looks like hes wounding quite a few

I have military aerial gunnery expereince, can I play too?

That's a lot of pork to the buzzards, coyotes and maggots. I would like to have just one of those medium size hogs butchered, packaged and in my freezer. And I would like the opportunity to shoot it right behind the ear, and butcher it myself.

KB

This is pest control (wich I haave no problem with),not hunting. What I do have a problem with, is it being called hunting. This will end up on some anti hunting sight as an example of " hunting" I could go on, but I'll leave it at that.

The distinction between "pest control" and waste is not clear with this issue. I can see it both ways of course, and either way it doesn't look good.

Of course I'm assuming that the hogs were just left where they died, and I could be wrong about that. They may have been utilized after all.

The problem I have with "pest control" is really about the situation that caused the need for it in the first place. The "pest control" is after the fact that something went wrong (and is wrong) to bring the situation to where the kind of thing shown in the video is a valid option.

KB

quote:

Originally posted by jsl3170:
looks like hes wounding quite a few

IMHO, to reliably hit a moving target from a moving vehicle, an AR-15 is definitely not the way to go. He would have a much better number of good hits, killing hits, using a shotgun and buckshot - along with a higher probability of getting a hit at all.

Tom

I don't know alot about it, but it is my understanding that many of these shoots have a ground crew to retrieve the hogs and they often are used to feed the homeless.

I think this is an outstanding way to control an invasive and EXTREMELY destructive non-native species. In many areas the hog population has surpassed the level where it can be managed exclusively via sport hunting.

I do not like the idea of wounding and leaving,pets or not. 5.56 sounds a bit too light?

Check this Australian video posted on AR a while ago.
Australian Video

He is using a .308 and the pigs seem to drop instantly.

Best-
Locksly,R

Looked to me like the guys with the AR were doing a good job, but surely the .308 is a better hog whacker than the 223. A ground crew to retrieve some or most of the hogs is a good idea. I know there are a lot of people in rural areas who are not homeless and who would like to have a fresh shot wild hog. Yea, I know what you mean about the population has gone past managment by sport hunting. Too bad, but I sure would like to have more opportunity to do my part.

When I came back from Texas last year I brought back close to 50 lbs of wild hog packeged up real nice. I would have brought more except for baggage restrictions. I cooked some about twice a week for several months until it ran out. Sure was good. I'm going back in January, and plan to get some more and bring back with me as checked baggage - hard frozen.

We shot a lot more pigs than we could use, but the local guys I hunted with already had a network of people who were on a standing list for hogs, anytime day or night. We had no problem finding someone who wanted a fresh dead hog. Our only problem was to get it to them quickly. The weather was right so hanging overnight was an option after gutting, but I'm not crazy about gutting a hog to give away. Of course those that were shot up badly or smelled bad, well they didn't go anywhere.

I haven't been back to Georgia in several years, but family members there tell me that some of the local farmer boys must have some special permit for shooting hogs at night, because there is a lot of shooting going on sometimes way into the night around the farm. That's peanut, soybean and corn farming country. They must be spotlighting, or using night vision. I'm sort of anxious to get back there and check it out. My brother in law tells me there are lots of hogs on the farm. he doesn't hunt much, but I suspect he's right because as far as I know nobody is hunting them. I suspect they may even regard it as sanctuary, because in the surrounding properties apparantly there is a lot of shooting.

KB

Kabluewy, I understand your thought on "pest control", but down here in TX it's way beyond that. I'm 44 and have hunted ALOT since I was 7. In the mid-late 70s, hogs were seldom seen or shot when we deer hunted. Now they run deer off feeders, oats or other crops. I do not know what has caused their numbers to skyrocket, but can tell you that they breed faster than Opromises supporters and are a helluva lot smarter. For the first time in 3 years our oats are actually growing at the ranch. Each night the hogs are in the field rooting up the oats in the rows as they grow. We rarely see them, but find their tracks and rooting EVERYWHERE. Sometimes, drastic times call for drastic measures.

quote:

Originally posted by aliveincc:
Kabluewy, I can tell you that they breed faster than Opromises supporters and are a helluva lot smarter.

That's funny.

I forgot to mention that I sure as heck rather see the helicopter thing than poison. At least the shooting from the helo is specific and selective, where poison gets everything - the good critters too. Some of that nasty stuff kills buzzards too if they feed on the carcass. Not that I like buzzards, but they do serve a good purpose.

KB

quote:

Originally posted by Kabluewy:
The distinction between "pest control" and waste is not clear with this issue. I can see it both ways of course, and either way it doesn't look good.

Of course I'm assuming that the hogs were just left where they died, and I could be wrong about that. They may have been utilized after all.

The problem I have with "pest control" is really about the situation that caused the need for it in the first place. The "pest control" is after the fact that something went wrong (and is wrong) to bring the situation to where the kind of thing shown in the video is a valid option.

KB

You flat don't know what you're talking about. Telling a Texas farmer what he should do with his hog problem is similar to me telling an Alaskan how to handle wolves, caribou, etc. except they don't breed nearly as fast as pigs and have natural controls on them that pigs don't.

Picking them up may or may not be done, in some cases it would cause more damage to the crops than the pig is worth. A dead pig is a good pig, used or not.

As suggested by your last paragraph, if you've got a solution to the hog "situation" that a few thousand scientists, wildlife biologists, farmers, and ranchers then you can rapidly become a multi-millionair. If you don't, then we'll just have to continue to kill them any way we can. Unfotunately so far, there is no poison that won't kill most things that eat the dead pig.

quote:

Originally posted by Sgt Brown:

quote:

Originally posted by jsl3170:
looks like hes wounding quite a few

IMHO, to reliably hit a moving target from a moving vehicle, an AR-15 is definitely not the way to go. He would have a much better number of good hits, killing hits, using a shotgun and buckshot - along with a higher probability of getting a hit at all.

Tom

They've tried it all, buckshot is not nearly as effective on pigs as you would think, although it sure would have done well at some of the close range shots. I would suggest that if he had used buckshot he would have killed less pigs and had more wounded pigs (which is better than nothing but everyone likes a clean kill). He was killing them pretty well with his .223 (I didn't have the sound on, so it may have been a larger round but I don't know). A lot of the misses are caused by platform movement.

Looks like a lot of fun, but my fat ass won't work in an R22, drat the luck. I'd have to use a R44 but I'd love to try it. I'm trying to think if I know anyone in Haskell County, Tx.

quote:

Originally posted by Gatogordo:

You flat don't know what you're talking about. Telling a Texas farmer what he should do with his hog problem is similar to me telling an Alaskan how to handle wolves, caribou, etc. except they don't breed nearly as fast as pigs and have natural controls on them that pigs don't.

As suggested by your last paragraph, if you've got a solution to the hog "situation" that a few thousand scientists, wildlife biologists, farmers, and ranchers then you can rapidly become a multi-millionair. If you don't, then we'll just have to continue to kill them any way we can. Unfotunately so far, there is no poison that won't kill most things that eat the dead pig.

Gatogordo,

Whether you think I know what I'm talking about or not makes no difference to me. I'm gonna express my opinion whether you like it or not, just as you express your opinion whether I like it or not. I don't recall telling farmers what they should or should not do. That's something you made up.

You can express your opinion about Alaskans and wolves all you want to - it won't make any difference anyway, just as me stating my opinion about hogs won't make any difference, but both of us will say what we want to say anyway. Expression of opinion is the point, whether it makes a difference is besides the point, and certainly whether we agree is besides the point.

You mention "natural controls" and wolves. Here's my multi-million $$ solution: A few hundred Alaksan wolf packs running in Texas - protected - would solve your hog problem.. There's you "natural control" !!! Where's my multi-million dollars?

"If you don't, then we'll just have to continue to kill them any way we can. Unfotunately so far, there is no poison that won't kill most things that eat the dead pig."

So, I can presume that you are an advocate of poison?

KB

quote:

So, I can presume that you are an advocate of poison?

You can bet your ass that if they come up with a "sanitary" hog poison, I'll advocate it. I like hunting and killing hogs but I understand how destructive they are.

You can express your opinion all you want, but most people like their opinions to be based on some knowledge of the subject. Obviously you don't have that requirement.

quote:

Originally posted by Gatogordo:

quote:

So, I can presume that you are an advocate of poison?

You can bet your ass that if they come up with a "sanitary" hog poison, I'll advocate it. I like hunting and killing hogs but I understand how destructive they are.

You can express your opinion all you want, but most people like their opinions to be based on some knowledge of the subject. Obviously you don't have that requirement.

Here we go. Now you sanitize your comment about poison. I would rather that you didn't bet my ass, but you can bet your fat ass all you want.

I don't believe I saw a sign at the door requiring some measurable knowledge on the subject before entering , nor did I see anything about naming you as the regulator. If I missed something - too bad, I'm here anyway.

KB

I'm not sanitizing anything. I say what I think and if I don't know WTF I'm talking about I keep quiet. A habit that would do you some good to acquire.

Now that I think about it Gatogordo, I do care whether you agree with me. I like it better when you disagree, so I can argue with you. It's more fun that way. Unfortunately you're kinda easy, because you're predictable.
And I wonder about your sense of humor too, 'cause this chit ain't serious.

The hog problem is serious of course. Helos are a serious and expensive solution. Poison may be cheap but off the chart. As I recall it's still illegal - even in Texas - for a good reason. Of course you know that.

I still think the wolf idea is at least amuzing, and it would be a lot more fun to read about and watch videos of Texans going crazy, than a helicopter shoot. Imagine the headlines: Uncle Ted jealous of wolf kills, calls them blood brothers, decides he needs more blood and guts on his outdoor show.

KB