Hoggers Question

[glenncal1]

So I watched a little of a Hoggers last nite and some last week. Here is my question: If there are all these wild hogs in Florida and the south, why do the go out and catch them instead of using a .44 for the job that it was intended for. One guy last nite had his dog almost killed. Seems like shooting them would be a whole lot easier.

 

[SFCHAINLEY]

HOG CATCHERS

Alot of them keep them alive to butcher later. And a lot of them donate the meat to the needy.

 

[Stevens]

We have a hog problem at a sugar cane farm I am involved in, the manager and others carry rifles in their vehicles they and the members of the hunting club shoot them whenever they can.
A few years ago a group from Mississippi came down to make a hunt with dogs, their thing was to have the dogs track and catch the hog and hold it still, then one of the group would stab with a large Bowie type knife to kill it.
Not my idea of fun, but they did get rid of a few hogs, if I remember right at least one of their dogs was injured.
These hogs are a huge pest for cane farmers they chew the sweet cane stalks and after the harvest when they stalks are gone the root up the roots of the cane that will grow into next years harvest .
I believe in some areas it is possible to get a permit to hunt and shoot them at night.
They are hard to eradicate, they can have 2 litters and up to 10 per litter.
Once they have any size, 15 lbs or so, to them they get very gamey tasting.
Steve W

 

[kennyb]

So I watched a little of a Hoggers last nite and some last week. Here is my question: If there are all these wild hogs in Florida and the south, why do the go out and catch them instead of using a .44 for the job that it was intended for. One guy last nite had his dog almost killed. Seems like shooting them would be a whole lot easier.

jim...i'm with you...i have no idea why they go thru this trapping process to catch and release elsewhere....releasing these boars in most areas are illegal....i have hunted them in western tn.a lot of fun and good eating....i wish i would hear from a farmer in say georgia that was having a hog problem...would be glad to help out !

 

[Rule3]

Alot of them keep them alive to butcher later. And a lot of them donate the meat to the needy.

This, I believe. The keep them penned up and feed them a better diet (of what I do not know) makes them taste better after hanging the meat for a while. I see lots of smaller ones all the time off the Interstate and major roads to the range I shoot at.

The smaller ones are good to eat and have had some BBQ's at a friends house. I agree I would just shoot the darn things. But around here they need to trap them as they are on plush gated communities and golf courses. They cause thousands of dollars in damage over night.

 

[Kelly Green]

I've watched a couple of episodes of The Hoggers. The dog hunts are done for pure TV entertainment. Here in Central Texas, the hogs are everywhere, tearing up the land and destroying crops. I shoot them on site and leave them to the buzzards. Around here, fellow farmers and myself wouldn't risk a good dog on a wild hog when a bullet will do the job.

This past fall, Texas introduced a law allowing landowners to shoot the hogs from helicopters. I wouldn't mind watching something like that on The Hoggers.

 

[RIDE-RED 350r]

They are starting to move into upstate NY now too. In the hunting rule book issued to you when getting your hunting license, they actually have a little write-up about it. Also, they encourage all hunters to "take" hogs at any time, in any quantity. Just have to have a hunting license and they ask you to call in and tell them the who, what, where, and when you shot it...

 

[therevjay]

I think alot of whats shown on TV takes place in or close to heavily populated areas. And when it's not maybe the producers don't want to show poor piggy getting whacked by a evil knuckle dragging gun nut. (even a cute female one)

 

[Texas Solo]

I've watched a couple of episodes of The Hoggers. The dog hunts are done for pure TV entertainment. Here in Central Texas, the hogs are everywhere, tearing up the land and destroying crops. I shoot them on site and leave them to the buzzards. Around here, fellow farmers and myself wouldn't risk a good dog on a wild hog when a bullet will do the job.

This past fall, Texas introduced a law allowing landowners to shoot the hogs from helicopters. I wouldn't mind watching something like that on The Hoggers.

I've met plenty of folks here in South Texas who complain about hog damage, but when I ask if I can shoot some, they start talking $$$$. Hey, it's their problem, not mine.

 

[smokey]

I think it's because there's nothing real about reality tv, and they dont want to promote shooting and actualy killing as a good thing, so this is the watered down reality they want you believe is hunting.

 

[cass]

Hunting them won't control the population, unless the states initiate a bounty program like they did for Coyote control in the 50's. Hunting hogs is a lot harder than most people realize, they are smarter than anything else in the field, they reproduce faster than illegals, and they are quite dangerous. Shooting one or two only helps the sounders. We trap them weekly, and our population continue to grow.

 

[rbmac52]

Using helicopters for hog deprivation seems to work very well. The numerous clips on youtube attest to that...

 

[Reloader]

The hogs are destroying their livelihood, so why not charge to recoup some of the money lost? Plus, there is a liability policy most have to carry in case of accidents so they can defend a lawsuit by hunters not from the area, otherwise they are NOT covered. What about if a hunter shoots into a house, or shoots a bull, or shoots a tractor? .It is a common business arrangement. You pay rent to a lease for deer hunting, don't you? Or to rent a motel room for sleeping? The same thing.

 

[armadillo]

As I understand it - a commercial meat processer must kill the animal at their facility in order to sell the meat.

If you kill it, you can have it processed - but only for personal consumption.

 

[jimmyj]

My former agency provided security at the airport. The airport property was a large tract of land mostly wooded. The wild hogs were a BIG problem. Times we responded to run the hogs off the landing strips so airplanes could land or take off. A hunt club had permission to trap the hogs and remove them to the hunt club's property. In six months they had trapped and removed 400 plus hogs.
Then with the hog problem there was the coyoto problem. Several years before a now deflunt hunt club brought in coyotos for a rabbit problem.
Now there is rabbits, hogs, and coyotos trying to out breed the other.
We won't discuss the illegal immigrant problem.

 

[Alpo]

The hogs are destroying their livelihood, so why not charge to recoup some of the money lost? Plus, there is a liability policy most have to carry in case of accidents so they can defend a lawsuit by hunters not from the area, otherwise they are NOT covered. What about if a hunter shoots into a house, or shoots a bull, or shoots a tractor? .It is a common business arrangement. You pay rent to a lease for deer hunting, don't you? Or to rent a motel room for sleeping? The same thing.

I believe the difference is the deer aren't hurting your woodlands. The bed isn't hurting your motel.

Would you charge me rent to come on your property and spray your house for termites? Now, that's the same thing. The termites are causing damage to your property, and I come and kill them, so they don't cause you more damage. The hogs are causing you damage, and I come and kill them so they stop damaging your crops. Instead of charging me, you should be paying me.

 

[quneur]

If I was a landowner in TX or any other state with a hog problem, I would ask hunters for 50% of the meat. Then again you would find me shooting them all year round, in self-defense of course, "It was coming straight at me!" Just like Uncle Jimbo in South Park.

 

[Bratastic007]

People used to say that after a nuclear apocalypse, the only left would be the roaches. I'm starting to think it will be the hogs. Thousands and thousands of hogs roaming the entire continent, eating everything in their path and reproducing like mad.

 

[Rule3]

Hunting them won't control the population, unless the states initiate a bounty program like they did for Coyote control in the 50's. Hunting hogs is a lot harder than most people realize, they are smarter than anything else in the field, they reproduce faster than illegals, and they are quite dangerous. Shooting one or two only helps the sounders. We trap them weekly, and our population continue to grow.

Pretty much like Florida stupid regulations to control Pythons (snakes) in the Everglades. People think you can just walk around or take a boat and find them and shoot them. They are all over the place but you will never see them. Then they must be captured alive, have a permit, lottery ticket or some other nonsense.

Same with the giant Iguanas on the outer Islands. They are not indigenous, destroy nest birds, turtles etc but must have a licensed Trapper catch them, euthanize them in a humane way(they freeze them) and they get paid whatever per Lizard.

A couple of guys with pellet guns could wipe them out in a few days.

 

[doublesharp]

Back to the hunt hogs with dogs, several of the good ol boys in Glades County Fl do it that way and the reason is to improve the diet and let the hog calm down before taking the meat. For these guys, it's definitely about the meat more than the sport. Wild hog roasts are a leading form of entertainment and some of the best eating I've ever done. The guy that does my lawn service is a rodeo rider type guy and he hunts with dogs successfully, keeps the hogs in a pen fattening them up and then sells them by word of mouth for walking around money.