Texas is missing 70,000,000 Feral Hogs

[jimbo]

I eliminated 6 of them in January.

 

[Texasjack]

Have you checked at WalMart? I swear I've seen some hogs wearing sweat pants in there.

 

[RedneckHillbilly]

Yep, that is correct. We are missing 70,000,000 hogs. How is that possible? Ask the biologists/scientists.

Apparently, 'scientists' don't have a clue, or Texas hunters and trappers are totally awesome. By their predictions and me just running the numbers, I would say that Texas is missing about 70,000,000 pigs that should be here right now.

For example, the biologists have been saying that Texas had 2 million hogs starting around 2002 with a 18-21% population growth per year, call it 20% for easier math. That is 20% growth over and above hunting pressure, natural diseases, roadkills, etc. That 20% would be compounded annually for this calculation and so by now, we should have over 76 million hogs in Texas, assuming with had 2.0 million at the start in 2002 and a 20% annual growth rate as claimed. Only recently have the 'experts' been saying that they really don't know how many hogs are in Texas. I can tell you this much. The population isn't growing by 20% per year. The latest highest estimates have Texas hogs at no more than 6 million and most folks think it is closer to 3-5 million and some think we are still around 1.5-2.6 million, almost as if the population hasn't grown or grown much. If that is the case, the population isn't growing by 20% per year. If there are years where it grows by that much, then there must be years where it declines by that much because we are missing some 70 million piggies.

Historic count from 2002: "Wilkins said the wild hogs now number more than 2 million statewide."
https://agrilifetoday.tamu.edu/2002/10/04/animals-more-affected-by-drought-when-people-get-involved/

Stated Growth Rate Example:
https://tpwd.texas.gov/huntwild/wild/nuisance/feral_hogs/

The fact of the matter is that these biologists do some population sampling from given environments, taking into account the carrying capacity and size of said environments, and extrapolating the hog population from there. It is pretty hokey if you want to actually determine a correct number. It is a flawed system by which to conduct a census. And apparently, nobody has been bothering to fact check them.

We got a F-ing metric ton of hogs in the bottoms. They’re all over the Sabine River bottoms, buddies never had a hunt they didn’t see a herd of them and not be able to shoot 2-3 before they scattered like cats.

 

[Eli]

I read recently that hunting them is being discouraged as part of population control, seems shooting them breaks up 'sounders' (organized herds) and it's more effective to trap entire 'sounders' for eradication.
I'm looking at buying some rural land soon, and I'm not sure my kids will be allowed to wander around with only a .22 like I was as the damn things scare the hell out of me!

Eli

 

[Double Naught Spy]

I read recently that hunting them is being discouraged as part of population control, seems shooting them breaks up 'sounders' (organized herds) and it's more effective to trap entire 'sounders' for eradication.

That is a claim. There are claims that shooting the dominant or lead sow will do the same thing.

More effective to trap entire sounders? Depends on what you mean by effective. Missouri will tell you that they are winning the war on hogs, making hog hunting illegal on public lands and trapping them there. Cool. When the program started, they estimated 7700 hogs in the state. For several years, they caught more and more hogs and they were winning the war. You know they are doing good because they are killing more and more, right? No get this, for several of the the last few individual years, they have killed more hogs than were believed to be in the state when the program started. Are they being more effective?

Shooting scatters sounders? Sure, but it isn't like they don't get back together. Hogs are very social animals. They have been pursued by predators for 10s of thousands of years. There would be no sounders if they broke up every time something scared them.

You can't win by solely hunting, not on a regional scale. You can't win by solely trapping or hog dogging either, not on a regional scale. You need a full court press of approaches. Every process misses hogs and just because one may miss less sometimes (have y'all ever watched hogs climb out of traps, burrow out of traps?), the escapees still reproduce.

 

[gll]

I read recently that hunting them is being discouraged as part of population control, seems shooting them breaks up 'sounders' (organized herds) and it's more effective to trap entire 'sounders' for eradication.
I'm looking at buying some rural land soon, and I'm not sure my kids will be allowed to wander around with only a .22 like I was as the damn things scare the hell out of me!

Eli

Kids, hogs, or .22's?

 

[rotor]

They say a sow has a litter of 8 and 12 survive.

 

[Hoji]

Two choppers flew at a friend’s place a couple of weeks ago. They do this in February after deer season every year and sell seats.
They killed almost 1,000 hogs in two days.

 

[robertc1024]

That is a claim. There are claims that shooting the dominant or lead sow will do the same thing.

More effective to trap entire sounders? Depends on what you mean by effective. Missouri will tell you that they are winning the war on hogs, making hog hunting illegal on public lands and trapping them there. Cool. When the program started, they estimated 7700 hogs in the state. For several years, they caught more and more hogs and they were winning the war. You know they are doing good because they are killing more and more, right? No get this, for several of the the last few individual years, they have killed more hogs than were believed to be in the state when the program started. Are they being more effective?

Shooting scatters sounders? Sure, but it isn't like they don't get back together. Hogs are very social animals. They have been pursued by predators for 10s of thousands of years. There would be no sounders if they broke up every time something scared them.

You can't win by solely hunting, not on a regional scale. You can't win by solely trapping or hog dogging either, not on a regional scale. You need a full court press of approaches. Every process misses hogs and just because one may miss less sometimes (have y'all ever watched hogs climb out of traps, burrow out of traps?), the escapees still reproduce.

Exactly my thinking. I read some information about them scattering, my BS meter was on full alert.

 

[Texan79423]

Here is one of the problems encountered in my area.

 

[paknheat]

I don’t know what happened in my area, but we haven’t seen any hogs around for quite a few months now.

Here one day then all gone the next.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk Pro

 

[leVieux]

Yep, that is correct. We are missing 70,000,000 hogs. How is that possible? Ask the biologists/scientists.

Apparently, 'scientists' don't have a clue, or Texas hunters and trappers are totally awesome. By their predictions and me just running the numbers, I would say that Texas is missing about 70,000,000 pigs that should be here right now.

For example, the biologists have been saying that Texas had 2 million hogs starting around 2002 with a 18-21% population growth per year, call it 20% for easier math. That is 20% growth over and above hunting pressure, natural diseases, roadkills, etc. That 20% would be compounded annually for this calculation and so by now, we should have over 76 million hogs in Texas, assuming with had 2.0 million at the start in 2002 and a 20% annual growth rate as claimed. Only recently have the 'experts' been saying that they really don't know how many hogs are in Texas. I can tell you this much. The population isn't growing by 20% per year. The latest highest estimates have Texas hogs at no more than 6 million and most folks think it is closer to 3-5 million and some think we are still around 1.5-2.6 million, almost as if the population hasn't grown or grown much. If that is the case, the population isn't growing by 20% per year. If there are years where it grows by that much, then there must be years where it declines by that much because we are missing some 70 million piggies.

Historic count from 2002: "Wilkins said the wild hogs now number more than 2 million statewide."
https://agrilifetoday.tamu.edu/2002/10/04/animals-more-affected-by-drought-when-people-get-involved/

Stated Growth Rate Example:
https://tpwd.texas.gov/huntwild/wild/nuisance/feral_hogs/

The fact of the matter is that these biologists do some population sampling from given environments, taking into account the carrying capacity and size of said environments, and extrapolating the hog population from there. It is pretty hokey if you want to actually determine a correct number. It is a flawed system by which to conduct a census. And apparently, nobody has been bothering to fact check them.

<>

One week ago, this evening:

(Tow, Texas)

 

[Aus_Schwaben]

Yep, that is correct. We are missing 70,000,000 hogs. How is that possible? Ask the biologists/scientists.

Apparently, 'scientists' don't have a clue, or Texas hunters and trappers are totally awesome. By their predictions and me just running the numbers, I would say that Texas is missing about 70,000,000 pigs that should be here right now.

For example, the biologists have been saying that Texas had 2 million hogs starting around 2002 with a 18-21% population growth per year, call it 20% for easier math. That is 20% growth over and above hunting pressure, natural diseases, roadkills, etc. That 20% would be compounded annually for this calculation and so by now, we should have over 76 million hogs in Texas, assuming with had 2.0 million at the start in 2002 and a 20% annual growth rate as claimed. Only recently have the 'experts' been saying that they really don't know how many hogs are in Texas. I can tell you this much. The population isn't growing by 20% per year. The latest highest estimates have Texas hogs at no more than 6 million and most folks think it is closer to 3-5 million and some think we are still around 1.5-2.6 million, almost as if the population hasn't grown or grown much. If that is the case, the population isn't growing by 20% per year. If there are years where it grows by that much, then there must be years where it declines by that much because we are missing some 70 million piggies.

Historic count from 2002: "Wilkins said the wild hogs now number more than 2 million statewide."
https://agrilifetoday.tamu.edu/2002/10/04/animals-more-affected-by-drought-when-people-get-involved/

Stated Growth Rate Example:
https://tpwd.texas.gov/huntwild/wild/nuisance/feral_hogs/

The fact of the matter is that these biologists do some population sampling from given environments, taking into account the carrying capacity and size of said environments, and extrapolating the hog population from there. It is pretty hokey if you want to actually determine a correct number. It is a flawed system by which to conduct a census. And apparently, nobody has been bothering to fact check them.

Probably the people calculating the numbers of hogs in Texas are the same ones who calculate the numbers for those who keep periodically predicting apocalyptic climate change in x years.

 

[Sam7sf]

Who cares? Hogs are like a bunch of women at Olive Garden, illegals, or Navarro county employees. They just tear shit up.

 

[candcallen]

Who cares? Hogs are like a bunch of women at Olive Garden, illegals, or Navarro county employees. They just tear shit up.

Rooting round the salad bar at the golden corral.

 

[Eli]

Kids, hogs, or .22's?

Hawgs!

Eli

 

[Sam7sf]

Rooting round the salad bar at the golden corral.

The ladies had a get together at the church and normally events have massive amounts of left overs. Was looking forward to some. She brings back a bag of lettuce. “This is all that’s left”. Imagine that…

 

[TxPhantom]

It was me. I Confess.
I put them on buses to Vermont, NY, and Chicago.

Was that wrong?

Did you send any to Martha's Vineyard?

 

[texasz]

That is a claim. There are claims that shooting the dominant or lead sow will do the same thing.

More effective to trap entire sounders? Depends on what you mean by effective. Missouri will tell you that they are winning the war on hogs, making hog hunting illegal on public lands and trapping them there. Cool. When the program started, they estimated 7700 hogs in the state. For several years, they caught more and more hogs and they were winning the war. You know they are doing good because they are killing more and more, right? No get this, for several of the the last few individual years, they have killed more hogs than were believed to be in the state when the program started. Are they being more effective?

Shooting scatters sounders? Sure, but it isn't like they don't get back together. Hogs are very social animals. They have been pursued by predators for 10s of thousands of years. There would be no sounders if they broke up every time something scared them.

You can't win by solely hunting, not on a regional scale. You can't win by solely trapping or hog dogging either, not on a regional scale. You need a full court press of approaches. Every process misses hogs and just because one may miss less sometimes (have y'all ever watched hogs climb out of traps, burrow out of traps?), the escapees still reproduce.

I actually wrote a paper about wild hog control for a wildlife management class a few years back. This was exactly my conclusion, relying on one method will not work. We also will never 'win' the war on hogs, it is impossible unless you go full nuclear and develop a safe poison in conjunction with all other methods and implement it en mass. Missouri has a terrible wildlife management system as well. While I was stationed there the limit changed from two deer to eight to five to one or something stupid like that. I looked at some literature about how they are dealing with hogs. Found lots saying they are not even making a dent with trapping because it is only on public land that they can trap lol

 

[Axxe55]

MANY OF THE TRAITS THAT MAKE FOGS A VIABLE LIVESTOCK ARE TRAITS THAT HAVE MADE THEMSUCH A HUGE PROBLEM WHEN THE GO FERALOR WILD!