I wish Montana had pigs to hunt

[kametc]

What we need in Montana are some feral pigs to hunt. I've eaten russian boar in Germany, and it was just soo good. Where are the closest pigs to be had? Southern Idaho I've heard.

We've got pretty much all of the rest of the game. Just need pigs. Maybe we can convince the Powers that be that the Wolves in the Greater yellowstone Ecosystem, need pigs to prey on. then we can hunt em too.

Ken

[djonathang]

Depending on your age, just drop a boy and girl off in a food rich area with some water, and in 15 years, you'll have plenty of pigs for everyone.

[Doyle]

If you've ever seen the ground damage that a herd of wild pigs does, you would gladly leave them in another state. The damage to Fl is estimated to be in the hundreds of millions of dollars each year.

[model70fan]

+1
I've hunted them in TX and it's just shoot on sight, no limit except for how much ammo you want to burn, they destroy a lot of land. Being from Montana I am sure you know what a big prairie dog town looks like, hogs do the same thing basically, they wreck a lot of land. I would rather just hunt them in someone else's backyard.

[kametc]

Oh, I understand they do alot of damage. Being Feral pigs they are not native but introduced. I have heard you can Hunt them in Hawaii. Anybody know if thats true or not? e could go to Hawaii, hunt pigs all day and then roast em on the beach at night.

Ken

[kametc]

They most likely wouldn't survive here because of the cold. They seem to have spread everywhere else. Especially across the south.

Ken

[MeekAndMild]

You don't need pigs. They'll destroy the ecology.

What you need is more liberal state laws on the killing of deer! I thought the south was infested with whitetails until I saw Montana! I complain of 3 or 4 in the yard eating Mrs. Meek's plants but at least I can shoot a doe a day without tagging. Up there you have to get a tag for one doe a season and your herd is seriously imbalanced and overpopulated.

[45Marlin carbine]

gets plenty cold in Germany and Russia. the Russian boars that got out here in WNC have survived plenty of cold weather in the 6,000 ft mountains. they were brought into here in the 1920's in a hunting preserve and got out. the 'feral hogs' that have got out can live in cold also. they burrow up and sort of semi-hibernate in real bad snow/ice conditions. they are good eating, especially ones from around farms/orchards.

[kametc]

The big deer populations here are mostly in the new (read last 20 years) developments. You can buy over the counter doe tags, sometimes as many as 3 or 5. Problem is getting to the deer to hunt them if all the land is blocked up in 5 acre parcels. The vast majority of Montana is pretty wide open. Especially up north on the Highline or the Missouri Breaks. Theres alot of very good Mule deer hunting to be had.
I'll have to make a trip down south sometime just to hunt pigs. When is the best time to go?

Ken

[Lawyer Daggit]

Britain now has wild boar. Someone started farming wild boar there and a number escaped and they are breeding up (nicely!).

[graniteob]

Just wait a few years they will come. Here in northern california they are like flies. They have been moving north into oregon so its just a matter of time. They can survive on any type of food including their own kind and the young of other animals. They eat 3 to 5 more food than other animals of the same weight, like deer. In california there are more than 750 000 wild pigs and each pig does about 500 $ damage a year so do the math. Also wild pigs have been linked to the outbreaks of ecoli in crops. And transmitting diseases to farm animals. Here as the number of pigs have increased the number of mule and blacktail deer have declined. Mostly because the pigs can reproduce 3 times a year if water is availible and in each litter they can have a dozen piglets. If you want to shoot some pigs you should come to Nor Cal. I go out a couple times a month all year round. This time of the year when it heats up the pigs have to wallow and stay pretty close to water. When there is alot of water the pigs are everywhere so its harder to find them. I was born in Butte and split most of my life in Nor Cal and SW Montana including Townsend,Ennis and Butte. My Dad and most of my family live in Butte so I make a couple of trips a year to visit and to go fishing or hunting. This year I'm going to Malta to hunt with my Step dad family too. You should message me if your are interested about pig hunting here in NorCal.

[Mainah]

So you're saying that every other big game animal in North America isn't enough?

[Kreyzhorse]

I recently read an article that stated within the next 10 years, they expect every state will have wild hog population. Be careful what you wish for.

[W. C. Quantrill]

I was talking to one guy that said that they were shooting hogs from a small plane a while back. Just killing them and leaving them to feed the rest of the herd--that was somewhere in northern Kalifornia.

I hate to be a party pooper but I would make this statement, that anyone that I caught turning hogs loose on my land would most certainly be there when the proper authorities arrived. Read that any way you want to.

The frustration of it all is, that Texas and Kalifornia complain about all the hogs, but they wont let you hunt them.....you have to know someone who has had all they can stand who will let you on their land. Even tho the main bunch of land owners whine about the hogs, they want to charge you a thousand dollars to shoot them..........well, do you have a problem or not? If they are a game animal, and you protect them, then you do not have a problem in my book. If they are really a problem then, lets get to killing them.

Its like the Mexicans around here whining about the antelope. Bad this and bad that, but they wont let you shoot them because they are valuable game animals,,,,excuse me, please make up your mind. Being Democrats, they want to charge you for hunting them but they also want the state to pay them damage control.

[kametc]

So you're saying that every other big game animal in North America isn't enough?

Sorry, I'm being piggish. You know the grass is always greener.

Ken

[kametc]

graniteob, We hunt up north alot too. Ft Benton, Geraldine, Square Butte etc. I would like to check out the UL Bend area south of Malta, but I just haven't made it up there.
Is there a season in Norcal on pigs? What about nonresidents?

Ken

[Fat White Boy]

You can hunt pigs in Hawaii- The locals use dogs to run them down then finish them off with a knife...I like the Central Coast area of California for them. Lots of rolling hills with oak and sage brush. The only prooblem is, it is mostly private property. A successful weekend hunt runs around $500.00, not including food, lodging and tip. But the pigs eat great. I usually like 'em about 150 pounds or so. I save the loins and get the rest ground up into bulk sausage that I make into my own links...

[10-96]

Amen on what Quantrill said. It's like me charging someone to pick weeds out of my garden. I hope those bas---ds get all the hogs they can stand! Maybe I could see charging $25 to $50 per trip... but $1000? Yeah right. Several farmers & ranchers down around Memphis, TX complained of hog problems and then leased exclusively to one or two guys for $1000+ each. Now these guys are busy and only get down there to hunt 4 or 5 times a year and are not getting a whole lot done about all the hogs running amuck. Guess who still has a hog problem?

[W. C. Quantrill]

Hogs will make anyone 10-96

I see you are in the panhandle--Amarillo?

I'm just up the road a ways from Amarillo to the west. The Alien Mexicans turned a chit-load of hogs loose over here with the thought of getting free eatin. The Mexicans that owned the land didnt see it that way. So now the hogs are tearing up everything they encounter, the landowners are totally pissed, but they wont let you kill a hog unless you pay them.

So, sorry dood, I aint payin you to pull your weeds. They are demanding that the state come in and control the hogs and pay them for the damage, but the Anglo guy dont play into that plan. If there was really a problem, about 20 guys could have a drive over there, run those hogs out into a killing field and kill all of them one weekend. Done. Everyone butchers and divide up the meat and problem solved. But that isnt profitable to the fifedom, so it doesnt happen.

[45Marlin carbine]

they are really bad in the N.C., S.C., Ga. 'triangle'. listed as 'invasive species'. can trap or hunt as you wish with permit on NF land - private nothing needed. catch 'em around farm/orchard in cold weahter and U have some good eating.

[kametc]

They are demanding that the state come in and control the hogs and pay them for the damage, but the Anglo guy dont play into that plan.

They have damage hunts in Montana for deer and now elk, but the landowner has to show toll free access or at least a willingness to help out. They used to have it as a tag that was drawn lottery style. But some people were getting ripped off. Now they let the landowner choose who they grant access to, but there is no charge for access during a damage hunt. You should see what 600 head of elk can do to a hay stackyard.

Some of the large dude ranch spreads have thier land all locked up so the elk population is really high on those places. Thing is they don't own the elk or deer, state of Montana owns all the game. We get bad weather in the hunting season and those big elk herds will spin off in all directions. Consequently the hunting for these animals in MT is pretty good because of those ranches. They feed em and shelter em most of the year and then we get to hunt them when they get on the ajacent lands.

I guess if the problem in TX gets big enough the landowners will have to cave in and let you guys hunt the hogs.

Ken

[10-96]

Quantrill- Between Adrian and the line?
Yeah, mostly Amarillo- trying to get back to Claude. Wouldn't mind Wildorado, won't do Fritch again. You know the 10- are you still active?