Before I hit post. I would like to have y'all's opinions on my reply. This is what I have spent a few hours writing, and rewriting, and editing and rewriting....
"I have been thinking on how to approach you on this article for most of the day before replying and can honestly say that I am still having a bit of a hard time deciding upon how I am going to explain this to you but here goes.
First off, shame on you. You publicly and derogatorily criticized a sport and lifestyle that you know nothing about using untrue and biased opinions. My cousin and I have a few different opinions on Hog Dogging, however, thanks to you we did come to an agreement on one thing. There is a huge difference between ignorance, and stupidity. A person who is ignorant is someone who does not have knowledge about a certain subject, but is willing to learn. A person who is stupid is someone who does not have knowledge about a certain subject, and is unwilling to learn. I'll let you draw your own conclusion as to which group you belong to.
Now, we can get down to the nitty gritty. I have used my dogs to hunt pigs with for most of my adult life. I cannot begin to tell you how much money I have invested not only in the best food that money can buy for them, but also in making sure they are vaccinated, wormed, and have the proper shelter and room to keep them happy and comfortable. I have also spent thousands of dollars in equipment to keep my dogs safe while we are in the woods. Collars, Vests, and tracking devices so that I know where each of my dogs are at any given time, and that they are wearing more, and better armor than most police officers do. Do I compete in Hog Baying competitions? Yes, a few a year, and here is why. First, because I am proud to own a few dogs that people admire, and enjoy watching them do what they were bred to do. Second, because it gives me a controlled setting to correct mistakes my dogs make that could get them hurt while in the woods. Now, you made several remarks on the treatment of the pigs that were so off base that it thoroughly shocked me. First off, I have never, ever seen bolt cutters to remove a hogs teeth. What I have seen is their teeth dubbed, or ground down with a file, much in the same way that the dentist prepares your teeth for a crown filling. Second, as previous people have said, we do not willingly allow a dog to ever harm a hog. You are not only disqualified from the competition, but you are also frowned upon and not invited back in many instances. The hogs that are selected to be used in the competition are treated like royalty. They are given the best food, a wallowing hole, fresh water, and shade to enjoy. If you watch them lounging around, they are pretty happy individuals. You very highly incorrectly said that we allow the pigs to be torn up and left to bleed to death. Well, as I mentioned previously, our dogs are not allowed to bite or attack a hog, so therefore why would a pig be bleeding, much less be left in that state to slowly die? I can say with 100% conviction and assurance that not one hog hunter, or any other hunter, is willing to, nor will allow any animal to suffer in such a manner. It is wrong.
You mentioned "attack" dogs several times. I would love to know what you mean by this. If you are saying that the dogs and hogs ignore each other until the dog's owner commands him to attack, unprovoked, then you are very wrong. None of my dogs will even attack a piece of bread on command much less an animal bigger than they are. They catch the hog because they want to, because it poses a threat not only to their own safety, but also to me. They also do not "attack" the hog, they simply hold the pig still until I am able to get my hands on the pig and immobilize it. At that point they should release and allow me to handle the situation.
My last point. You mentioned reintroducing feral hogs into domestic farms. This was the greatest source of laughter for me through the entire article. You see, I know many farmers that raise pigs, and they will all tell you, and any other poor soul, that they won't take them. They carry diseases and parasites that domestic pigs are not able to handle. Feral hogs are also no where near the same quality as a domestic pigs, nor will they adapt to a domestic situation.
I beg you to do your research, get your facts correct, talk to people that you are so passionately ridiculing before you write another article so bogus, and untrue as this one.
If you have any questions, and would like to calmly discuss anything I have written here, feel free to contact me at
rivard_meagan@yahoo.com.
