What Can Be Done To Curb The Wild Hog Population?

[crg1372]

It's very very simple:

There needs to be an active "brokerage" or hook-up system run by the Wildlife Department free of charge (or even for a small fee to one party or the other) that hooks up landowners with licensed hunters. The landowners can charge whatever they want, from $0 on up, but will be encouraged to charge $0 or a minimal amount.

The problem is landowners charging too much. If they want the population curbed, then they need to lower their prices dramatically for honest hunters who are ready, willing, and able to take out the piggies.

Don't want so many pigs? Quit charging so danged much. Not rocket science. Charge a small fee for a "pig season only lease" that runs from Jan 16th to Sept 30th, so that there's no way they can be in possession of a deer carcass legally or tag one. Etc.

Thats a great idea for landowners and seems like it could easily be accomplished by the ODWC with a little effort. Even still, theres a festering problem with hogs on public lands that aren't very accesible and its growing pretty fast. As long as the hogs aren't kept in check on public lands private landowners are going to continue to have problems with them.

 

[six shooter]

Has anyone given serious thought to this? Even though I love hunting these animals with a passion, we all know they are a menace to farmers trying to make a living, compete with our native wild game and crowd them out and kill alot of native species like snakes and turtles. Also, since they breed so rapidly, having up to 3 litters in as little as 14 months and breeding at 5-6 months old, theres going to be some serious problems arising more than likely in the next decade. I think its only a matter of time when we hear of someone being killed by one of these animals.

I've been looking over the regulations and it just seems there's more that could be done by the state and federal government to help control these beasts. The pros of the regulations include...

*Year round hunting.

*No bag limit.

*Landowner permission for night hunting.

Some other things I think could be taken into consideration are....

*The hunting of hogs at night with dogs on public lands. However there are several things to take into consideration like the deer seasons. Make it legal to hunt them at night after the end of bow season and legal through summer and close at the end of August. The state could sell a night hunting permit say for $5. I'd only be for that IF the money was going back into the Wildlife Department for educational purposes or land restoration. Maybe the money could be used to offer free hunter education courses to our youth.

*Better access to Corps lands. I hunt alot of Corp land here around Lake Texoma. Some areas here are very hard to get to and require lengthy walks. I can tell you that there are hundreds and hundreds of hogs inhabiting the land here. Most will never see any hunting pressure because the areas aren't very accesible to most people. Maybe the Corps could issue a special uses permit for ATV's for hunting and hunting only. Many ATV trails already exist on Corps land around Texoma. I can't speak for other areas of Corp land though. I wouldn't be opposed to paying a $15 special uses permit if it allowed me to get back into areas that the hogs are thriving if that money will be used for land restoration or for helping businesses out around Corp lakes that have had bad flooding.

*Legal means of taking on Corp lands. Around Texoma the legal means of taking is restricted to shotgun with pellets and archery equipment. Seems like a shotgun with slug would be an alright means of taking as long as it wasn't used with 500-1000 feet of the shoreline. I'm still a little on the fence with this one though, but it seems like something could be worked out.

I'm not dead set on any of this really, just some opinions is all. I think those of us that hunt see the potential dangers wild hogs present and the millions of dollars that farmers lose every year. At the rate they are going it won't be long before they start popping up in areas they aren't found yet. Seems like on the show Pig Bomb it was stated that to control the population 7 out of every 10 pigs need to be taken. I'm sure we're no where near this now.

What's everyone's take?

you say you hunt a lot of public land i was wandering were i could get a map online of public land core land and grda land any clues. THANKS

 

[crg1372]

you say you hunt a lot of public land i was wandering were i could get a map online of public land core land and grda land any clues. THANKS

You'll find links here for hunting maps to all Tulsa District lakes...

http://www.swt.usace.army.mil/recreat/huntingmaps.cfm

 

[Glocktogo]

A couple of other points to consider. Bill Wilson (of Wilson Combat fame) hunts a LOT of hogs on his game ranch in Texas. He says the most effective way to hunt them is at night, with a suppressed rifle and night vision. No way you could get away with that legally here in OK, due to the perception of poaching it conjures up. There should be a licensing process whereby you could be "authorized" to do this on public or private land. Sort of like being registered with ODWC, even if it required a special class and commensurate fee. That registration, along with a hold harmless clause (I know they're not really worth the paper they're printed on), would probably open up a lot of private lands to hunt on. Between that and public lands, you'd have a lot of opportunities to help control the population.

Also, how many slaughterhouses or meat processors can or will take a free range hog for butchering? I'm not really interested in paying a process fee for each hog or butchering one myself. If I could take a 150# hog to a processor and get 10 or 15 pounds of processed meat in return for no fee, I'd be on it like a duck on a june bug. They could then turn around and sell the rest. That would probably increase interest in hunting them for quite a few people. I'm sure there's some law or regulation against them selling free range meat though. Obviously the corporate hog farms would actively oppose that sort of thing. That's a hurdle that would have to be cleared if it exists.

I guess what I'm saying is that I don't currently hunt, but I'd love to if it didn't cost me an arm and a leg in out of pocket expenses. It's not very expensive to go to the grocery store and buy pork. You need incentives on both ends to increase the participation in pig control. JMO, YMMV

 

[r00s7a]

It's very very simple:

There needs to be an active "brokerage" or hook-up system run by the Wildlife Department free of charge (or even for a small fee to one party or the other) that hooks up landowners with licensed hunters. The landowners can charge whatever they want, from $0 on up, but will be encouraged to charge $0 or a minimal amount.

The problem is landowners charging too much. If they want the population curbed, then they need to lower their prices dramatically for honest hunters who are ready, willing, and able to take out the piggies.

Don't want so many pigs? Quit charging so danged much. Not rocket science. Charge a small fee for a "pig season only lease" that runs from Jan 16th to Sept 30th, so that there's no way they can be in possession of a deer carcass legally or tag one. Etc.

So you are wanting my license fees to go towards finding you a place to hunt? I don't think so. Cut out the ODWC, build you website that does just that and you achieve the same goal. The ODWC has already provided you thousands of acres to hunt, loaded with pigs. If you truly want to shoot pigs, then you have the tools provided to you free of charge, put forth the effort and take advantage of them. If more people hunted pigs on public lands, then we wouldn't have the problem with pigs on public lands that we do. Land owners with pig problems aren't the ones charging large fees for people to come in to hunt. Those are just land owners with pigs. A land owner with pig problems ain't gonna charge you a dime to come in there and remove them, you're doing him a favor.

Supressed rifle with night vision... yes. That is about the only method of hunting that I can see actually helping the population issue. I can't see the ODWC allowing that until the pigs start taking over their offices downtown.

 

[crg1372]

A couple of other points to consider. Bill Wilson (of Wilson Combat fame) hunts a LOT of hogs on his game ranch in Texas. He says the most effective way to hunt them is at night, with a suppressed rifle and night vision. No way you could get away with that legally here in OK, due to the perception of poaching it conjures up. There should be a licensing process whereby you could be "authorized" to do this on public or private land. Sort of like being registered with ODWC, even if it required a special class and commensurate fee. That registration, along with a hold harmless clause (I know they're not really worth the paper they're printed on), would probably open up a lot of private lands to hunt on. Between that and public lands, you'd have a lot of opportunities to help control the population.

Texas has some lax hunting regulations and it definitely benefits the hog hunters there. Some other states also allow this type of hunting and also allow thermal vision scopes. Not sure how many people would want to shell out the cash those scopes demand though.

A class wouldn't be out of the question for me, provided the money go back into the ODWC and not some polititions wallet. As far as nightime hunting on private land the landowner can get permission for night hunting. Not certain but I think it might apply to those the landowner lets hunt his property if he's in the group. Not certain so don't quote me on that. However, a night vision scope still isn't allowed for them.

Also, how many slaughterhouses or meat processors can or will take a free range hog for butchering? I'm not really interested in paying a process fee for each hog or butchering one myself. If I could take a 150# hog to a processor and get 10 or 15 pounds of processed meat in return for no fee, I'd be on it like a duck on a june bug. They could then turn around and sell the rest. That would probably increase interest in hunting them for quite a few people. I'm sure there's some law or regulation against them selling free range meat though. Obviously the corporate hog farms would actively oppose that sort of thing. That's a hurdle that would have to be cleared if it exists.

I'm not certain what slaughterhouses can or can't do pertaining to wild hogs or the selling of their meat since we butcher all of the hogs we kill ourselves. I do know that there are places here in the state that have sales on feral hogs that are captured. Exactly what is done with them I don't know but I would assume most are butchered since its illegal to release any hog on public or private lands here in the state.

I guess what I'm saying is that I don't currently hunt, but I'd love to if it didn't cost me an arm and a leg in out of pocket expenses. It's not very expensive to go to the grocery store and buy pork. You need incentives on both ends to increase the participation in pig control. JMO, YMMV

Personally, in my experience hog hunting seems to be less expensive, or at least on par with deer hunting. Basically all I'm out is gas and the price of corn each time I go. I do practice scent control so those products do cost me. I haven't bought pork at the grocery store in a while since the deep freeze has about 100lbs. in it currently. Seems like the media made a big deal about the price of pork going up recently though.

I agree that there needs to be incentives on both sides. I think as long as the ODWC and the Corps can make some extra cash to help them out for improvements its something they should consider.

 

[RWS]

like i said in the other thread, hunting at night may technically be illegal, but i know of LOTS of people who hunt public land at night with dogs. mostly on cherokee GMA and Gruber. it has always been my understanding that you couldnt run dogs during deer or turkey season, but any other time you can. and i've been told you have to follow the regs of whatever season it is at the time. example- you can only carry rimfire or shotgun during squirrel season.

and IMO, the answer to your question is, ALL AVAILABLE METHODS. trapping is great, but i know dog hunters who catch literally HUNDREDS of hogs per year with dogs. unfortunately, dog hunters are being shut out of lots of places to hunt. to many public lands restrict or deny the use of dogs.

if anyone is interested, here is a great site that pertains mainly to hog dogs, but covers trapping etc. too.
http://www.easttexashogdoggers.com/

 

[RWS]

i beleive it is actually illegal to sell feral hogs in OK. but of course it still happens.

as i understand it, slaughter houses/processors may process wild game or domestic animals, depending on how they are licensed, but not both at the same time. and in that instance, feral hogs fall under wild game.

and if you have no private land to hunt? get out there and make contacts and prove yourself worthy of access to their land or buy some of your own.

 

[TERPSTER]

I think being able to hunt at night with a light would be great, but it is the people that abuse that that kill it for everyone.

 

[crg1372]

i beleive it is actually illegal to sell feral hogs in OK. but of course it still happens.

as i understand it, slaughter houses/processors may process wild game or domestic animals, depending on how they are licensed, but not both at the same time. and in that instance, feral hogs fall under wild game.

and if you have no private land to hunt? get out there and make contacts and prove yourself worthy of access to their land or buy some of your own.

I would think that it would be illegal to sell them, but I've heard there are sales on them around the Hugo area. Also a member recently posted in a thread about a couple of other sales in the central part of the state. I'm not certain on this though because I don't believe feral hogs are considered to be game animals in Oklahoma.

Found it. It was in the thread Return of the Pigs. Only one sale though.

You ever ran them threw a pig sale we have one pretty close over in rose oklahoma they are a lot of china people down there that buy them. Looks like you could make some pretty good cash.