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Over the past 40-50 years, the feral hog population across the country has increased dramatically. In some areas, it is not a horrible epidemic, but in others it has been devastating. There are an estimated 6 million hogs running wild in the United States
Wild hogs can be compared to bulldozers on four legs, wreaking havoc on forests, wildlife habitat, farms and even flower gardens. Hogs root, and wallow and pollute streams and rivers with their fecal matter. They carry brucellosis and can even carry tape and round worm parasites in some parts of the world.
For many years, people around the nation illegally imported hogs to their land to have another game species to hunt. This practice only increased the range of wild boar, with many of the landowners quickly regretting their decisions and begging people to come and kill their recent “game” additions to their land.
Hogs are known to eat turkey, quail, pheasant and even eggs, and to kill and consume deer fawn.
Many states allow landowners to use whatever methods necessary to kill wild hogs. Here are some methods you, too, can employ to tackle wild hog populations.
1. Hunting
This is actually the least effective form when employed in the traditional way. Often, trophy hunters will only target large boars and leave smaller sows to live to oink another day. By only removing a hog here and there, it does nothing to control the population.
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The reason: The female pig, the sow, becomes sexually mature at four months of age. It can breed three times a year. Each litter of piglets can have between eight and 16 new pigs. Get the picture?
If hunting is used, the objective must be to kill as many pigs as possible. Hunting needs to be paired with other methods to work. Once hogs are removed, hunting can serve to keep populations low.
2. Bait, trap, eliminate
The most effective way to control hogs is to set up a fenced trap with bait in the middle. The traps can be auto or manually sprung. The key is to capture as many hogs as possible. If a few sows escape, you are right back where you started.
Do not transport these hogs and release them. Completely and totally shoot and kill every hog captured in the trap. The large magazine firearms come in handy, as reloading while eliminating up to 20 or 30 hogs at a time can be a pain.
3. Tannerite
Tannerite is an explosive, and there are regulations regarding its employment; study your state’s laws before considering this option. Tannerite must be detonated by a high velocity rifle cartridge. The user must ensure he and anyone else is at least 100 yards away for safety sake, and that he is a good shot. If you miss, the hogs will surely bolt and the opportunity will be lost.
The more tannerite, the further back you want to be. If you are foolish, you will die. Usually four to eight pounds is sufficient. Bait the area for a few days with corn, and use trail cameras to determine hog patterns. The day you set out to decimate their numbers, put out more corn, mix the tannerite, and set it up, and then place yourself in a position of safety and concealment a safe distance away. Do not add any nails or shrapnel to the mix; the explosives have enough power to kill the hogs.
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