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.