Great Smoky Mountains National Park battling infestation of hogs

WRAL ^ | January 24, 2010

[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.

[riri]

With the unemployment numbers coming out of that region this may be a good thing. Southerners may need to use them for food if things keep up.

[JustaDumbBlonde]

"Texas has! Big business down here..."

Well, Texas is different and having lived there for a couple of decades, I know this with certainty.

I am impressed that Louisiana is trying to get out in front of this problem. Our local NWR had a printed handout at headquarters this past deer season that encouraged anyone on the NWR to kill every hog that they saw ... no season, no limit (although there are rules about when you can be in possession of a weapon, so I guess there is a season of sorts).

When Gustav hit back in 2008, some wild hogs escaped from an exotic ranch and we were able to harvest 3 of them when they showed up on our property. That is some fine eatin', and will spoil you to pork from the grocery store.

[DNME]

The enviro-whackos won’t enjoy hearing this (or maybe they will — even worse) but we humans do play an important role in the natural order of things.

When humans settle an area, they tend to wipe out the big predators — bears, wolves, big cats. (The greedy bastards want their children to grow up without being eaten!)

But in order to enjoy that peace of mind, constant hunting is REQUIRED, for two very good reasons.

First, the hunters kill the big predators.

Second, they limit the FOOD SUPPLY for the big predators. And there’s the rub!

Hunters are now fading away — who could hurt those adorable animals on Disney and the Discovery Channel? — and we are going to pay for it.

We no longer have predators big enough to feed on wild hogs (and beavers, moose, etc.). But we will. They will return. There’s too much food going to waste in the woods.

Somehow, I don’t think the grizzly bears will be wearing little vests and hats when they return. Nope, probably not ...