I had never seen anything like it before in my life. A hundred or more hogs, all running around and demolishing a once beautiful countryside. I was with a group of people on vacation when we came upon the wild hogs while we were driving down an old dirt road. We pulled over to get out and take some pictures but there was no way we were going to get any closer than about 50 feet away from them. The smell coming off them made me gag; they smelled worse than walking into a pet store that's been closed for weeks after their air conditioning went out during the summer time, it was that bad! That wasn't even the worst part though, they weren't scared of us. It was then I realized we may have made a big mistake!

Wild or Feral Hogs have gotten out of control in many parts of the United States and have become a major nuisance for land owners. In some areas hog hunting is legal while in others it's not allowed. Let's get started with a look at why people want to get rid of them.

Why are hogs considered a nuisance?

Hogs are considered a nuisance because they can cause damage to property and can spread diseases. They destroy crops and food sources for other animals such as deer, turkeys, and other game. They compete for resources and habitat space, spreading disease to domestic livestock. They cause serious destruction by digging up land with their snouts or rooting in fields looking for something to eat. They can also destroy gardens and plants, especially if they're looking for aphids or other insects on the leaves of plants. Not to mention they can cause traffic accidents when crossing roads. In the Texas Hill Country alone there were over 500 reported vehicle collisions involving feral hogs.

The most telling sign of hog intrusion into a new area is signs of rooting. Rooting is called rooting because wild hogs use their snouts to root up the ground to get to the roots and bugs that eat on the roots such as grub worms. These are wide, deep grooves that resemble tractor treads. Hogs will create these by using their snouts and rooting around in search of food.

Feral hogs can have an impact on agriculture and other human activities in several different ways. As omnivores they will eat just about anything including crops like corn or soybeans as well as bugs or small vertebrates.

Feral hog populations in Texas, where there is a high population of hogs on private land, has reached about two million feral hogs estimated at over one million acres across the state. These hogs roam free and can be found damaging crops or property throughout the entire state.

***Besides Rooting, another sign of hogs is wollows. Hogs will wollow in the mud to cool off and get rid of any pesky bugs or parasites.***

Within the United States, the feral hog populations have grown so quickly that they are now considered a nuisance to at least 39 states in the US. They are not only destroying crops and native vegetation species, but also causing damage to utility lines with their rooting habit-causing costly repairs for utilities or property owners. This rooting habit damages acres of farmland annually, causing long-term damage to soil structure and fertility. The animals can also contaminate water sources with fecal matter or parasites that they carry on their skin

Are Feral Hogs Safe to Eat?

Concerns about the safety of hog meat have been raised due to their reputation as carriers of parasites such as tapeworm, roundworm and TaeniaIn. There are more than 24 diseases that people can get from feral hogs. Including diseases such as swine brucellosis, which can be spread to humans and cause flu-like symptoms that last for up to one year and require antibiotics to clear up the disease. Generally, any illness will develop when they’ve eaten undercooked meat or improperly handled the carcass when butchering or field dressing. These diseases can be spread when a fluid or raw organ from a feral hog comes in contact with a person’s eyes, nose, mouth or open wound.

Feral hog meat is safe to eat as long as the animal was cleaned and cooked in a safe manner. If you decide to eat your feral hog kill, you must take the following precautions to avoid contamination:

If you come into contact with a feral hog that appears to be in poor health, stay away
Wear eye protection and rubber or latex gloves when handling feral hog carcasses to avoid direct contact to bare skin from fluids or organs.
Discard gloves and inedible parts of the carcass after butchering. Best to burn them to prevent the spread of disease.
Wash hands as soon as possible with soap and warm water for 20 seconds or more and dry hands using a clean cloth.
Disinfect all tools and reusable gloves with bleach after field dressing or butchering.
While cooking, make sure to regularly clean surfaces and cook pork to an internal temperature of 160° F.

How quickly do their numbers grow?

The feral hog population is one of the fastest growing in North America, with some ranchers estimating it could grow up to 20% a year. In some areas feral hog populations can double every year if left unchecked. One female hog may produce about a dozen young each year!

The gestation period for wild hogs lasts about three months and females can have two litters per year with as many as 12 piglets at once. They are capable of reproducing at a year old and there can be many generations in the span of one year. This rapid reproduction rate means that hunting them can seem futile, but it's important to keep up with controlling their population growth before it gets out of control. It is extremely important to take fast action if you see any signs of an infestation!

The population has grown so fast that these animals could soon be considered a nuisance in all 50 U.S. states if immediate action is taken!

Why are they now getting out of control so fast?

With the out of control spread of Wild Hogs many parts of the US are getting overrun by their numbers. Some of the states with the most feral hog populations are Texas, Oklahoma, and Louisiana. Other states like Florida, California, Mississippi, Georgia, Alabama, and South Carolina are seeing a sky rocketing increase and will soon be out of control.

***left unchecked Feral hogs can double in population every year***

The majority of feral hogs are found in the southern part of the country, but they can be found anywhere there is an available habitat and food source. Feral hog populations have been steadily increasing since their introduction to North America from Europe nearly 500 years ago. However, the recent boom has been brought on by the lack of predators, the increase in available food sources, and hogs escaping from hunting reserves and breeding with domesticated hogs or other feral hogs.

Feral hogs were traditionally smaller in size , but the genetics have been changing and the animals are growing bigger which means their natural predators such as coyotes, mountain lions, and bobcats can no longer hunt them as easily. Some hogs can get up to 400 lbs, which is about the size of a black bear! It is believed they are getting so large because wild Russian Boars brought to hunting reserves in Texas began breeding with domesticated or other feral hogs creating a larger more resistant breed of feral hog.

Travel patterns?

Hogs don't follow a strict pattern of migration but they do tend to move to new areas more in the winter months when food is scarce? Hogs tend to be less active during the colder months of winter and early spring, but become more active as summer progresses. Hogs can be very elusive because of their intelligence and will switch up patterns if things don't seem right. They're typically very nocturnal in behavior, although some will come out for a few hours around dusk until it's completely dark outside.

Baiting and Trapping

In some states hogs are legally baited while in others they're not. It's best to check before setting hog traps or hunting them. There is no one perfect hog hunting bait, but some people swear that a mix of cornmeal and bacon grease works best. Hogs will eat just about anything but the consensus is that the bait should be a cocktail of sweet and salty with some livestock feed mixed in. When baiting the trap, it is important to consider how much food the hog needs in order for them to go into the bait pile and not just eat a few kernels of corn and leave.

Hog trapping is a popular way of hunting them, but there are many different types and sizes of hog traps. The best trap for you will depend on your location (near or far from the bait), how many hogs you want to catch at one time, and what size they average in your area. Hogs will run full speed into the side of a pin when they feel trapped and if you have a 300lb hog running into the side of your hog pin designed for smaller hogs, they will tear it down and escape. Because of their intelligence it is hard to trap a hog twice. So, if you get them in a trap the first time and they end up escaping, don't plan on getting them into the same trap again. Also, if you have a lot of hogs around, make sure your trap is big enough to accommodate them all. Hog trapping is typically done at night because they are nocturnal animals that will be feeding during the evening hours.

Hunting

Based off of the state there are numerous ways to hunt hogs. States like Texas have an all out war on hogs and you can kill them by any means necessary. There are companies that will let you hunt on their land from a helicopter using a fully automatic rifle!

Some hunters use dogs to hunt for hogs. Typically there will be bay or sniffer dogs that track down the hogs. When located, catch dogs will be released to pin a hog down allowing the hunter to stick or shoot the hog. When hunting using this method it is important to keep in mind that boars can have long knife like "cutters", tusks protruding from their mouth. These "cutters'' are used to slash and stab anything standing in its way. So, make sure you protect your dogs by providing them with cutter vests and protect yourself by using leg protection.

For the less adventurous hunters, blinds and stands work perfectly well but you may have to sit around for a while with little or no action. If allowed in your state, you can put a bait pile out with the hopes of attracting any hogs in the area. The best time to hunt is the couple of hours before sunset or when it is dark. Most states have restrictions on using artificial lights. This includes spotlights, thermal devices, and light enhancement devices such as night vision scopes. Some states like Texas, Oklahoma, and Louisiana allow the usage of artificial lights when hunting hogs. Even if your state allows artificial lights, it may be limited to private land. Make sure you identify the restrictions for your area before baiting or using artificial lighting.

I know of a guy who shot a hog 10 times with his 40 caliber hollow points and only managed to knock the hog out for a few seconds. He finaly hit him in the right spot and brought him down. After inspecting the body he found out that the head shots between the eyes didn’t penetrate the skull and the body shots behind the front shoulders didn’t get through the thick skin, heavy layer of fat, and ribs. High enery penetrating ammo work best for taking down an adult feral hog. So, it is advised to not use hollow point pistol rounds, unless you are carrying a .357 or larger. I did kill a 120 lb sow with my 9mm HP but it was luck more than anything and It would have been a different story had she have been a big one.

In Conclusion

It is important to take measures against feral hogs because they are a problem that’s only getting worse. Feral hogs have been found in all 50 states and could cause millions of acres of farmland to become unusable due to their destruction if something isn't done soon. They can be hunted or trapped in most states, but it's important you obey local laws about hunting them before doing so! Remember, there may not always be an answer right away when dealing with these pesky creatures--they reproduce quickly!--so patience will pay off for the hunter who perseveres!

Feral Hogs, An American Nuisance: Know Your Enemy