Posted on 11/03/2006 8:06:40 AM PST by Conservababe
State hunters asked to take out feral hogs
Friday, November 3, 2006
The Associated Press
SPRINGFIELD, Mo. -- When it comes to killing off Missouri's wild hogs, conservation officials hope hunters will see the job not as a sport, but as a mission.
Voracious, wily and known to carry disease, feral hogs can be killed without a permit at any time of the year in Missouri. In fact, the Department of Conservation encourages hunters to pick them off during firearms seasons for deer and turkeys.
"I can't emphasize strongly enough we want these animals dead," said Bill Heatherly, wildlife protection supervisor for the agency. "We don't want people to hunt them; we want them to kill them."
In some states, feral hogs have been found to carry diseases that can be transmitted to humans and livestock. They're also suspected as the source of the recent E. coli outbreak in some spinach from California.
Feral hogs are domestic animals that go wild or are offspring of domestic hogs and Russian or European boars.
Killing a feral hog can be difficult. Boars and sows with piglets can be mean enough to force hunters to climb trees to escape them, officials said.
"They are a difficult animal to kill because they're real smart," Heatherly said.
If pigs know they're being hunted, they'll move out of an area and can even become nocturnal, he said.
Hogs wariness makes eradication efforts difficult because by the time a hunting team can come together, the animals usually have moved to another area, Heatherly said.
Feral hogs are threats because they are omnivorous.
"They'll compete with deer and turkey for acorns, and are known to eat deer fawns and turkey eggs," he said.
Martensen said herds of rooting hogs can also devastate sensitive environments, cause erosion and pollute water.
"It's just not a lot of good to have feral hogs in Missouri," he said.
Why don't they tranquilize them and the ship them off to the Middle East? Drop a few dozen in Mecca, let some loose in Baghdad, and send the rest to Tehran.
Please.....It's not nice to throw that bitch in my face before coffee!
Semper Fi
This is in a problem in Texas as well. A neighbor had his yard just torn all to hell. He finally solved his problem by installing an small electric fence. He and his neighbor used to trap them and the locals would butcher them for food. But even they couldn't keep up with them after trapping about 20 or more.
They are a true menace. The love lower boggy areas to root around in. That's where they tend to be found.
Carolyn
I've never taken one out but I've gone home with a few.
Did any of them get a second date? ;-P
Yummm. " Pork Fat Rules "
They did, but not from me!.......
Went to bed a 2 with a 10 and woke up at 10 with a 2?.......
I would rather hunt hog then deer. I like the meat better. BUt I will shoot either if they are in season and I get a shot.
I tell ya, to each his own as I always say...but I love wild hog more than venison.
I sure wish you'd bag me one of these, my friend! I'd drive all the way to your front door to get it!
I love wild pig!
Ditto!
I live on the edge of the pig country. All the landowners complain about the hogs, but if you tell them that you will come shoot hogs, all of a sudden the hogs become a very valuable game animal and they want you to pay them $500 per hog that you kill. I find that a truly interesting concept.
Maybe a bounty on them will work like in the old days.........
It is just capitalism at work. The ranchers here bitch about the antelope, but I guarentee you, that it will take at least $1000 of green money to get in to shoot one, meanwhile all the whining goes on about them spreading disease and bindweed.
It's not true. Acorn fed pigs yield tasty, and expensive, hams ideal for smoking and aging. The fat has high levels of anti-oxidants and stays fresh for years.
May I reccommend a book called, "Pig Perfect"?
Carolyn
Same here, only with politicians.......
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