Wild Boar question

[rootball]

I have seen boar in the Smokies and thought they were kinda big, but not really that scary - Of course I know they are dangerous. But this weekend on a section of Benton Mckaye Trail close to Farr Gap I saw a big black sow with piglets. She was so big that it scared the crap out of me. I would have guessed 400 pounds, but then I did some research online and it does not seem that they ordinarily get that big. She was so big that her body looked liked a small hippo. And when she saw me, just before her and the piglets took off down the hill, she looked right at me. Her face was more like that of a domestic pig - actually she had a sweet face, sorta pretty for a pig.
The size of her put the fear of god in me. You could not outrun that. And when it caught you.... no stick in the world would be big enough to beat that thing off you.
The piglets were typical brown and tan stripe, but I did not really get much more than a glimpse of their rear ends.

[Cuffs]

But whats the question?

[rootball]

Could this be one of those pigs that is the offspring of a domestic pig and a wild pig? Like Pigzilla - there was a tv show about a giant pig that some dude shot and claimed it weighed 800 pounds or something.

When I first saw the shape and color in the brush I thought it was a bear. I really would guess-timate that it weighed close to 400 lbs.

[Odd Thomas]

Oh man, that's a lot of boar bacon!

[greentick]

I think all of the feral hogs are offspring of domestics from somewhere up the line. If I remember correctly a domestic cut loose in the woods will turn black due to the change in diet. One of my dogs got gored by one a few weeks ago, not pretty.

They are fast but I dont think they corner well

[Cuffs]

There is documentation of domestic pigs becoming feral within 1 generation. Their color changes, hair grows longer/darker... The biologists found it odd that a species can return to such rudimentary living in such a short time. (now that I think of it, where did I read that info?)

Found the article... The pig itself can return to feral in two years. Not generationally. If you research the pigs of the Channel Islands, you will find the info. They were eradicated to return the islands to their natural state...

Hogzilla... wild hogs do get big. Ive got tusks of one I harvested from FL a few years ago... they are 4" long! Ive also seen them gut a baying dog on the spot. The largest one Ive seen was pushing 400#, but we live trapped them for $$. Yes, they can be dangerous, they say the best way out is up a tree... good luck with that with a 30# pack on!

[Hammock Hanger]

We have wild hogs all over FL. I saw one once that was so big it looked like a cow with it's legs cut off. HUGE!!! Most I have come across are your average size but there are some mutant biggies.

I awoke one night with a sow and her piglets digging under my hammock. Thank God she was not one of the big ones.

My friend awoke one night to a boar snuggled up next to her. The only thing between them was the silk of the tent. Was she scared ****less!!

[Pedaling Fool]

...Found the article... The pig itself can return to feral in two years. Not generationally. If you research the pigs of the Channel Islands, you will find the info. They were eradicated to return the islands to their natural state...

I've also heard they will soon start growing those menacing tusks upon becoming feral.

I've never seen a feral pig/boar, but would be very concerned for my safety if I did run into one.

[Nearly Normal]

You be wary of any grown hog. A big boar or a sow with pigs. Try to place yourself where you can get away or keep something between you and it.

piglet-newborn to 3 weeks
weaner- 3 weeks old to be weaned(feeder pig)
Pig or shoat- less than 120 pounds
Gilt- a female that hasn't farrowed (given birth)
Barrow- male that has been castrated (market hog)
Boar- adult Male
Sow -Adult female

A drift is a group of domesticated swine
a founder is a group of wild swine

My Grandfather would buy 200 feeder pigs in the late summer. He had a 120 acre place fenced that was a combo of farm fields (peanuts and corn) and woods with mostly mast trees. There was a good branch of water on it too. He would plant the winter fields in clover and rye for soil conservation and turn his few cows on it for a winter pasture.
He would buy the pigs just after the fields had been harvested and winterized and turn the pigs out.
3 times a week for the first 3 weeks we would drive into the field and locate a drift. He would blow the truck horn a few times while I broadcast a hamper of corn to the drift.
After a couple of trips when the pigs heared the horn they would race to the truck.
After the first 3 weeks we would only feed them 1 time a week until spring. They rooted up a good living in the woods and gleaned the harvested fields.
He had a big catch pen built at the edge of a field in the woods where we would feed them that once a week feeding until spring when the fields would be turned for planting. (just left the gate open for them to come and go)
The last feeding they would all gather in the catch pen to eat and be caught.
It was a good way to top off 200 hundred pigs cheap. They would weigh over 200 hundred lbs each and that was usually the biggest profit he turned all year. Us kids would walk the fence frequently to make sure it was sound. We hunted the place everyday but Sunday during "season".

I don't ever remember getting less than 195 back each year. Most of the time we only "lost" 2 or 3.
Once in a while one would turn up somewhere else. You could tell by the way the he notched the ear for ID purposes.
Folks don't know too much about that kind of small farming anymore.
You could probably get big money rasing hogs like that now.
They would call it "free range" and "natural".
My Grandparents worked in the cotton mill and farmed on the side. Everyone helped out in some way.
We always fattened 2 of those hogs in a pen for the freezer. They was good to eat and you knew what was in them.
Sorry for the rant.
Anyway It don't take long for hogs to go wild.
They are a damned menace.

Nearly Normal
(Occasional)

[Bare Bear]

You can tell the poster is a hiker when he describes a pig as "pretty". Get to town soon brother.

[Ramble~On]

Years ago there was a hunting ranch up near Hooper Bald. "Exoctic" animals were brought in as were folks willing to shell out $$ to hunt them.
Russian Boar were among the animals brought in...they escaped and all the animals are gone but the boar remain..in fact they've done very well and their numbers are out of control.
Farr Gap is only a few miles as the crow flies from Hooper Bald.
I'm not sure if the boar have bred with other pigs or if there's still a population of true Russian Boar running around.
-- They're pests and they roto-till the forests to death.
As with any wild animals with young you don't want to get between a mother and her little ones.
I have not heard of anyone reporting being attacked by pigs. Boar have been known to attack dogs though
They are out there...growing in size and number...waiting...waiting for the day when they decide to make their move.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=A46Nd...eature=related < Stupid people messing with boar and bleeding

http://www.huntingsociety.org/Boarinfo.html < Information about boar from a hunting site

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7bDEqF48U-A < ? looks like safe hunting with Dick Cheney -HILARIOUS !

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6rE8MQ-QEqg&NR=1 < Hunter photos with big boar

[trouthunter]

Just wanted to verify the hogzilla story. We had a ol boy north of here kill and bury a huge boar. When nobody believed his story about how big the thing was, he dug it up and the local paper picked up the story, rest is history.
I'll try to find the article and post the boars weight.

[Ramble~On]

Just wanted to verify the hogzilla story. We had a ol boy north of here kill and bury a huge boar. When nobody believed his story about how big the thing was, he dug it up and the local paper picked up the story, rest is history.
I'll try to find the article and post the boars weight.

Actually...they did a documentary and while the boar was decomposed the remains were measured, weighed, examined and it was determined that it was a very big pig. I really don't care what the weight was...that thing was huge. It's said that boar eat everything..including the bones so if you're attacked by one they'll never find you....

[trouthunter]

The boar that was buried and dug up was killed by a guy in Georgia, it weighed 1000 lbs.
At least a second boar was also taken in Alabama, weighing over 1000 lbs.
This is a link to info I found on the web with a picture of the second boar
it looks like a mini cooper!
http://www.breitbart.com/article.php...=1&image=large

[trouthunter]

SpiritWind,
Who aired the documentary, do you remember?

[Ramble~On]

SpiritWind,
Who aired the documentary, do you remember?

No. Sorry but it's been on more than once.
I'll look around and see if I can't find it.

In the meantime...I take her with me hiking so I'm not worried about hogs
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TJQKmCT4XL0&NR=1
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VM1MT...eature=related

[trouthunter]

HaHa, nice chick, hope there's a table and chair in the woods though

[Ramble~On]

SpiritWind,
Who aired the documentary, do you remember?

http://news.nationalgeographic.com/n..._hogzilla.html

It was none other than the fine folks at National Geographic.

800 pound hog, 18 inch tusks and 8 feet long....it was real but not as big as they had said...also there's doubt as to it being a wild hog... I can't imagine why a hunter with such a trophy would bury the entire thing...including the tusks!.

[drastic_quench]

The boar that was buried and dug up was killed by a guy in Georgia, it weighed 1000 lbs.
At least a second boar was also taken in Alabama, weighing over 1000 lbs.
This is a link to info I found on the web with a picture of the second boar
it looks like a mini cooper!
http://www.breitbart.com/article.php...=1&image=large

That was a canned hunt, and the measurements of the pig were unverified. The photo was also digitally manipulated.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Monster_Pig

[Plodderman]

That is true in that it was a manipulated photo.

The hogs are destroying parts of the Smokies.