Topic: Giant Hog

[Rivers]

I have eaten them and they are delicious.

That's what the pigs are saying about us.

[RobBob]

I have eaten them and they are delicious.

That's what the pigs are saying about us.

It's man eat pig or pig eat man!

[Stuart]

I have eaten them and they are delicious.

That's what the pigs are saying about us.

It's man eat pig or pig eat man!

Let the punishment fit the crime.

[waxwing]

Personally, I'm "rooting" for the pigs. I think the rest of the world will do so much better with pigs as the dominant species. Humans are so ... piggish. And pigs, actually, are not. Ah, but then, "absolute power corrupts absolutely."

Wax

[Rivers]

So true. Up to a point. That point is when you're walking through the woods and happen upon a mother and her babies. Better have a shotgun, running shoes or fast ATV. Preferably all three. And a smoker.

[Stuart]

From today's NYT:

https://www.nytimes.com/2022/02/01/us/pigs-san-francisco-california.html

"They are tearing up lawns, ripping through golf course fairways, threatening the drinking water and disturbing the harvests at Napa vineyards."

Is nothing sacred?  The saga continues...

[RobBob]

What has become more apparent with this thread adding to our greater awareness to the feral pig situation, is that they are everywhere!  They are easy to find, but as stated above, be ready to defend yourself.  They are so adaptable.but at least they haven't crossbred with coyotes, wolves and wild dogs...yet.

[Slack]

Texas has some advice for California regarding their newly found hog problem.  A number of links in the story as well - don't see how we missed most of those.

https://www.texasmonthly.com/news-politics/california-feral-hog-problem/

North America’s first swine arrived in Florida with Spanish explorer Hernando de Soto in 1539. He brought thirteen, and within three years there were seven hundred. Fast-forward almost five centuries and now there’s, like, a gajillion wild hogs. The federal government estimates that they do about $2.5 billion in annual damage nationwide. None of this is news to Texans, of course. We’ve been waging war against these porky SOBs for decades.

But there is a group of people for whom the porcine devils are newly a menace: Californians. Residents are so frustrated by the pigs’ exponential population growth, and the damage that population can wreak upon a soccer field or (God forbid) a vineyard in Napa Valley, that a state senator has proposed legislation that would waive the $25 fee required to hunt a feral pig. Welcome to the good fight, Cali.

If what happens here happens there, Californians will likely be failing to put a dent in their pig population for many years to come. So, happy for any opportunity to Texsplain something to the coastal elite, we’ve taken it upon ourselves to draw up a list of suggestions.

[Rivers]

"to Texplain something", very good! And Sid Miller would be hilarious if he wasn't so dangerous.

I've been researching how close to NYS the porcine hoards have got. Shocked to find they're here already, introduced by people with hunting reserves that quickly found pigs are master escape artists.

The funny thing with the law here is people aren't allowed to hunt them except on said reserves, and also farmers etc with a "nuisance permit" can take them out. Hunting is big here, it could put a big dent in the population. However, the thinking at NYS DEC (Department of Environmental Conservation) is that encouraging hunters encourages pigs being brought into the state for hunting. Which is how they got here in the first place. Sort of a "circular firing squad" situation.

I understand the logic was correct a few years back, but these days anyone releasing a pig here risks getting lynched by the locals, who no longer think of bacon and chops when considering feral pigs. There's plenty of information available these days to dispel any such sporting- or culinary notions. As such, it should be open season on them I reckon. The crossfire would be intense.

[Slack]

And a good summation as well re: our future verlords:  "Feral hogs might be better leaders than our current politicians."

Sid Miller, lord I miss jim Hightower.  I am surprised author Emily did not include his phrase "Pork-chopping" for shooting hogs from a helicopter.

Oudads are a big problem in south texas.  And these exotic game ranches are off the charts. Re:Ox Ranch -- you can hunt exotic endangered species and in your down time, drive around in vintage army tanks.  Sounds like Disneyland doesn't it?

[Stuart]

...As such, it should be open season on them I reckon. The crossfire would be intense.

Jeez--And I was thinking of following #6: "Infiltrate." Now I'm going to wear body armor under my hog suit. The horror!

[Johnm]

Interesting the way this thread has evolved from being about individual hogs that had grown to gigantic sizes into being about the numbers of wild hogs being gigantic. Or maybe that would be better characterized as "almost interesting".

[lindy]

You Texans think you know what a big pig is? Hah!

I lived in Taiwan for five years (Stuart spent many years there, too). One spring I was invited by my Chinese language teacher to visit her home village, one of four that trade off a regional agricultural festival every year. Regardless of where the festival is held, a major highlight is the "biggest pig contest." For a farmer to win this contest is a dream come true--hog heaven, I suppose.

Here's the winner from 1998:



Grunt. Snort.

Lindy

[Rivers]

Interesting the way this thread has evolved from being about individual hogs that had grown to gigantic sizes into being about the numbers of wild hogs being gigantic. Or maybe that would be better characterized as "almost interesting".

Well then I guess it's evolved to reflect everything we've learned about the massive problem these things are if they move to your town, no matter what size they are. It's a problem that's growing exponentially anually, maybe even faster, I don't have the numbers. "Almost interesting", you think? Perhaps we can just abandon the countryside and barricade ourselves behind city walls. Naturally, the pigs will just dig under them. Think about it Johnm, they're within 40 miles of my farm, and probably digging up Slack's garden sooner or later.

[Johnm]

I wasn't commenting on the proliferation of wild pigs as being "almost interesting", Rivers, but rather my boring observation on the thread's changes over time.