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Hogs gone wild: Texas declares war
cnews.canoe.ca ^ | 6 Oct 2010 | Ed Stoddard

Posted on 10/07/2010 10:22:12 AM PDT by smokingfrog

October is not be the best month to be a feral hog in the Texas.

The state’s Agriculture Commissioner Todd Staples has declared October “Hog Out Month - Get the Hog Outta Texas!” as part of a campaign to eradicate the pests.

The campaign aims to get Texans to lock and load and hunt down the animals, which cause widespread damage to farmers and other landowners.

“Not only are feral hogs a costly nuisance to agricultural operations and wildlife habitats, but they are increasingly finding their way into urban areas and destroying residents’ yards, public parks and golf courses,” Staples said in a statement this week when the campaign was unveiled.

“On my ranch in East Texas, I have eliminated a number of hogs and I am asking Texans around the state to step up and join the county challenge to learn about feral hogs and how best to legally hunt and trap them in their area,” he added.

Feral hogs are mostly domestic pigs that have gone wild, with some European wild boars that have escaped from exotic game ranches thrown into the mix and bloodlines.

State officials estimate the feral hog population in Texas to be around 2 million and they are estimated to cause around $400 million in damage annually as they eat or root up pastures, crops and even golf courses.

This makes them one of the most costly invasive species in the country.

The campaign may not please some animal rights groups but Texas farmers don’t need much prompting to pull the trigger when it comes to feral hogs.

Their numbers are growing because they are prolific breeders with few natural predators and are moving into suburban and urban areas.

(Excerpt) Read more at cnews.canoe.ca ...


TOPICS: News/Current Events; US: Texas
KEYWORDS: banglist; hogout; hogs; hunting; toddstaples
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To: SVTCobra03

.44 Mag is fine...But yes, .308 works great...

My old man uses his old .222, but he doesn’t miss and knocks em right behind the ears. DRT. (Dead Right There.) I aim for behind the neck or into the shoulder and I am not afraid to spend lead on hogs. They tear up the fences and get into the feed.

Was looking at the AA .50 Beowulf...because that just looks like fun.


41 posted on 10/07/2010 11:02:21 AM PDT by WAW (Which enumerated power?)
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To: WAW
.44 Mag is fine...But yes, .308 works great...

"This is an .88 Magnum....it shoots through schools."

42 posted on 10/07/2010 11:03:37 AM PDT by dfwgator (Texas Rangers - AL West Champions)
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To: Conservativegreatgrandma
Leave 'em be and get the word out everywhere that these beasts root, crap and die all over Texas. No undeveloped plot of land is immune.

Texas is not suitable for Mosque building. Leave it to the infidels and move on to better land.

43 posted on 10/07/2010 11:11:56 AM PDT by 5thGenTexan
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To: smokingfrog

I can never figure out why we don’t have wild hogs in Iowa


44 posted on 10/07/2010 11:14:35 AM PDT by PeterPrinciple ( Seeking the truth here folks.)
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To: Rational Thought
Feral Hog Link Sausage

10 pounds of lean hog meat

5 pounds of hog fat or bacon ends

4 1/2 ounces of Adkins Sausage Seasoning (16 ounces to 50 lbs. meat package)

3 teaspoons of Prague #1 Powder*

6 teaspoons of liquid smoke

1 quart of ice water

2 tablespoons of hickory salt

4 tablespoons of red pepper flakes**

6 ounces of soy protein concentrate*

Grind and mix meat and fat. Add spices in ice water and pour over mixture. Mix by hand and stuff into 1 to 1 1/2 inch diameter casings. Cook fresh, freeze or smoke. Makes 15 pounds of links.

45 posted on 10/07/2010 11:15:07 AM PDT by Timocrat
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To: SVTCobra03
You need .308 for hogs

Someday.....for now 5.56 works just fine....


46 posted on 10/07/2010 11:17:00 AM PDT by Envisioning (Call me a racist,........one more time.....)
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To: Nervous Tick

I’ve listen to a few co-workers who deer hunt in central-western Texas who claim the feral hogs on their lease taste horrible.

Any difference to preparing a feral hog versus store bought pork for taste?


47 posted on 10/07/2010 11:25:56 AM PDT by thackney (life is fragile, handle with prayer)
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To: equalitybeforethelaw

The Hogs will be making their way to Arlington, TX, this Saturday for a game against Texas A & M.


48 posted on 10/07/2010 11:29:29 AM PDT by Verginius Rufus
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To: Lurker
They’ve become a problem as far north as Wisconsin which has a “shoot all you want” policy.

The Missouri Department of Conservation says:

Feral Hogs... shoot'em on sight!

49 posted on 10/07/2010 11:31:22 AM PDT by TYVets
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To: PeterPrinciple
Reports of wild hogs in Iowa go back to the 1800s.

See last two paragraphs.

50 posted on 10/07/2010 11:32:58 AM PDT by smokingfrog (Because you don't live near a bakery doesn't mean you have to go without cheesecake.)
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To: smokingfrog
“Simple Tips and Reminders For Cooking Wild Boar.

A good thing to know and keep in mind before you start preparing Wild Pork is that the meat contains much less fat than Domestic or Production Pork. The meat will be a bit darker and the grain will be tighter.
This doesn't mean the meat will be tough or taste bad. It just simply means that if not prepared correctly it can be dry compared to store bought pork. This is important to remember when baking, smoking, or grilling whole portions such as legs, ribs and other large portions.
Another good point to keep in mind is that Wild Pork has different fat than domestic or Production Pork.
Wild Pork will have “Soft Fat” and Production Pork will have “Hard Fat”.
Soft Fat is not as desirable and should be trimmed away when possible. It is worth noting,, that soft fat is not nearly so unhealthy as hard fat.

Bigger boar are often criticized and marked as tough and not fit for table fare, well folks,, that is flat out WRONG!! Lots of HIGH CLASS RESERAUNTS consider Wild Boar as a Fine Table Fare and the bigger older boar is preferred. Most every one is familiar with the commercial slaughter house for Wild Hog in Devine TX. They want hogs over 200 pounds and pay more per pound for those hogs. This meat is being served in restaurants with more stars than what shines in the sky and one Medallion OF Wild Boar cost more than the guns we used to kill’em with.
If the meat is prepared correctly BEFORE COOKING it will be the best pork of all.
The first thing to make sure of, is a quick clean kill is made on any game animal. If the animal was chased, gut shot, or died a slow death then then a strong taste could result. There is a solution to this problem though.”

http://www.texasboars.com/articles/recipes.html

51 posted on 10/07/2010 11:36:18 AM PDT by faucetman (Just the facts ma'am, just the facts)
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To: smokingfrog

may be, But I never saw any when I used to hunt and don’t hear of it in the last 40 years.


52 posted on 10/07/2010 11:42:41 AM PDT by PeterPrinciple ( Seeking the truth here folks.)
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To: rahbert
"...Isn’t hog hunting a big industry in TX? The hunters really don’t want the hogs completely gone...."

I read a quote from a TX DF&W officer sho said that it is statistically impossible to kill all the wild pigs in Texas. The best we can hope for is the suppression of their numbers.

I hope to take my first pig in the next few months just south of Victoria, with a Mosin-Nagant.

53 posted on 10/07/2010 11:56:54 AM PDT by I Buried My Guns (Novare Res!)
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To: smokingfrog

Two things:

I look for Staples to eventually run for governor one of these days. Just thought I would throw that in for information. He comes from where I live.

Secondly, I’ve seen these things in my neighborhood and they are absolutely horrible. They will destroy a lawn in short order. I’ve had them come close to my house which my wife observed although I didn’t see them. But they are as dreadful and damaging as one can imagine. I don’t know which is worse, the hogs or the fire ants. Have heard differing views on their suitability to eat. I just want to see them gone.


54 posted on 10/07/2010 11:57:53 AM PDT by RichardW
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To: RichardW

Todd Staples, Jerry Patterson or Gregg Abbott will probably be the top 3 [R] contenders next time around.


55 posted on 10/07/2010 12:10:32 PM PDT by smokingfrog (Because you don't live near a bakery doesn't mean you have to go without cheesecake.)
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To: I Buried My Guns

I guess you didn’t bury all your guns...


56 posted on 10/07/2010 12:12:56 PM PDT by smokingfrog (Because you don't live near a bakery doesn't mean you have to go without cheesecake.)
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To: thackney

>> I’ve listen to a few co-workers who deer hunt in central-western Texas who claim the feral hogs on their lease taste horrible.

I have a friend in Houston who is “Mr. Pig”. He does it all: backstrap, barbecue ribs, chops, sausage. I have had the barbecue and the sausage and it’s EXCELLENT. He is selfish with his backstrap, I have yet to shake any loose from him. :-)

As I recall from talking with Mr. Pig, there are (at least) two points: a) Cook “right sized” pigs; big enough to be worth it but not so big that they aren’t good any more. And b) it’s IMPERATIVE to field dress properly because there are smelly parts you have to properly remove or you WILL taint the meat.

He promises to let me tag along some time when he dresses a pig; I’m looking forward to learning how.

>> Any difference to preparing a feral hog versus store bought pork for taste?

Not that I recall; it’s more in the dressing than in how you cook it.

Mr. Pig gets a lot of his hogs from central Texas, as do Mrs. Tick’s relatives (on their place in south Central Texas they are overrun with the things).

FRegards


57 posted on 10/07/2010 12:18:24 PM PDT by Nervous Tick (Trust in God, but row away from the rocks!)
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To: smokingfrog

Those hogs are a damned nuisance in East Texas. I’ve had as much as an acre of land ruined overnight. The ruts can be so deep that you can’t drive over them without a 4-wheel drive. I see much more damage during drought years.


58 posted on 10/07/2010 12:27:22 PM PDT by TexasRepublic (Socialism is the gospel of envy and the religion of thieves)
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To: Rational Thought
Wouldn’t these make numerous tasty meals??

Depends. Sows and piglets are good, but we always caught the boar live, neutered it, and kept it in a pen feeding it grain for about a week.

Otherwise, the meat's really nasty.

59 posted on 10/07/2010 12:36:23 PM PDT by MamaTexan (I am a Person as created by the Law of Nature, not a person as created by the laws of Man)
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To: rahbert

Ranches used to charge you extra if you wanted to shoot hogs. Now if you go deer hunting, they want you to get your deer quickly and spend the rest of your time shooting as many hogs as possible.


60 posted on 10/07/2010 12:50:55 PM PDT by rocket002 (99% of Democrats give the rest a bad name.)
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