Why has the population of feral hogs mushroomed? Steve Ditchkoff, associate professor of wildlife ecology and management at Auburn University explain has an explanation. “From what I hear, hunters moving pigs has been one of the biggest reasons why we’ve seen feral hog populations expand. Feral hogs do not expand their home ranges very quickly on their own. “Hogs have been in certain sections of this country since the 1500s,” Ditchkoff continued, “but only in about the last 20 years have we seen a major range expansion. And once you get hogs in a new area, you just don’t get rid of them.” “Most sows have at least two litters per year, with three being possible,” Chris Jaworowski, a hog specialist for the Alabama Department of Conservation and Natural Resources, said. “Those litters average eight piglets. And, at six months of age, the young are capable of breeding. “Top this with the fact that hogs have very few if any predators, and the result is an ample supply of wild pork.” Wildlife managers have increasingly turned to hunting to control hog populations, so that’s good news for hunters. Unfortunately, having plenty of hogs to hunt can severely hurt your deer population. “We think pigs are displacing deer to some extent,” Ditchkoff noted. “Deer aren’t fond of pigs. We don’t think that pigs drive the deer out of an area. On the other hand wild hogs can deplete the natural food supply, especially the mast crop. Then the deer leave on their own, looking for new forage. “But we’ve learned through our research that when we eliminate feral pigs from an area, the deer population skyrockets,” Ditchkoff pointed out. WHY HUNT HOGS A couple of good reasons are taste and nutrition. Many people believe that meat and produce raised without growth hormones, pesticides and additives is a healthier food than you buy in the grocery store. That being said, meat of feral hogs is about as organic a food as you can eat. It is much leaner meat than domestic hogs or beef. This meat is free of steroids, and wild pigs have been feeding on grasses, forbs, fruits, roots, tubers, invertebrates and acorns. Of course, not all pigs are created equal when it come so food value and quality of taste. You need to identify which are meat hogs, and which are trophy hogs, before you pull the trigger. The best feral pigs for meat are females weighing 150 pounds or less. A trophy boar will weigh 200-pounds plus. “The largest of the hogs taken in Alabama have bottomed out our scales, and those scales can weigh animals up to 500 pounds,” explained Chris Jaworowski. “Although 6- to 7-years growth is required for a boar to reach that size, there are some that big in Alabama.” Another reason to target wild hogs is because the porkers are a serious threat to wildlife populations. They are simply more efficient at finding wild food sources. “Deer, turkey, squirrels and other animals that feed on acorns find their food by sight,” Jaworowski said. “The wild pig uses its nose to find food. Therefore, a large population of hogs on a particular property can wipe-out an acorn crop and severely damage the food supply for not only deer and turkeys, but also for other wildlife.” Not to mention they shred and destroy land...
Posted on: Tue, 30 Jul 2013 22:16:19 +0000