Tall Tales and the Unlarded Truth About Hogzilla

NY Times ^ | March 19, 2005 | SHAILA DEWAN

[Pharmboy]

Tune in to the National Geographic Channel Sunday night to see how the big pig story turns out (boy that picture looks real).

[Irish_Thatcherite]

Now all we need is a very large cabbage....

[andyandval]

Interbreeding with farm animals is, of course, a possibility.

Sorry to be trite, but this just reminded me of something...

[benjaminjjones]

Ummm, is there any better food than bacon?

[Fzob]

Ummm, is there any better food than bacon?

Nope. bacon is an amazing food. It makes everything taste better.

[raybbr]

Documented by only a single photograph before the carcass was buried...

Why bury it?

[Renfield]

Back in '96 or '97, when I was living in Darlington, SC, a deer hunter in neighboring Florence County shot a hog that was purported to weigh 850 pounds. The hunter said the hog was chasing a deer. I saw a picture of this hog hanging from the hook of a wrecker (that was the only vehicle that could move the hog), and it looked bigger than the one in the "Hogzilla" photograph. The hog in the "Hogzilla" photograph is big, but I don't think it's 12 feet long, or 1000 pounds.

[Renfield]

Back in '96 or '97, when I was living in Darlington, SC, a deer hunter in neighboring Florence County shot a hog that was purported to weigh 850 pounds. The hunter said the hog was chasing a deer. I saw a picture of this hog hanging from the hook of a wrecker (that was the only vehicle that could move the hog), and it looked bigger than the one in the "Hogzilla" photograph. The hog in the "Hogzilla" photograph is big, but I don't think it's 12 feet long, or 1000 pounds.

[sticker]

Wrong end

[7.62 x 51mm]

Here's that hog pic, pat.

[spetznaz]

Why bury it?

Because, like any good monster tale, the only evidence has to be a picture and a story.

This is why if the Lochness monster was ever captured, its captors would decide on a catch and release program pronto! Or if BigFoot was snared, its trappers would decide that the only humane thing would be to set him free to roam the backlands!

Thus, with any good 'monster story' the creature always has to be portrayed by nothing more than a picture. Infact i am surprised that the pic is clear .....normally one only sees a grainy pic that could be anything from a 100 foot sea serpent to a 1 inch bubble-gum wrapper!

[Irish_Thatcherite]

Funny tagline!

[Pharmboy]

It would attract a lot of scavengers and it would smell real bad.

[Caipirabob]

Ummm, is there any better food than bacon? Nope. bacon is an amazing food. It makes everything taste better.

And it pisses off all sorts of people. Vegetarians, Peta-philes, most liberals... name it. It's the perfect food!

[Pharmboy]

LOL! But rather than a cow, she reminds me more of the piggies in Animal Farm.

[Bear_Slayer]

I find that hogs are amazing creatures.

Their hind legs taste like ham; there belly-sides taste like bacon; and their ribs taste like hickory smoke.

Absolutely astounding!!

[thegreatbeast]

The meat was too gamey to eat, he said...

How was this ascertained? Nowhere is this explained.

[Vigilantcitizen]

Mr. Holyoak has a knack for publicity, and has a wall of articles about his efforts to raise bullfrogs in captivity and his record-breaking fish breeds, like one he calls the Georgia Giant Hybrid Bream. He has theorized that Hogzilla grew so big by feasting on the special fish food used on the farm.

Many of my fellow Georgia outdoorsman, including myself, perscribe to the theory that "Hogzilla" was not a legitimate feral hog, and was fattened up by Mr. Holyoak over a number of years.

To say that Mr. Holyoak has a knack for publicity is a major understatement.

[Vigilantcitizen]

How was this ascertained? Nowhere is this explained.

Once a feral hog gets to a certain age, it's meat isn't as tasty as it used to be. Same goes with catfish.

[Lonesome in Massachussets]

I thought it was a story about the Big Dig (aka the Big Pig).