I’ve been a little short of stuff to write about, but thank goodness for the “innerwebz”. There’s always something a little interesting out there, but this time I found something I wish I’d written.
In conversations with folks who’ve been in the front lines of hog depredation, there’s a pretty common thread of disdain (or at least cynical amusement) when anyone broaches the topic of these “reality” hog hunting programs. Beyond the ridiculous histrionics, there’s a knowing wink and grin from the guys in the business.
Maybe the programs are great entertainment to some people, but what they’re showing as “depredation” falls a bit short of the mark. Rounding up one ugly boar with your hog dogs does not put a dent in the population anymore than trapping a handful of youngsters in a box trap. Oh, I’m sure that the pros who are featured in some of these programs are probably a little more adept than the viewers actually get to see, but it’s all about perception, right?
So when I popped over to Ammoland.com, I was tickled to find an awesome piece about the challenges that face wildlife managers across the country when it comes to controlling feral swine. The article quotes professionals from the Wildlife Management Institute, feral hog expert, Dr. Jack Mayer, and other sources to describe the extent of the problem (45 states and four Canadian provinces), and the challenges involved in controlling the spread.
To date, no single technique used to control the spread or overall numbers of wild pigs has proven successful—a fact not lost on disease specialists and wildlife managers. According to West, 50 to 70 percent of a wild pig population must be removed each year to stabilize or begin reducing it. Unfortunately, hunting and other lethal control methods account for only 20 percent a year on average. Even more frustrating to wildlife managers is the fact that hunters are the one’s largely responsible for the viral spread of wild pigs to new geographic regions across the country.
Key point… sport hunting isn’t getting the job done. What’s worse… sport hunters are getting a big chunk of the blame in regards to perpetuating of the problem.
None of this is news to you, Hog Blog readers, or to anyone who’s been following the feral hog issue over the past eight or nine years. But the answer is still unclear. Paid sharpshooters? Poisons? Introducing new predators? I guess we’ll see.
Currently, significant research is being conducted on swine-specific toxins to aid in the control of wild pigs. Ironically, the most promising of these new products, commercially known as Hog-Gone, is a concentrated form of sodium nitrite, the most common pork preservative used worldwide. While initial results look promising, it is likely that no silver bullet exists to rid North America’s diverse habitats of the wild pig. According to West and other wildlife biologists, only constant monitoring and unified efforts between hunters, landowners and wildlife management agencies can protect native ecosystems from the invasion of the wild pig.
Phillip Loughlin
jac
Beastslayer
When you say “What’s worse… sport hunters are getting a big chunk of the blame in regards to perpetuating of the problem” don’t you actually mean that sport huters are responsible for a big chunk of the problem? Being blamed and being responsible are very different. The reason I ask is because when I think of Hog Blog I think of two things, a joyful warrior representing hunters’ interests and a perfectly prescient critic of the foolish and selfish conduct of sport hunters in releasing swine. I sometimes quibble with your efforts in furtherance of the former but never with the latter. In regard to the alarm you’re sounding, you couldn’t be more right nor more necessary in the national discourse pertaining to hunting/wildlife/ecology.
Thanks, by the way.