Louisiana deer hunters vs population boom of 'highly destructive' feral hogs

Dailymail ^ | 1 April 2016 | Valerie Edwards

[dennisw]

Hunters say feral hogs are taking a toll on the whitetail deer population In Louisiana there are estimated 700,000 'highly destructive' wild hogs Feral hogs carry diseases and parasites that can cause abortion in deer They are 'opportunistic' eaters and feed on deer fawn and other piglets

Deer hunters are facing unwanted competition as feral hogs in Louisiana threaten whitetail deer population. Wild hogs are known for spreading disease and killing and eating deer fawns.

Population boom of feral hogs across the US is threatening the deer population as hunters face unwanted competition with the wild beasts that spread disease and kill and eat deer fawns.

Particularly in Louisiana, where there are nearly 700,000 feral hogs, hunters and wildlife officials say they are taking a toll on the whitetail deer herd, according to FoxNews.com.

Deer hunter Justin Lanclos, 33, told Fox that if there are hogs in 'your hunting area, you are absolutely not going to see deer'.

He said that since deer are 'extremely smart and elusive' and they don't 'like to occupy the same area as hogs'.

Jim LaCour, the state wildlife veterinarian for the Louisiana Department of Wildlife and Fisheries, told FoxNews.com that the hogs are in 'every habitat in the state'.

'They're very adaptable and also highly destructive,' LaCour said.

The pigs can weigh up to 500 pounds and according to LaCour, they are 'opportunistic' eaters.

They feast on anything crossing their path, including deer fawn, other piglets and dead animals.

LaCour told Fox that the hogs carry several diseases, such as leptospirosis, which can infect or kill other animals like deer.

He said that hogs move diseases and parasites 'across the landscape' and the leptospirosis bacteria can 'cause abortion in the deer'.

LaCour added that the bacteria can also kill an adult deer or 'people'.

[C19fan]

Map from 2004. Those hogs are taking over:

http://swine.vet.uga.edu/nfsms/information/map2004.htm

[Bitsy]

Pythons might eat nutria.

True. They would love to snack on some nutria but they would also love people as well. I don’t think I want to take that chance. The food change is getting longer and longer.

[Tax-chick]

I was really joking about the snakes. The obvious choice is to shoot the pigs.

[Texan5]

Unfortunately introduced species never do anything but make matters worse-introducing them should never be allowed again, anywhere. The hogs should be hunted for food and people ought to eat them-they are not full of hormones and crap like any domestic hogs that are not free ranged.

That is a simple, natural solution that is used by those not averse to eating wild game other than deer-especially if it is free. Wild hogs are lean pork if they have been raiding crops-not as gamey tasting as when they live completely off what the land provides-and there are many recipes to minimize the gamey flavor, as well-I have two cookbooks of wild game recipes, and I’ve prepared more than one meal of wild hog-my 1st husband was ranch kid like me, and an avid hunter of hogs as well as other game because we preferred our meat without chemicals-shoot hog, field dress, take to slaughterhouse/locker plant to have butchered and packaged for freezer-enjoy...

I hunt deer and other game, but never bagged a hog-I’m as terrified of the things as I would be of a bear-but I have my .270 and feral hog is on my bucket list...

[mad_as_he$$]

Most of Nevada does not have feral hogs. There is a rumor that they have been spotted in one area that is not what I would consider hog country. We are doing an aerial survey of the area this weekend. If we see any they will be exterminated with extreme prejudice. Full auto baby!

[Ditter]

Justin Lanclos doesn't know what he is talking about. A friend went hog hunting on our place on the Texas coast the other day. He got 2 hogs and saw over 40 deer.

[Texan5]

I have plenty of recipes for game, including feral hog, but most people from cities won’t even eat venison or rabbit, never mind pork from outside the factory farm. If more people ate free-ranged meat, they would already be used to meat that actually has a real flavor and probably be willing to try wild game.

[PGR88]

A population boom of feral hogs across the US is threatening the deer population as hunters face unwanted competition with the wild beasts that spread disease and kill and eat deer fawns.

So hunt the hogs instead. It would probably be more fun to hunt them than deer anyway, and with an added element of danger too.

[Mr. K]

yes they are! they are EVERYWHERE

I see them walking down streets some time

It would sure be an awful place to come to if you didn’t like pigs.

For some reason...

[PGR88]

What does feral hog taste like? Some have told me its inedible, others have said, just cook it low and slow, like BBQ and it will come out alright.

[Mr. K]

I am sure you are wrong

The WHOLE COUNTRY has them wandering all over. There is not one single shred of land that hasn’t got pig poop on it!

If you had some reason to want to avoid pigs, it would sure be awful

[Mr. K]

When the SHTF it will taste like bacon

[Texan5]

No shortage of deer or hogs out here, either-there are mountain lions here, but they never bother livestock-they are hell on domestic pets that run loose, but I’d guess they consider wild piglets take-out meals, too...

[Doomonyou]

We need some ex-Vietnam doorgunners to kill them from helicopters.

See:

http://www.porkchoppersaviation.com

If you got the money, its a bloody gas! (That's not me, but I did blast some pigs (and coyotes) from a helicopter last week!) And you don't have to be an ex-Nam vet to play!

Here in Texas has two million plus of the bastards tearing up the place.

Deer hunter Justin Lanclos, 33, told Fox that if there are hogs in 'your hunting area, you are absolutely not going to see deer'.

Maybe in Louisiana, but in an hour and a half trigger time in the copter we saw 50 deer or so. We should have or video of our hunt in a week or two.

[SunkenCiv]

Sounds like a good thing to publicize to keep out the muzzies.

[bubbacluck]

It would sure be an awful place to come to if you didn’t like pigs.

I hear they are "unclean". And extremely so. Maybe I heard wrong, though.

[T-Bird45]

We need some ex-Vietnam doorgunners to kill them from helicopters.

That is exactly what is going to be done by The Nature Conservancy on 40,000 acres they own in north-central OK called the Tallgrass Prairie Preserve. The Preserve is about maintaining the last remaining tall grass prairie in its natural state with only three natural forces: grazing bison, fire, climate. The hogs upset this ecosystem by plowing up the prairie and upsetting the cycle for various grasses. TNC has been told this method is the only effective way to reduce the feral hog numbers. Their gestation period is 3 months, 3 weeks, and 3 days, meaning each sow can bear 5 litters in 24 months.

[dennisw]

Money well spent. Envy!!!!

[Bratch]

Hmm.

This might explain the declining sales at Walmart.

[dennisw]

And cool that you get a video of your fun time...to show others and relive it a little bit.