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Barnyard Buddies:  wild pig!  |
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Annab
True Blue Farmgirl
2900 Posts
Anna
Seagrove
NC
USA
2900 Posts |
 Posted - Mar 30 2010 : 03:32:28 AM
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Rea has coyotes, we have wild boar problems!
Both are pretty scary especially if they wander too close to the house and start messing w/ the livestock and garden!
A buddy set uop a camera and caught a few photos of about 16-18 of all sizes including little,ones that have stripes!
I can't take my dog walking into one particular field 'cause that's where they hang out. Even if you don't see them, they are there.
These were introduced via a farmer from Georgia. They stem from the European wild boars.
Did you know it only takes a month before a domestic pig reverts back to its wild state?? |
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Alee
True Blue Farmgirl
22941 Posts
Alee
Worland
Wy
USA
22941 Posts |
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sherrye
True Blue Farmgirl
3775 Posts
sherry
bend in the high desert
oregon
USA
3775 Posts |
Posted - Mar 30 2010 : 07:10:56 AM
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when i was a young girl we hunted them. there are wild ones up the rogue river here in oregon. when my mom was a young girl there was a logging camp up the river. when they pulled out they turned the pigs loose. they run river boat trips up there now. it was good eating. we just put up 2 of our home grown pigs. had some jerky made yum. you are so right to fear them. they scare me. i think i would not want to walk out there without a gun. just a thought sherrye stay safe
the learn as we go silk purse farm
farmgirl #1014
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vegetarian farmer
True Blue Farmgirl
249 Posts
Jane
Freedom
pa
USA
249 Posts |
Posted - Mar 30 2010 : 08:51:54 AM
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Question. Why is a wild pig scarry? I never had experience with one. Do they attack? Do they have tusks? Will the come after a human? We have no wild domestic animals here in western PA.
Jane
http://hardworkhomestead.blogspot.com/ |
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1badmamawolf
True Blue Farmgirl
2199 Posts
Teresa
"Bent Fence Farms"
Ca
USA
2199 Posts |
Posted - Mar 30 2010 : 10:21:52 AM
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Jane, yes they will attack humans, especially if they have young, they will also attack other animals, including pets and livestock, they destroy the ground and crops with their rooting, and they can carry disease to domestic hogs.
"Treat the earth well, it was not given to you by your parents, it was loaned to you by your children" |
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maggie14
True Blue Farmgirl
6784 Posts
Hannah
Washington
USA
6784 Posts |
Posted - Mar 30 2010 : 10:56:23 AM
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Yes they can be quite bad. So sorry Annika you are having that problem. I will pray that everyone and everything will be ok.
Hugs,
Channah
Farmgirl sister #1219
Friendship is not something that can be bought, it is earned. |
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Annab
True Blue Farmgirl
2900 Posts
Anna
Seagrove
NC
USA
2900 Posts |
Posted - Mar 31 2010 : 03:49:45 AM
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The males indeed have tusks. Nothing like what you would see on a warthog. The tusks you see on these are about 3-4 inches long. Which is long enough to inflict serious damage if caught on the receiving end.
Last night our buddies came down and together w/ my hubby, were able to shoot 2. A male and female. The female weighted roughly 160-170 pounds and the male probably 270.
What makes it even scarier is that they have tough skins abd very thick skulls which makes them hard to drop with just 1 bullet. As was the case last night. Up at the house I counted 7 shots fired.
When we made it down to the field, 4 of those shots had made their mark. 2 per animal. And with the male, the first shot entered through his side I think, then he began to charge. So a few more shots had to be fired. He died in mid-stride still trying to get at the person who fired at him. Now if that doesn't get the 'ole adrenlean a pumpin' I don't know what will!
This group of pigs consists of about 18 total. That's what we've been able to see on the wildlife camera anyway.
but it gets even more interesting.
The fellas have been baiting these pigs up into a catch pen with a trap door. Once the door is sprung, they will be be trapped in here, and getting to them to kill at least a few will be tricky. As you can imagine it will be sheer panic and adrenlean. I'll be interesed to see if any actually jump out if this happens like the guys say it will. They'll have to drive down into the field and open fire quickly.
Sounds cruel, but this is a serious problem that needs to end. Pigs give birth anywhere from to 6-10 babies, so the potential for too many and the group splitting is possible.
There is open season on these all the time and the meat is edible. Not so much for the males, as the testosterone taints the meat. So the good 'ole boys will get their trophy skulls. We have a few people lined up for the meat, so where we can avoid wastage, we will.
Stay tuned! |
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Alee
True Blue Farmgirl
22941 Posts
Alee
Worland
Wy
USA
22941 Posts |
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Alee
True Blue Farmgirl
22941 Posts
Alee
Worland
Wy
USA
22941 Posts |
Posted - Mar 31 2010 : 07:31:59 AM
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Just thought I would at 270 pounds is HUGE! My husband is around that size at about 6 feet tall and when we mock fight you can feel just how much stronger his is than me and this is a guy that has a soft office job and is very out of shape which that boar wasn't! I bet that boar was pretty much pure muscle from living wild. I cringe to think what kind of damage something the size of my husband could do with tusks! Please continue to be safe Anna!
Alee
Farmgirl Sister #8
www.awarmheart.com
www.farmgirlalee.blogspot.com
www.allergyjourneys.blogspot.com
Put your pin on the farmgirl map! www.farmgirlmap.blogspot.com |
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Rea231
True Blue Farmgirl
139 Posts
139 Posts |
Posted - Apr 01 2010 : 09:43:42 AM
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I will stick with my coyotes....Tusks are scarier!
The art of teaching is the art of assisting discovery. |
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Annab
True Blue Farmgirl
2900 Posts
Anna
Seagrove
NC
USA
2900 Posts |
Posted - Apr 02 2010 : 03:37:48 AM
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Yea! I think the coyoties would be the "better" pest. At least our cats know to stay away from both pigs and coyotes.
It gets nerve wracking when my dog runs after the pigs. It's happened twice. But second time she returned A LOT quicker. When we walk toward that field, I carry a leash now and won't release her 'till the area is clear. Or if pigs happen to be down there, we do a quiet about face and head off in another direction.
A co-worker sent some info about wild pigs. It's very interesing. I htought it rather funny when a photo showed a young lady smiling w/ her kill. That would be me if we ever capture and dispatch any more.
The fellas have the itch now though and keep driving to the filed every night. I think they need to cool it for a while if they want to capture any more.
Yesterday a.m. hubby and I drove down there before work. Only thing we saw was a raccoon feasting on the corn piles.
All in good time .
And I have cell numbers for all our friends who have been helping on this or who can accurately shoot a weapon. 'Cause you KNOW as Murphy's Law dictates....the dog and I wil be walking again, see the trap full and no one wil be home!
If this grouping of now 16 pigs does get caught, we'll need all the good 'ole boys we can spare |
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Alee
True Blue Farmgirl
22941 Posts
Alee
Worland
Wy
USA
22941 Posts |
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sherrye
True Blue Farmgirl
3775 Posts
sherry
bend in the high desert
oregon
USA
3775 Posts |
Posted - Apr 02 2010 : 07:25:28 AM
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i wish i was there. i would be hunting every day. we just picked up our jerky too. pig makes really good jerky. it sells here for 23 bucks a pound. the girls would be great. tenderloin= bacon and jerky maybe a few chops. we eat a lot of our own pork. maybe a smoke house is in order.free meat. just a thought. please tell us how it goes sherrye
the learn as we go silk purse farm
farmgirl #1014
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AliciaNak
True Blue Farmgirl
405 Posts
Alicia
Elko
Nevada
USA
405 Posts |
Posted - Apr 02 2010 : 08:40:49 AM
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Wow. Keep up the good work, guys! And good for you,using as much of the meat as possible. Perhaps the meat from the males can become dog food?
Alicia
Do not follow where the path may lead. Go instead where there is no path and leave a trail.~Ralph Waldo Emmerson
www.blondenak.blogspot.com
www.artfire.com/users/BlondeNakCreations |
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peapicker
True Blue Farmgirl
716 Posts
texas
USA
716 Posts |
Posted - Apr 02 2010 : 08:55:38 AM
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We have both also. The pigs totally tear up the hay fields and make the ground so rough that it is nearly impossible to drive over. Even the the little ones will charge a human if they think they are threatened. We have shot several and are so overrun with them that it will take a State effort to even thin them out. The coyotes do their damage too, but will generally run from us. Keeping livestock safe is the biggest problem. We also have mountain lions that seem to be multiplying in this area. Now that is a little more scary. We carry a gun everywhere. I don't really like the taste of wild pig meat though. We just give the pigs to anyone that wants them or leave them and the coyotes take care of the ones left in the fields.
Enjoy the little things, for one day you may look back and realize they were the big things.
Robert Brault |
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Annab
True Blue Farmgirl
2900 Posts
Anna
Seagrove
NC
USA
2900 Posts |
Posted - Apr 03 2010 : 03:31:49 AM
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I think TX, GA,FLA, the Carolinas and one other state are the most overrun with these.
Looking back on it now I question a place in the Everglades we visited a few years ago that actually kept all the wild pigs and fed them like livestock. They were everywhere! Can't recall if they had any sort of culling program. It was on a Seminole Indian reservation.
And I have a skull a friend brought back when he visited GA 6 years ago. You can see the bullet hole on the top on the head. This one has tusks about 4 inches long. The friend said his buddy had skulls lining the driveway on both sides! |
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Alee
True Blue Farmgirl
22941 Posts
Alee
Worland
Wy
USA
22941 Posts |
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Bear5
True Blue Farmgirl
13055 Posts
Louisiana/Texas
USA
13055 Posts |
Posted - Apr 03 2010 : 8:17:54 PM
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Wild pig, wild boars do attack. They will destroy your garden. And, please keep your dog close to your side. I've seen some horrible sights done by wild boars.
Marly
"It's only when we truly know and understand that we have a limited time on earth- and that we have no way of knowing when our time is up- that we will begin to live each day to the fullest, as if it was the only one we had." Elisabeth Kurler-Ross |
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Annab
True Blue Farmgirl
2900 Posts
Anna
Seagrove
NC
USA
2900 Posts |
Posted - Apr 05 2010 : 07:00:18 AM
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Oh I know!! The first time she ran after them it scared me to death.
Second time like I said she came right back. Believe me...there's not gonna be a 3rd!!
Anytime we chance to walk in that direction, I put her on a leash and don't take her off 'till it's all clear.
Even then sometimes we'll make a complete circuit of the filed on leash.
As of yesterday, there were huge wallowing holes in the dirt under the trees along side of the field, but nothing in the trap and no fresh dig areas in the field. I think they may be afraid to come out into the open. |
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Annab
True Blue Farmgirl
2900 Posts
Anna
Seagrove
NC
USA
2900 Posts |
Posted - Apr 15 2010 : 03:49:13 AM
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Just when I was about to write off this chapter, hubby and I drove down to the field night before last and discovered 4 more wild hogs trapped in the pen!
It worked!
It was Two adult females and 2 smallish piglets that were probably about 4-5 months old
We established a phone tree that had everybody's name who might be good at hunting or operating a weapon. So we called, waited about an hour for everyone to arrive, and all packed into hubby's timy Nissan p/u and headed into the field.
The shooting happened very quickly thank goodness. One small piglet was still alive and it was a testament to see just how aggressive these creatures are. He was mad for sure!
A buddy took him home to train his dogs and the rest of the meat was loaded in a trailer, and we'll divide the meat.
We had some pork chops the other night from the last kill. And it was sooo tender! There is a teensy wild taste, but it's not off-putting at all!
Folks can't believe how much meqt we are giving away.
I'm just pleased to be keeping pest popultaions in check (a little ) and feeding folks in the process.
It was about 2 weeks from the last time hogs were taken, so it might be a while before any return.
With more feeed though, who can resist?? |
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sherrye
True Blue Farmgirl
3775 Posts
sherry
bend in the high desert
oregon
USA
3775 Posts |
Posted - Apr 15 2010 : 07:06:13 AM
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i want to say again how good pork jerky is. if i could hunt them i would be making sweet jerky. wish i was there.i eat a stick of jerky a day for my anemia.i could sell all i could make for sure. one of those guys must have a smoke house? just a thought. it is awesome you are able to share the meat. sherrye
the learn as we go silk purse farm
farmgirl #1014
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Annab
True Blue Farmgirl
2900 Posts
Anna
Seagrove
NC
USA
2900 Posts |
Posted - Apr 16 2010 : 03:48:21 AM
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No one is going away hungry, that's for sure.
We are fortunate that the fella who designed the catch pen also dresses out deer during deer season for all his buddies, so he has a huge walk in cooler and all the necessary processing equipment for cutting bone and making nice clean cuts of meat
Presentation is everything |
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Alee
True Blue Farmgirl
22941 Posts
Alee
Worland
Wy
USA
22941 Posts |
Posted - Apr 16 2010 : 07:28:37 AM
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Wow Anna! I must admit- I am a bit jealous! I would love to have that free meat! I can't wait until we have our own land and I can do some pasture raised pigs. That is great that you have someone so close that has the processing facilities! Do they know how many wild pigs are still out there? At least you know that you are impacting the future generation of the boars!
Alee
Farmgirl Sister #8
www.awarmheart.com
www.farmgirlalee.blogspot.com
www.allergyjourneys.blogspot.com
Put your pin on the farmgirl map! www.farmgirlmap.blogspot.com |
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msdoolittle
True Blue Farmgirl
1149 Posts
Amanda
East Texas
USA
1149 Posts |
Posted - Apr 17 2010 : 9:35:06 PM
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Hi Anna,
I'm in East Texas and the wild hog problem is HUGE here. You can even see them sometimes, just grazing on the side of the highway! Definitely not afraid of us. So, too, with the coyotes here. My kids are not allowed to get too far away from the house! :0)
THere is apparently a growing market for wild hog meat...many people here are trapping them. My neighbor caught a 'herd' of 32 a couple of years ago! I really like the meat. It is lean and makes an excellent sausage. Many people here will trap the young pigs and raise them for butchering, when they reach a certain weight. Pigs certainly can reproduce like nothing else! Wild hog meat is very lean and, to me, has a mild flavor. It's really good slow cooked, for sure!!!
FarmGirl #1390
www.mylittlecountry.wordpress.com |
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Annab
True Blue Farmgirl
2900 Posts
Anna
Seagrove
NC
USA
2900 Posts |
Posted - Apr 18 2010 : 03:34:53 AM
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Judging from the photos there were about 18 that we could see. They ranged in all sizes.
The other farmer who lost crops last year from these also shot 2 at the beginning of the season. Kinda cool and unnerving to know that they waited 'till he was done feedng his cows and then showed up as he was leaving. That's when he shot his!
It's kind of strange too how some folks snap this meat up ,and others it's like twisting their arm off. My boss for instance preaches the whole "green" thing but turned up his nose and lied to me about wanting meat. I know 3 other families standing in line for this kind of free-tasty stuff, so I won't be askig him again.
Funny how with most things we farmgirls are already envogue
The trap is baited again as of last night, so we'll wait and see what happens.
And it would be really scary to have to protect kids even close to home from these kinds of animals. As mentioned before, we have coyote too, but luckily they aren't bold enough to stick around. We had 1 pass through a field last year, but he was movin' out and not intent no sticking around.....thank goodness for us all, our cats and dog and especially for all our chickens! |
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Alee
True Blue Farmgirl
22941 Posts
Alee
Worland
Wy
USA
22941 Posts |
Posted - Apr 18 2010 : 06:13:26 AM
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Anna- I can't even imagine having a little one with those things in the woods. That is so scary. My Nora is a super explorer. I would have to put up some sort of non-climbable privacy fence just so she wouldn't be able to climb the fence. I would worry about kids a bit older too- when they are old enough to explore on their own.
I am so glad you guys are able to take care of the population!
Alee
Farmgirl Sister #8
www.awarmheart.com
www.farmgirlalee.blogspot.com
www.allergyjourneys.blogspot.com
Put your pin on the farmgirl map! www.farmgirlmap.blogspot.com |
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Barnyard Buddies: wild pig! |
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wild pig!
