Posted on 01/24/2010 6:30:19 PM PST by NCjim
KNOXVILLE, Tenn. — National park biologists are trying to come to grips with a hog infestation in the Great Smoky Mountains National Park.
In 2009, the park's hog team removed 620 wild hogs, the third highest since the hog control program started in the late 1950s. Biologists say the hog population spiked last year because of a bountiful mast crop that enabled the sows to produce more than one litter.
Park biologist Bill Stiver told the Knoxville News-Sentinel the introduction of wild, semi-domesticated hogs into the park has made hog control even more difficult.
"The speculation is that hunters are illegally releasing feral pigs that eventually make their way inside the park," Stiver said. "It's a major problem not just here, but all over North America."
He said numerous hogs killed this year had spotted markings and curly tails associated with domestic pigs.
"We're getting a handful of animals that morphologically look different from our traditional wild boar," Stiver said. "Some of them act different, too. Instead of running away, they let you walk up to them."
Hogs in the park date to the early 1920s, when a herd of European hogs escaped from a game reserve on Hooper's Bald in the mountains of Graham County, N.C. The wild hogs moved into the park by the 1940s and began to wreak havoc on the ecosystem by eating rare plants and salamanders, defecating in streams and turning up the ground.
Biologists believe the wild hogs that invaded the park already had crossed with free-ranging domestic pigs. Their appearance, however, retained the lean hips, large tusks, straight tails and black hair of their European ancestors.
Since hunting isn't allowed in the Smokies, the park employs a seasonal hog control team that keeps the population in check through hunting and trapping.
(Excerpt) Read more at wral.com ...
What, besides a grizzly bear, can kill and eat a boar? Seems to me wild pig infestations are serious problems.
Sounds like somebody's class project to me.
If we weren't intended to hunt them why are they made of meat?
“It simply amazes me that the government hasn’t figured out that hunters will PAY for the privilege of controlling the population. But nooooooo ...”
Texas has! Big business down here...
Right there's the problem. Everybody bitches about hogs, but hang no hunting signs.
The so-called biologists claim that hunting hogs spreads their population.
It takes a real special kind of stupid to wonder why since hunting was banned the invasive species population skyrockets. A Federal kind of stupid...
In 1977-1979 I worked on a project that involved the NPS, the Wildlife Department of the University of Tennessee, and the Army Reserve where we spent weekends counting the wildlife in the backwoods of the Smokies. We were allowed to carry a .45 and given the freedom to shoot any European Wild boars we came across. We only got three the whole time because they would run the minute we were detected. Even then the European Wild boars were tearing up the less inhabited and traveled areas of the GSNP. I learned how to really read a compass and practice minimum impact camping well. We camped wherever we ended up at dark and sometimes it was on the edge of some really nasty dropoffs. Greatest job for which I was ever paid.
Hogs are a situation where semi-autos would be appropriate for hunts. When there is a pack of them, it is in the interest of the ecology to wipe them all out.
Although 5.56 might be enough for hogs.
Not to hijack the thread or anything but. I was hoping that they would have shot their director of natural resources from a few years back. If you are local to the Smokey Mountains you might know who I am talking about.
The movie Hannibal was filmed partly in Asheville NC (probably an hour or so from the NC side of GSM)
I don’t blame the Biltmore Estate for not signing their name to the credits.
There’s a rather graphic scene featuring wild hogs.
Donate to FR please
Round them up and drop them off in Mecca and Tehran.
Unfortunately, we are in an age of ‘you can’t fix “stupid”. This is where we have to do ‘what’s best’ in spite of stupid. Think of how many families that could be fed... sheesh
My pig is prettier!
Projection?
I have long suspected the rapid spread of cougar in the intermountain west and Northern Plains was 'aided' by releases of breeding pairs.
Some genetics would clear up just how closely related these animals are, and whether they were seeded.
I’ve seen your posts on your “great” experience in the mountains. As you know boars are one tough SOB and attack anything. They should open season in the park. There are enough folks around that would go for it.
I think the problem is that too many hogs have already made ti to Washington
Hunting won’t even solve the problem. Here in Florida they are everywhere and hunting in highly encouraged.
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