are hogs really that bad?

[cliffhanger]

I live in Va, there are two small established herds in the state. I have access to one of them, the other is on a state run wildlife preserve and hunting is by draw only and no dogs. I have read and heard for years about how devastating hogs were to native game and land. They are awful on the turkey and quail and so on. Aren't there A LOT of hogs in Texas, Alabama and Georgia? The same states that boast some of the best turkey and quail hunting in the country! There hasn't been a huntable population of bobwhite quail in my neck of the woods in damn near 40 years and hogs have never been in these woods.
 Even the hog hunting shows on tv portray hogs as demons and the only reason for hunting them is to get rid of them. I mean really!?! If you got rid of them all, then what? Sell their dogs and take up crocheting? Bullsh@#! Isn't the love of the hunt the reason we do it? What else can you hunt with dogs 12 months outa the year?
 I guess what I'm asking is if you could stop the hog from ever being brought to this country and released-would you? Or would you be like me and get the settlers to bring more and turn em loose in ever state? Lol

[redline]

Really depends on what side of the fence you are. If you enjoy hunting them then obviously you like them and want them around.

If you are the farmer or homeowner who has just woken up to find all your crops ruined, or your lawn turned from green grass to tilled dirt you probably hope they are eliminated soon.

They cause a lot of damage they can change the landscape through their rooting, consume lots of acorns and other foods our native creatures need.

The reality is though they are here to stay until we develop all the land into subdivisions then the hogs will have no place to live and BAM hog problem solved.

[redline]

Also wanted to say on my rural property there are tons of hogs, and turkeys, and quail.

I think coyotes, racoons, bobcats, and opossum are far more devastating to the bird populations then any hogs would be.

[Purebreedcolt]

Your talking a double edge sword.  I love hunting them but hate hogs.  Yes they can be hard on native wildlife aand horrible on farmers.

[cliffhanger]

I understand about the crops and the yard, but I can't wrap my mind around the food competition thing, I've raised butcher hogs for years and I do realize how much a sounder can consume but are native species really starving because the hog are eating all the mast?

[cliffhanger]

why do you hate em? Just curious

[Jared H.]

Might be a dumb question but what are we calling native wildlife.  Wild hogs came with Columbus right?  theyve been around a long time.  I understand there was deer and other animals here before,  just wondering.  How about cattle?  Would you call them native?  Look how they've changed North America.

[chestonmcdowell]

I know this isn't natural for deer or other wilddlife but I had a corn trough and we put about 200 pounds of corn in it every 3 weeks. Deer raccoon's turkeys ate off this corn for three weeks and there was still some corn left in the trough. Then a group of about 10 sows and piglets and 1 or 2 large boars came through and within 5 days the corn was gone and they had dug holes and ruts under the feeder. The ground couldn't be walked on it was so beat up. It was horrible. And most of the brush had been beat to nothing to.. and 200 pounds of corn isn't cheap!!

[halfbreed]

all these hogs need to go end of story  , yes those states do still advertise bountifull populations of turkey and quail . what would you expect them to boast of ? the truth . so that everybody will run to their states to hunt turkey that are on the decline . or small skinny deer that haven't been able to sustain themselves on what the hogs left . come to texas and see the truth about what hogs will do to the eco-system . the more hogs you have competeing with the native species for the mast crops the less native species will survive , thats just mathmatics 101 lol as far as georgia goes check out the pen raiseing and release programs they have on the quail plantations for people to come and hunt . if you still have a chance to wipe them out where you are at do it . then go back to coon and rabbit huntin like we used to do , just as much fun just a little less meat for the freezer . hogs be damned if i could kill em all tomorrow theyed be dead .

[sfboarbuster]

I wouldn't mind at all if every damn deer in this country was eradicated so the hog population could grow some more!

[Purebreedcolt]

Why do I hate them.  The fences they tear up the hay fields they tear up they springs they durn near ruin the deer protein they eat have even been known to open gates taken them off the hinges kill and eat fawns and any thing else they can catch making durn rattlers not rattle these are just some of the things I hate about them.

[TexasHogDogs]

I love'em can't imgine what I would do if there were not hogs !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Bring'em on dump'em right here in Texas !  We'll thin them out and grow some more!

[Peachcreek]

i wish they would come around my place and root up my yard.. 

[Jason Dunn]

I dont think there that bad I have the prime habitat for them but they just dont seem to want to hang around we got bottom land good acorn crops and I start feeders in August I just cant see how some areas are over populated the deer hunters here masacre them I kill a few but I have been Barring some only killing the ones tore up to bad to let go hell I even Vacinate and worm them but I have yet to catch the same hog twice coyotes now thats my problem. I love to chase them suckers good or bad.

[Curcross1987]

I wouldn't mind at all if every damn deer in this country was eradicated so the hog population could grow some more!

X2

[cliffhanger]

I wouldn't mind at all if every damn deer in this country was eradicated so the hog population could grow some more!

LOL I have hunt deer just about every way you can, a lot with dogs and I've taken a lot deer and not one of those hunts was as exciting as hog dogging. I still coon hunt and have rabbit beagles. Just ain't the same, I've walked to hundreds of trees and wished there was something bigger and badder in the top, thank the good Lord we've got a growing bear population but  limited to only a month of chase and a month of kill season.
 maybe if we were over run with hogs I'd feel differently but I get more turned on by tusks more than I do antlers nowadays.

[cliffhanger]

I hear ya about the coyotes, they have been making a strong comeback here in the east and they are playing hell on everything from rabbits to house dogs. Turkeys don't even want to gobble because of em, had 5 different birds this past spring sneak in silent, or they gobble in the tree and not say a word once on the ground. Calf crop is hurting too.

[3-Bdogs]

I love watching my dogs work on hogs an the thrill of not knowing how big it is as much as the next guy ... But when you make a living off the land as I and many others do you can't help but not want them gone when you tear up high dollar equipment and lose crop which in return means less money for my family then yes I hate them have you ever spent days plowing and planting something only to come back a few days and its ruined? It's a pain il tell you but I do love the sport just not as much as my livelyhood

[Bo Pugh]

I wouldn't mind at all if every damn deer in this country was eradicated so the hog population could grow some more!

i agree with you. to me a deer aint nothing but a goat it wouldnt bother me if they was extinct it would be way more places to run dogs.

[cliffhanger]

I see where you are coming from, I'm a cop and if it weren't  for crackheads and hoodrats I'd be out of a job.  I've got cattle too and I guess I'd be pretty turned off by em if the tore my pasture up. Maybe