Posted on 08/05/2025 11:50:01 AM PDT by nickcarraway
A wildlife trapper in Monterey County made an unexpected discovery after capturing a series of wild pigs in March of this year. While processing the animals, the trapper found several with blue-tinged muscles and fat tissues. The bizarre discoloration is a result of exposure to diphacinone, an anticoagulant rodenticide that is often dyed to identify it as a poison, according to the California Department of Fish and Wildlife.
In an email to SFGATE, Fish and Wildlife pesticide investigations coordinator Ryan Bourbour said that the trapper observed the wild pigs eating directly from rodenticide bait stations. The scope of the contamination appears extensive across the southern part of Monterey County and along the Salinas River, according to KSBW-TV.
Wild pigs are adaptable hybrid creatures. Part domesticated pig, part wild boar, they can weigh upward of 200 pounds and now live in 56 out of 58 counties across the state. SFGATE previously reported on their increasingly aggressive behavior, including charging at a hiker.
Vince Bruzzone, owner of Full Boar Trapping & Wildlife Control, is familiar with the oddity. “I have heard of this happening in agricultural ‘heavy’ areas like Salinas and other parts of the Central Coast,” he told SFGATE in an email.
(Excerpt) Read more at sfgate.com ...
Are you gonna pull those pistols or whistle Dixie?
Craziest thing about this article is that California still allows trapping. Poor widdle piggies.
What would you suggest?
European explorers had a lot of trouble
keeping up with their pigs and horses.
These boars were released on purpose to breed and multiply so they would be a food source on their return.
Apparently the wild pigs aren’t as smart as the rats. Rats will avoid the bait stations if they already have a food source.
In the Ozarks you shoot wild hogs and let them lay. Most are infected with Psudo-rabies.
There were electronically controlled poison stations under study where the device closes down to all animals other than pigs. Don’t know how far that got and I don’t recall what poison they used.
Earlier this century, there were at least five people that had gone to prison in Texas for importing releasing Russian boars into the wild.
Those five and others not caught are the reason Texas is over-run with feral hogs.
“Poor widdle piggies”
“What would you suggest?”
I like those big steel traps that can be dropped remotely on whole families of hogs. Then, a 22lr to the noggin. Then, dressem out and just take the meat. Leave the hide, bones and guts. Buzzards and possums got to eat too. I’m also huge fan of hog hunting with auto loading shotguns from flying helicopters.
Seriously. I’m pro trapping and hunting. I’ve trapped and ate more than 400 squirrels and a canoe full of raccoons and rabbits. Mepps spinners used to give me $.50 per squirrel tail until they said they had enough for a long time.
I’m just surprised California is still okay with trapping considering how fouled up that state is.
Did you eat the the squirrels?
Nope. DeSoto had herds of Spanish/Cuban domestic hogs with him. From the initial stock of animals, De Soto’s herd of swine increased to a reported total of 700. Over a three-year period, De Soto and his army traveled through what are now 14 states. Along the 3,100-mile journey, the hogs variously escaped into the wild and were either given to or stolen by the Indians encountered by the Spaniards.
I live in a town along the Tallapoosa river that De Soto visited.
Beginning in the 1890s, pure Eurasian wild boar were introduced into several areas of the United States to provide a new huntable big game species for wealthy sportsmen. All of these initial introductions were into fenced shooting preserves (e.g., Corbin’s Park, NH; Litchfield Park, NY; Hooper Bald, NC). Many were followed by secondary introductions into other locations. A number of these later releases were made into unfenced areas. In other instances, the wild boar were able to break out of and escape the fenced enclosures where they were being maintained. In such areas where feral hogs were already established, interbreeding between the two forms readily occurred, further complicating the taxonomic composition of the wild hogs found in those areas.
Feral pigs and wild boars are both wild swine that are known for their aggressive behavior and destructive habits. However, there are some key differences between the two species. Feral pigs are domestic pigs that have escaped captivity and become wild, while wild boars are a separate species of wild swine native to Europe and Asia. Wild boars tend to be larger and more aggressive than feral pigs, with longer tusks and a more pronounced snout. Both species are considered invasive pests in many regions and can cause significant damage to crops and natural habitats.
Feral pigs and wild boars are both members of the pig family, but they have some distinct physical differences. Feral pigs tend to be smaller in size, with an average weight of around 200 pounds. They have a more slender build and longer legs compared to wild boars. On the other hand, wild boars are larger and more robust, with males weighing up to 500 pounds or more. They have shorter legs and a stockier build, making them more powerful and aggressive in appearance.
Wild boar is a pit bull disguised as a pig.
Pit bull is a Grizzly bear disguised as a dog.
“Did you eat the the squirrels?”
I ate most of them myself. I also shared them with a senior couple from West Virginia who loved them.
I cooked 5 at a time in my pressure cooker - gave me about 2 cups of meat which I used in a lot of different dishes. I made squirrel jerky which was surprisingly good. My favorite was making pulled squirrel bbq sandwiches. Yummmm.
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.