Hogs!

[stravis]

Are they as dangerous as i've heard, if you bump into one out in the woods?


JB

I run into them in my woods at least four or five times a year, if not more. I've never once had them do anything but run away. They don't see very well, so sometimes you get pretty close before they jump and if they smell you, but don't see you, sometimes they will jump up, but not run until they know which direction to run in. I've never had one come at me. I've known a few folks that did have them come at them but every time it was because they either: 1. were hunting them with dogs and while the dogs had them pinned, the person came in to kill it with a knife, or 2. the got between a momma and her babies. There isn't an animal out there that doesn't attack if you get between the momma and babies.

To answer your question, yes they are dangerous if they attack, no they don't often attack.

 

[EddieWalker]

Are they as dangerous as i've heard, if you bump into one out in the woods?

My wife has a Polish cousin that would butcher them things up and smoke the meat in his yard. Be alot of kielbasa to go around

JB

Pigs are Omnivores and will eat just about anything. They are also wild animals that are hunted by humans and smart enough to know that humans are danger.

I have no fear of wild hogs on my land, and have never met anybody first hand who has ever been attacked or known somebody who has been attacked. I've never seen it in the news either. I do know that when wounded, and cornered, they will attack. I also know that when startled, they will run awa in whatever direction they are facing or think is going to get them away as fast as possible. I've seen guys have hogs run past them and then start telling about how they were charged by the hogs. I saw something totally different, and think that is probably the case most every time.

A hog doesn't have claws or canine teeth. It has tusks, which could be dangerous, but since the animal is not aggressive and not equipped for taking down prey, they are not trained on how to hunt or to kill prey.

I blame Rambo, Hollywood and some really bad Magazine stories on the dangers of wild hogs. More people are killed and attacked by whitetail deer in one year then in all history of wild hogs.

There are two animals out in the woods that I'm afraid of. Snakes and wild dogs. Both are unpredictable and both are known to attack humans for no reason.

Here are a few pics from my game camera,
Eddie

 

[bullbreaker]

BTW:Should have mentioned it before when I posted pic's of my hog head mounts.All the mounts I posted pics of had the teeth pulled out more by the taxerdermists for visual effects and conversation pieces,etc.

Boone

 

[LMTC]

I am in general agreement with Eddie, and from my reading am convinced he is correct in stating that deer pose a greater danger. From my experience in the woods, deer can be, and often are, very aggressive. No experience with feral hogs at all, but plenty with domestic hogs. While I never feared an unprovoked attack EXCEPT from a nursing sow or the boars, I was always very cautious when in a pen. I have seen hogs get "group-aggressive" and I would think any person in their path would be in danger, even though no one hog was focused on hurting that person. I am inclined to agree that most "charges" are escapes that came close to a person while fleeing....but that person would be just as injured if run over by a fleeing hog as by a charging hog. I was once run over by a sow who probably weighed 300# or more....she literally ran over me backwards as we tried to move her to a farrowing crate. My injuries were minor, but could have randomly been much worse (think hoof in the eye or other delicate area). They are clearly worthy of caution, if only because of their strength and incredible quickness.

 

[stravis]

Semi related story:

Several years ago a friend of mine called. He had recently bought a small piece of property on a creek (about 12 acres). He was over there and saw several hogs by the creek. That afternoon, we put together a crude pen trap with fence panels he had lying around. The next morning, we had 11 pigs. Two sows and nine piglets. He decided to raise them and eat them throughout the year.

Within three days you could walk in the pen with them. They became tame that quickly. The first day we found them, they would charge the fence panels repeatedly and try to attack. Three days later, when they saw you coming, they started making all kinds of racket and running to the closest side of the fence to you. That was amazing to me.

 

[JB4310]

Here are a few pics from my game camera,
Eddie

Are you feeding them, to lure them in?
I would think that with that much pork around you could save alot on your food bill.

Within three days you could walk in the pen with them. They became tame that quickly. The first day we found them, they would charge the fence panels repeatedly and try to attack. Three days later, when they saw you coming, they started making all kinds of racket and running to the closest side of the fence to you. That was amazing to me.

Sounds as if they might be re-domesticated. Even though they have been running wild for so many decades, that's still a short time as far as evolution goes. Just guessing/ thinking out loud.

JB.

 

[deerefan]

Are you feeding them, to lure them in?
I would think that with that much pork around you could save alot on your food bill.




Sounds as if they might be re-domesticated. Even though they have been running wild for so many decades, that's still a short time as far as evolution goes. Just guessing/ thinking out loud.

JB.

Not all wild hogs were always wild. We had a large pig farm by me that had some escape. They got in with the "wrong crowd" and went "wild." They grew hair and you could not tell the difference. But they were also the quickest to re-domesticate. Look, domestic hogs and wild hogs are no different at their basics. They have the same basic instincts, it is just the domestic hogs are used to you and it takes a hog in the wild a good bit longer. Here are some smaller hogs I trapped on my place, about 40lbs and good eating. All sows, which is best. You kill a boar, you are doing well. Kill a sow and think how many future pigs you have eliminated.

 

[Chuck52]

Are European wild boars completely different animals from the hogs here? I read lots of historical (hysterical) fiction for fun and a common theme is the danger of hunting boars with a spear unless the spear has a stop built into it, because a boar is so aggressive it will run right up the spear and get you. Don't tell me I'm not getting the straight dope from my reading!

Chuck

 

[thatguy]

Bob Ha: Have been wanting to go on a hog hunt for some time now, too bad TX is so far from MD. I would be happy to remove some of your problems. We have been hog free up here in the mountains of Western Maryland but now, reports are coming in from Pennsylvania of feral hogs crossed with Russian wild boar. PA has some high fence hunting preserves and some Russian boar have evdently escaped over the years, thus the problem. Good luck with your problem.

My exact thoughts, maybe we need to carpool to TX - .. I would love to go hog hunting sometime..
Brian

 

[thatguy]

I wonder what bullet he uses in the AR-15? Supposing it is .223, it really puts those hogs down much better than I thought a 223 would!!

Given a chance i would take my AR in 450 Bushmaster.. Out to 200 yds its good to go..

Brian