Feral hogs in OK

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Cowman

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I live south of Fort Cobb. They did not exterminate the Crows. The survivors move to a different location. We still have some Crows show up. But, the Government changed the farm program. Not as many Peanuts grown. So they don't have the food source we once had. Now we have the dammed geese eatin and crapin all over. They really like to crap in Fort Cobb Lake and on the shore. They like wheat. The hogs here, were brought in by a individual who thought he could make money. By charging farmers to hunt them. He died though so his plan did not work for him. But, the hogs remain. I think the hogs are contributing to the reduced Quail population. Can't prove it. But, I think they eat the eggs. I don't miss the Crows. Would not mind if the geese and hogs disappeared off the planet. Regards
 

Oklahomabassin

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I live south of Fort Cobb. They did not exterminate the Crows. The survivors move to a different location. We still have some Crows show up. But, the Government changed the farm program. Not as many Peanuts grown. So they don't have the food source we once had. Now we have the dammed geese eatin and crapin all over. They really like to crap in Fort Cobb Lake and on the shore. They like wheat. The hogs here, were brought in by a individual who thought he could make money. By charging farmers to hunt them. He died though so his plan did not work for him. But, the hogs remain. I think the hogs are contributing to the reduced Quail population. Can't prove it. But, I think they eat the eggs. I don't miss the Crows. Would not mind if the geese and hogs disappeared off the planet. Regards
I am working on both as much as I can. I am just shy of 30 hogs killed so far this year. Geese ha ha piles and piles between me and my buddies. I wish they would allow bigger harvest limits for geese. They are really becoming a problem.
 

BadgeBunny

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I am working on both as much as I can. I am just shy of 30 hogs killed so far this year. Geese ha ha piles and piles between me and my buddies. I wish they would allow bigger harvest limits for geese. They are really becoming a problem.

No kidding ... I've seen those geese over by Overholser chase runners, walkers bikers and kids ... Of course if people wouldn't feed them, for heaven's sake ... But what do you do?? City folks ... sheesh ...

There have been a few here and there come down into our neighborhood but it's few and far between that that happens ... so far ... I expect it will get worse over the years though. We are way too close to their food and water source and they have absolutely no fear of anything anymore. Guess I'll just booby-trap the front yard when they get thick enough. I hate the damned things. Never seen such a poop machine -- unless maybe it's those meat chickens ... but those guys aren't running around on my lawn ... or the sidewalk I'm trying to walk the dogs down ...
 

tntrex

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Hog population should be eradicated, not made into a sport. People ask me if I have hogs on my place. I do not, but they are not far.
 

Okie4570

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http://news.yahoo.com/feral-pigs-going-hog-wild-us-170222887.html
Related ContentView PhotoThis wild boar is a real porker. …
Feral pigs are becoming a wild problem in the United States.

The wild hogs can now be found in three-fourths of U.S. states — and their populations are growing in many areas — and are estimated to cause $1.5 billion in damages each year, the Associated Press reports. There are currently more than 5 million wild hogs in the United States, according to the U.S. Department of Agriculture.

By all accounts, the animals are quite intelligent. They also sport razor-sharp tusks and can be aggressive toward people and pets. They have a remarkable knack for causing trouble, ranging from eating threatened species like dune lizards and spreading invasive weeds to carrying and transmitting more than 30 different kinds of diseases to humans, livestock and other wildlife, according to the AP. Feral pigs’ habit of digging and rooting around in the ground also tears up gardens and crop fields, and creates holes in roads that serve as hazards for cars and tractors.

$1 million hunt

But the state of New Mexico isn't letting the pigs get away with those antics. The state recently partnered with the U.S. Department of Agriculture on a $1 million project to hunt, trap and kill the animals. The plan is to hit the animals in a single coordinated effort, because the pigs are so smart that they can learn from failed efforts to trap them and avoid the snares in the future.

"They're much brighter than I am," Ray Powell, a veterinarian and New Mexico's land commissioner, told the AP. "If they had the dexterity, they'd be driving vehicles around. I mean these guys are really smart."

Hunters will also employ a "Judas pig." After finding and killing a hog family, officials will intentionally leave one pig alive — usually, an adult female. This "Judas pig" will then be outfitted with a tracking collar in order to lead state officials to a new set of pigs, which the surviving hog will seek out, the AP reports. [Image Gallery: The Most Destructive Invasive Species]

Multiplying hogs

Texas may have the most wild hogs of any U.S. state, and the situation is expected to worsen, despite the $7 million per year that Texans spends to keep the animals' numbers down, the AP reports. A recent study by Texas A&M University found that the number of feral pigs is likely to triple in five years in the state of Texas if serious efforts aren't made to reduce feral-pig populations, according to the Lubbock Avalanche-Journal.

"If a feral-hog sow produces a dozen piglets, 13 survive," goes an old joke, according to the Avalanche-Journal. But feral-pig reproduction is no laughing matter. The animals may start reproducing when they’re just 6 months old, and their litters average about six sows, reports Mississippi State University. They produce an average of 1.5 litters per year.

Feral pigs were introduced to North America in the 1500s by Spanish explorers and were used for hunting. In the wild, they can grow to be up to 300 pounds (136 kilograms) or more, according to U.S. government figures. Not one to shy away from controversy (or porcine genocide), the rock musician Ted Nugent killed 455 wild hogs in a recent hunting expedition in Texas. "I did it for Bill Maher and all those other animal-rights freaks out there," Nugent said, according to Mlive.com. He allegedly donated the meat to the homeless.
 

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