Canadian Wild Pig Invasion

[Greybeard]

I made the mistake of taking the big boar, once. 350lbs gutted @ G&F weigh station @ FHL. Nothing would rid the amonia smell from any of the meat. Ruined some good deer meat on that experiment.

The buyers that buy live feral hogs pay extra per pound for the big, rank boars. They sell the meat in Europe as "wild boar". Folks over there love it. They can have every one of those nasty critters. I much prefer the fun sized shoats, whole on the smoker.

 

[MTGunner]

I agree that there are those that do not respect landowners properties and poach. It has been a long time effort to talk to land owners to be granted permission to hunt. I have gleaned permission to many posted properties that others were turned away. Landowners pay the taxes and their livelihoods depend on their properties in many cases. When permission is extended it is the hunters responsibility to act properly, do no harm to fields, haul out all trash brought in and in some cases haul out more. This, in itself can garner landowner respect for the hunter that has permission.
Now, I have not paid a trespass fee to hunt in my 50 yrs. plus of hunting afield. It is not my mantra. I respectfully ask for permission, if a trespass fee is required I respectfully thank them for their time and decline. I have offered work to hunt and this has been a valuable tool. I am a retired electrician and tell them that they buy the materials and I will do the work. This has worked very well. I have done field handwork, mechanical work, fencing and more. But, I decline to pay a trespass fee.
My hunting future is diminishing with my age. I have doubts about the future of hunting. I have concerns that hunting will continue for future generations. But, if the hunter puts his/her right foot forward it will help. Perhaps not all, but help none the less.

 

[flyingvmt]

I wonder if these cold weather pigs reproduce at the same rate as their warm climate cousins?

a pig is a pig is a pig. 3 months 3 weeks 3 days is the gestation cycle.

 

[flyingvmt]

Yup. If landowners whine about pigs but allow their property to be a safe haven for them they reap what they sow.

Honestly, sounds like Canada and New Mexico have people releasing hogs to provide a huntable resource. Those area happen to have situations which allow for them to thrive. I do not think the northern US would be the same. For sure not SD.

I'd love to know the difference between southern Sask/Alberta and Montana/Dakotas.......if they've adapted to the cold of southern Canada its only a matter of time before the ****ers are prolific in MT and Nodak. just as much food and cover here as there is up there.

 

[Keeptrying]

I'd love to know the difference between southern Sask/Alberta and Montana/Dakotas.......if they've adapted to the cold of southern Canada its only a matter of time before the ****ers are prolific in MT and Nodak. just as much food and cover here as there is up there.

Men of will and a government that doesn't get in the way of people doing the right thing.

Canada doesn't allow night hunting and puts all kinds of barriers in place for people who want to hunt other wise. I live in South Dakota, am surrounded by livestock operations, and know for a fact if a wild herd was present they would be labeled vermin and converted to pork chops within a week.

Next question.

 

[flyingvmt]

Men of will and a government that doesn't get in the way of people doing the right thing.

Canada doesn't allow night hunting and puts all kinds of barriers in place for people who want to hunt other wise. I live in South Dakota, am surrounded by livestock operations, and know for a fact if a wild herd was present they would be labeled vermin and converted to pork chops within a week.

Next question.

Laughable at best. Once you have them, you don't stop them. Unless they have no where to hide, which is plausible in the barren ass country of no undulation aka South Dakota (save for the black hills)

 

[RockinU]

Yeah...the reason we have them so bad in Texas is because we lack guys with guns who like to shoot shit, that's it.

 

[Keeptrying]

Yeah...the reason we have them so bad in Texas is because we lack guys with guns who like to shoot shit, that's it.

No, it's because Texas is a moderate climate that lacks 4 seasons. We are not talking about Texas. Northern climates that lose vegetation yearly and develop snow cover are in no way comparable. The only reason anything lives up here is because it is allowed to. We could kill every deer in the state of South Dakota in short order if we wanted, same goes for pigs.

 

[RockinU]

They’ve persisted in Siberia for several thousand years, but I have no South Dakota experience, so I’ll defer.

 

[Keeptrying]

Once again you are comparing apples to unicorns. Siberia is 5 million squares miles of forest and mountains that is largely uninhabited. Not even close.

It is actually a very interesting place, but nothing like the northern plains states. https://www.britannica.com/place/Siberia

 

[RobinHood]

I guess I have a little different take on the pig problem and the hope that predators (at least in Montana and maybe most of the NW) can control their population growth. Assuming bears, wolves and lions find pigs to be acceptable table fare, another food source will only cause a growth in predator numbers. In the short run I can see a increase in deer, elk etc. populations as predators switch to the new food source. However, as the pig population decreases, this expanded predator population will turn, at least in part, back to their traditional food sources. Over time it will all balance out, but because there is an added food source (pigs), predators will never go back to their original population levels. In the meantime, expect significant fluctuations in big game numbers. My two-cents!