem for a long long time now in us. They tend to come and go with the water. In dry years they move out and when it gets wet they move back in.

    But they do eat a sheetload of snakes. We used to have to wear snake chaps we had so many cottonmouth copperheads and rattlesnakes . We have 3 creeks running thru our property. Anywhere near water you were going to see a snake. After a couple of years of high # hogs because it was really wet, didn't see snakes no more.

    I recall one turkey hunter one time who said he got nervous when a big boar came out of the woods somewhere close to him and headed toward him. He shot it with his shotgun, it ran off. He said it was 300-400 lb.
    The hogs have been here a long time having been introduced by the first Spanish European explorers. In current times there are some dog/hog hunters who illegally transport and release hogs in the mountains for sport. As a result they are expanding their range rapidly, and do tremendous damage. For the first time ever, beginning this May the state of Georgia has initiated a special two week hog season on state and Federal Lands in an effort to help reduce their numbers. Since they are invasive they are considered incidental take, and can be taken during whatever game season is in progress. ie: During small game season they can be hunted with small game weapons... The reality is that no amount of hunting will have a noticeable impact on overall hog populations. Trapping is the most effective means of limiting their numbers, but this horse is definitely out of the barn so to speak. They are here to stay.

  7. #47

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    Snakes including rattlers and copperheads and several non venomous snakes love to eat mice, rats, and small rodents what so many of us complain about. Even opportunistic cottonmouths will nab rodents if given the chance. Both venomous and non venomous snakes are often signs of a healthier larger ecosystem whole. Wild hogs are non picky omnivores eating anything including non venomous snakes like indigo, milk, king, black racers, etc that prey upon rattlesnakes and/or copperheads that can often keep the venomous species naturally in check.


    Once again the invasive introduced humans misguided tinkering with the environment often upsets the natural balance by further introducing non human invasive introduced species by freeing, sometimes illegally, as Jboggg points out, pigs. The damage non native wild hogs, mongoose, rats, mice, plants, etc have contributed to or created has wrecked ecological havoc on lands like Hawaii.

  8. #48
    Registered User tagg's Avatar
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    Not hiking, but somewhat on topic...



    https://nypost.com/video/ferocious-w...n-elderly-man/
    -tagg

  9. #49

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    Quote Originally Posted by jboggg View Post
    The hogs have been here a long time having been introduced by the first Spanish European explorers. In current times there are some dog/hog hunters who illegally transport and release hogs in the mountains for sport. As a result they are expanding their range rapidly, and do tremendous damage. For the first time ever, beginning this May the state of Georgia has initiated a special two week hog season on state and Federal Lands in an effort to help reduce their numbers. Since they are invasive they are considered incidental take, and can be taken during whatever game season is in progress. ie: During small game season they can be hunted with small game weapons... The reality is that no amount of hunting will have a noticeable impact on overall hog populations. Trapping is the most effective means of limiting their numbers, but this horse is definitely out of the barn so to speak. They are here to stay.
    Texas has the right idea they allow hunting them at night under lights. Sit in the stand over a feeder and wait to hear the corn crunching then flip on the remote controlled light. Really the only way to make a dent in population.

    Most states don't trust their residents not to shoot deer instead and prohibits hunting at night. But generally you can kill Hogs year-round they are a feral species. Very common to tune up your bow on them before bow season for deer starts, some commercial places sell you hunts for them with bows to get rid of them .

    Trapping works but they're also very wary, and it's a lot of work. We trapped several and a few times ended up with deer in the hog traps. You got to check the traps frequently or else any deer could die. Thing about trapping them is they are smart. Once you trap them you're not going to trap more in same location. If you kill one in the Trap you'll never get another hog in the Trap either. They will smell it. The whole trap with couple hogs in it is winched onto a flatbed trailer and taken elsewhere to kill them

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