Here, piggy piggy: U.S. turns to military gear in hunt for feral swine

Reuters ^ | Fri May 23, 2014 12:15pm EDT | P.J. Huffstutter

[Olog-hai]

The U.S. Agriculture Department is known for its army of statisticians packing yardsticks and calculators to measure wheat and count soybeans.

But the agency needs more firepower for another kind of rural reckoning and is gearing up with thermal imaging weapons.

In its crosshairs are aggressive feral hogs that can weigh more than 400 lbs (180 kg) and have been known to carry off newborn calves. They cause about $1.5 billion of damage every year to farm communities and fields, say department officials, and now there are worries they may help spread a deadly pig virus.

So the USDA wants to buy thermal scopes that snap onto high-powered rifles to kill the wild beasts. …

[Mariner]

A $100 bounty will eradicate them far cheaper.

[Lurker]

The Price of Free Corn.

[dangerdoc]

Thanks, I’ll keep that in mind.

My wife’s family owns a half section near Anadarko, OK. I don’t know how good the hog hunting is down there so I’ve been looking into Texas also.

[SgtHooper]

Waaaay overpriced, but after all, it is the govey tossing our money at toys they want. I would block the purchase since these may ultimately be used on the citizenry.