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tipoc · March 19, 2013, 02:21 PM

One thing that effects the figures for attacks by hogs is that they are also farm animals and animals that we kill on an industrial scale. I worked for a few years in a cut and kill plant in St. Joseph, Mo. (I also knew and know a number of hog farmers.) We killed many, many hogs daily. When one would get loose and make a run for it the crazed beast would hurt anything in it's way. But such incidents, like those on a farm are not listed anywhere as "animal attacks on humans". They are listed as industrial accidents.

But attached here is a PDF file on the numbers of deaths annually from animal attacks from 1991 to 2001. Hogs did not make the list. They might now.

http://www.scark.org/docs/Animal%20R...Fatalities.pdf

Some things of interest in the report. Men walking alone seem to be attacked more often than females walking alone. Most attacks occur in the Southern states. Most attacks involve Caucasion males.

From what I've read the same is true of recent hog attacks as well. So if you can avoid all three of those things, statistically, you may be pretty safe. Go for 2 out of three and you're likely fairly safe. If you got all three, well then as Rooster Cogburn said in True Grit, "I can not help you son".

Personally I'm less scared of a mano a mano with a two hundred pound elk than a two hundred pound hog. The elk is vicious, fast and strong, the horns can pierce and shred, the hoofs are deadly hard and sharp, but...I see it eye to eye. It stands on it's four legs as tall as I do on my hind legs. I can wrestle it to the ground. With knife and gun it's mine. I've personally knocked a 140 pound deer to the ground with my shoulder.

Not so the hog. The pig is low to the earth. It's center of gravity down there and hard to toss. To fight it eye to eye you gotta be on the ground where we are at our weakest against the boar. It slashes at your legs side to side and will try to toss you. If truly feral it will grow tusks which can get to 7-8" in length, or longer. It slashes with it's teeth and tusks. It's neck and shoulders are strong, no choking it. It can bite. The same teeth that tear roots of trees can break a bone. It's fast, much faster than a human in the brush. Kicking it has no effect if full grown or more than a yearling. Most folks it kills bleed out before they can get help.

But usually, in the outdoors, they just run away.

tipoc

March 19, 2013, 02:21 PM	#54
tipoc Senior Member Join Date: December 11, 2004 Location: Redwood City, Ca. Posts: 4,114	One thing that effects the figures for attacks by hogs is that they are also farm animals and animals that we kill on an industrial scale. I worked for a few years in a cut and kill plant in St. Joseph, Mo. (I also knew and know a number of hog farmers.) We killed many, many hogs daily. When one would get loose and make a run for it the crazed beast would hurt anything in it's way. But such incidents, like those on a farm are not listed anywhere as "animal attacks on humans". They are listed as industrial accidents. But attached here is a PDF file on the numbers of deaths annually from animal attacks from 1991 to 2001. Hogs did not make the list. They might now. http://www.scark.org/docs/Animal%20R...Fatalities.pdf Some things of interest in the report. Men walking alone seem to be attacked more often than females walking alone. Most attacks occur in the Southern states. Most attacks involve Caucasion males. From what I've read the same is true of recent hog attacks as well. So if you can avoid all three of those things, statistically, you may be pretty safe. Go for 2 out of three and you're likely fairly safe. If you got all three, well then as Rooster Cogburn said in True Grit, "I can not help you son". Personally I'm less scared of a mano a mano with a two hundred pound elk than a two hundred pound hog. The elk is vicious, fast and strong, the horns can pierce and shred, the hoofs are deadly hard and sharp, but...I see it eye to eye. It stands on it's four legs as tall as I do on my hind legs. I can wrestle it to the ground. With knife and gun it's mine. I've personally knocked a 140 pound deer to the ground with my shoulder. Not so the hog. The pig is low to the earth. It's center of gravity down there and hard to toss. To fight it eye to eye you gotta be on the ground where we are at our weakest against the boar. It slashes at your legs side to side and will try to toss you. If truly feral it will grow tusks which can get to 7-8" in length, or longer. It slashes with it's teeth and tusks. It's neck and shoulders are strong, no choking it. It can bite. The same teeth that tear roots of trees can break a bone. It's fast, much faster than a human in the brush. Kicking it has no effect if full grown or more than a yearling. Most folks it kills bleed out before they can get help. But usually, in the outdoors, they just run away. tipoc Last edited by tipoc; March 19, 2013 at 05:22 PM.