Folks,

I hunt deer in middle GA (Ocmulgee WMA area). Over the last three years we have seen the pig population really increase. My perspective is that this pig population increase has impacted the deer population negatively in that the deer have to compete for available mast (acorns, persimmons, corn, etc). Your thoughts? You used to almost never see them, now pigs have been fairly frequent sightings. Here are two that we took from my farm. Jarret Hill shot the big boar that we estimated ran close to 300 lbs, I shot the sow that my son is pictured with she was around 100. Your thoughts on wild pigs and the way they effect deer populations would be appreciated.

No prob Hugh. You had them set up as URL's...you must have clicked on the URL button when you were inserting the IMG codes.

All fixed up now. If you want to see what they are supposed to look like, just click on the edit button on the bottom right corner of your post and take a look.

Cheers,
Canuck

At many of the ranches in Texas where you pay dearly to shoot deer, the ranches let you shoot hogs along with the deer. The lease managers told me that wild hogs actually eat newborn fawns and when one of those fawns might be a $5,000 meal, you can see why they want the hogs killed. That is about as negative an impact as you can get. Tom Purdom

While the competition for food can certainly be a factor, something of more importance in this part of Texas is the fact that hogs kill and eat fawns. I've seen it first-hand and have also seen the grisly remains -- and it's not a pretty picture. Hogs aren't efficient killers, and what they do to a fawn (or lamb or kid goat, for that matter) is grab it, shake it violently and basically rip it apart. Often, 2 hogs will fight over their quarry and have a tug-of-war while the creature is still alive.

I hunt hogs any time of they year but am even more aggressive in my pursuit just before the does are due to drop their fawns in the Spring.

I believe hogs will impact the food availbility for deer. I had 6 acres of corn planted for deer that got wiped out by hogs last year. I had a guy come in with dogs and caught the hogs. We absolutely hate hogs!!!! I have some friends who used to hunt on the Ocmulgee River swamp south of Abbeville, Ga. They said that when hogs would move in to the area, the deer would leave. Ya'll keep your hogs on the WMA there's enough down here in Dodge Co.

I have managed wildlife habitats for a fair number of years now and have seen hogs come and go. Right now there are more in the SE part of the country particularly ARK. where I live than I have ever seen.

They are very prolific and negatively affect the carrying capacity for virtually all wildlife. Especially the species that are highly dependent on hard mast like acorns, pecans, for survival. Animals such as squirrels, turkey, deer on so on.

I don't think the hog hunters that have moved them in so they could be hunted in their favorite areas knew the impacts on other wildlife or just didn't care. A combination of both is my guess.

As floodwaters recede in the timbered portions of the Miss. River Delta hogs will move in and wipe out the acorns that deer, turkey, and squirrels need before green up.

A few hogs are no big problem but they have reached epidemic population levels in many areas now. Merg

Hey Hugh, Is there any reason to keep you and the young`un from hunting the Hogs all year long?

That wild lean meat sure makes fine sausage.

Thanks for the comments. Your feedback reflects what I have heard. Hogs eat mast that deer need, especially during winter, so pigs limit the carrying capacity of land for deer. I had not heard that hogs actually eat deer fawns! It is also interesting that deer just move off away from areas with high hog populations.

Yes, I will be taking more time to specifically hunt the hogs, as you are correct they along with coyotes are considered pests with no season limits (open season). Thanks. Hugh

Hunted Southwestern Oklahoma this month the biologist said hogs would eat a downed elk if they found it. They will eat anything and will attack and kill what is on the ground (fawns). They are a big menace.

Yes they will eat meat .I could tell a story about that but it would make you sick !...Everyone likes acorns , a very important food source -deer, bear, squirrels,turkeys and of course pigs !!

Mete-Tell the story. Those who haven't lived with the hog need to know. (And we promise not to read it just before meal time )

Hogs are very destructive to all wildlife. Whitetail fawns are very vulnerable during their first three weeks of life. It is their natural instinct not too move during this period. If a hog finds one during this time they will kill and eat them.

On my ranch we have a gutpile down a sendero from the lodge. During the night when someone wakes up we shine the gutpile and often catch a coyote or a hog having a late night snack. Hogs just love the gutpile and hardly a night goes by when one of them doesn't added to the pile.

From Experience a hog is about the worst type of game animal you can have on your property if managing deer is your goal. While hogs are fun to hunt and some good to eat, they are a nightmare for Farmers and Deer managers alike.

We had an outbreak of them on one of our properties several years ago and they pretty much destroyed everything on the place. They destroyed the roads and trails by rooting huge holes everywhere. They will turn over deer feeders and tear off the timers. You can forget food plots. Deer do not like them at all. If you have a deer in the field and a heard of hogs come in, most of the time the deer scram.

In that particular area the Farmers and hunters shot and trapped them everytime they were known to be in an area and after a couple of years we hardly ever see them or their prints.

One thing I find strange here in La is that the state considers them domestic animals?? You can't even have them legally buchered at a wild game processing plant. You have to take them to high priced livestock butchering shops and man they are real proud of their processing fees.

Reloader

Reloader, I always like reading your posts and agree with you most all the time. Maybe we don't live too far apart. I live in Hamburg AR.

With all due respect, I will have to disagree with your philosophy of a wild hog being a game animal. They are domesticated animals gone wild which by definition is a feral animal and not a game animal. Just like a wild house cat(feral cat) is a domestic animal gone wild and not a game animal like a bobcat. Native wildlife with open hunting seasons are game animals while these dang hogs, cats, and other critters that were domesticated by Europeans are not native to North America and all state and federal wildlife agencies consider them feral which they are.

Feral hogs and other feral animals carry diseases that can infect domestic populations and the native wildlife as well, so we need to do our best to wipe them out and educate the public and our hunting friends about the problems they cause.

I'm not trying to stir up a stink cause you know a lot more about big game hunting than me but I am in the wildlife profession and just want to get the point across as to how these animals are defined. Merg