Texas Losing The Feral Hog Fight

[Hohn]

What I find most amazing is how a domesticated pig can become a feral "hog" in seemingly no time flat.

I seem to remember seeing something where they had tracked a tagged pink pig that was allowed to escape and a few weeks later, it was no longer pink and not even recognizable as a domesticated pig. It was fully feral. In WEEKS.

 

[Leadeye]

Were-pigs!!!!!!!!

 

[HoughMade]

This looks like a job for my old friend.

We haven't seen each other in almost 25 years...but some things you never forget.

 

[rhino]

What I find most amazing is how a domesticated pig can become a feral "hog" in seemingly no time flat.

I seem to remember seeing something where they had tracked a tagged pink pig that was allowed to escape and a few weeks later, it was no longer pink and not even recognizable as a domesticated pig. It was fully feral. In WEEKS.

It seems as though the line between domesticated and feral is either blurred or really thin for pigs. Consider how savage they can behave, even in captivity, including attacking and sometimes eating people.

The change in physical appearance that occurs so rapidly is unsettling, though. I hypothesize that being in captivity results in suppression of the levels of hormones that control growth of fur and tusks. Once they are free to roam, whatever is holding back their normal hormone levels is gone and they go . . . hog wild. Hah!

 

[DoggyDaddy]

It seems as though the line between domesticated and feral is either blurred or really thin for pigs. Consider how savage they can behave, even in captivity, including attacking and sometimes eating people.

The change in physical appearance that occurs so rapidly is unsettling, though. I hypothesize that being in captivity results in suppression of the levels of hormones that control growth of fur and tusks. Once they are free to roam, whatever is holding back their normal hormone levels is gone and they go . . . hog wild. Hah!

So, kinda like a bunch of guys going on a fishing or hunting trip for a week...

 

[rhino]

So, kinda like a bunch of guys going on a fishing or hunting trip for a week...

Sadly, you make a good point.

 

[omegahunter]

Were-pigs!!!!!!!!

Time to start casting some silver bullets!

 

[Alamo]

If "they" were serious about reducing the population of wild hogs, a bounty would be in place.

If you pay for pigs, in the long run you're likely to get more pigs.

 

[Phase2]

Isn't that the point of paying?

 

[Alamo]

Isn't that the point of paying?

The point is to eradicate feral pigs. At first the population will go down, but if the bounty program is successful and pig population decreases significantly, then your income from bounty money starts decreasing. The solution is therefore to grow more pigs so you can sell their heads/hides/whatever to the government. Some animals are hard to propagate, but pigs reproduce like...pigs. People will start quietly leaving feral herds alone for awhile to let them rapidly recover so the supply doesn't run out.

It's like when cities provide free "camping"/needles/money to the homeless. They end up with more homeless.

 

[churchmouse]

The point is to eradicate feral pigs. At first the population will go down, but if the bounty program is successful and pig population decreases significantly, then your income from bounty money starts decreasing. The solution is therefore to grow more pigs so you can sell their heads/hides/whatever to the government. Some animals are hard to propagate, but pigs reproduce like...pigs. People will start quietly leaving feral herds alone for awhile to let them rapidly recover so the supply doesn't run out.

It's like when cities provide free "camping"/needles/money to the homeless. They end up with more homeless.

Follow the money.

 

[fullmetaljesus]

The point is to eradicate feral pigs. At first the population will go down, but if the bounty program is successful and pig population decreases significantly, then your income from bounty money starts decreasing. The solution is therefore to grow more pigs so you can sell their heads/hides/whatever to the government. Some animals are hard to propagate, but pigs reproduce like...pigs. People will start quietly leaving feral herds alone for awhile to let them rapidly recover so the supply doesn't run out.

It's like when cities provide free "camping"/needles/money to the homeless. They end up with more homeless.

Makes me think of India.

https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cobra_effect

 

[Principal Skinr]

How much are they charging these days for an out of state license to hunt hogs?

Edit. I see now they changed it so that no license is required to hunt hogs or coyotes on private land with the owner's permission. That's a nice change. Last time I was down there I remember being a bit miffed at having to pay to hunt an invasive species that is such a huge problem.

I may have to go down there again soon to try out my Flir thermal imaging sight!

 

[churchmouse]

How much are they charging these days for an out of state license to hunt hogs?

Edit. I see now they changed it so that no license is required to hunt hogs or coyotes on private land with the owner's permission. That's a nice change. Last time I was down there I remember being a bit miffed at having to pay to hunt an invasive species that is such a huge problem.

I may have to go down there again soon to try out my Flir thermal imaging sight!

I believe I heard/read the property owners have turned this into a revenue stream as well. They are asking big money for the permissions to hunt.

 

[Rookie]

If they really want to get rid of this invasive species, they would eliminate the bounty and start fining people who charge for hunting. Eliminate the revenue stream and everyone would want to eradicate them.

I talked to a guy who runs a forum and suggested that he should charge a little to take people with him. He said, "I do. I charge $1,500 per person and I'm booked".

 

[two70]

If they really want to get rid of this invasive species, they would eliminate the bounty and start fining people who charge for hunting. Eliminate the revenue stream and everyone would want to eradicate them.

I talked to a guy who runs a forum and suggested that he should charge a little to take people with him. He said, "I do. I charge $1,500 per person and I'm booked".

Are we really in favor of fining people for utilizing and profiting from the resources on their own property now? Even if they did take that drastic step it may dramatically reduce the hog population... for a time but it wouldn't eradicate them. Hogs are simply too tough, too quick to adapt to hunting/trapping pressure and too prolific to be eradicated. Besides if the goal is to reduce crop and livestock damage by hogs it would be far cheaper and more effective to simply prevent hogs from accessing the crops in the first place. Denied necessary resources the hog populations will quickly decline. That is never going to happen since having a feral hog "crisis" is too profitable, not for the landowners that make a few bucks offering hunts but to the government agencies that view any problem as a crisis worthy of a budget increase.

 

[Rookie]

I'm not saying I'm in favor. I'm saying whining about hogs while charging to hunt them is hypocritical.

 

[Hohn]

I'm not saying I'm in favor. I'm saying whining about hogs while charging to hunt them is hypocritical.

Either they’re a problem or they are a source of revenue.

 

[two70]

I'm not saying I'm in favor. I'm saying whining about hogs while charging to hunt them is hypocritical.

The majority of the people whining about hogs are not the same ones charging to hunt them. In the cases where they are one and the same it is not hypocritical to complain about a situation while trying to make the most of it at the same time.

Either they’re a problem or they are a source of revenue.

The two are not mutually exclusive nor are the opinions of everyone in Texas uniform on the subject.

 

[cbhausen]

[video=youtube_share;F5Gi8Rx_VTk]http://youtu.be/F5Gi8Rx_VTk[/video]