Egg eaters

[J.D. Shellnut]

I get what your saying about leaving them in the woods. And its not like you think. Most of your woods hogs aren't fit to eat and with our heat and humidity this time of year its just not worth it. I live in la also. But when you have as many as we do and see the destruction they do. You grow to hate them!!! I carry a ruger 10/22 in my truck with a 50rd clip and a gut shot is just as good as a head shot in my book with them. That sounds harsh but when you get beat to death bush hogging your pasture remorse goes out the window!!!

[Sir-diealot]

I get what your saying about leaving them in the woods. And its not like you think. Most of your woods hogs aren't fit to eat and with our heat and humidity this time of year its just not worth it. I live in la also. But when you have as many as we do and see the destruction they do. You grow to hate them!!! I carry a ruger 10/22 in my truck with a 50rd clip and a gut shot is just as good as a head shot in my book with them. That sounds harsh but when you get beat to death bush hogging your pasture remorse goes out the window!!!

I understand what you mean completely, I went to visit family in OK a few years ago and was supposed to go on a hog hunt but that year they had a record stretch of 3 digit temperatures and we did not go because the meat would spoil.

As far as the equipment getting beat up I understand that as well, this is why I hunt woodchucks in my area, they do billions of dollars in damage and sometimes result it death if a tractor rolls over.

Only comment I do not like is the gut shot comment, everything should be taken as humanly as possible.

[kjnengr]

Good shooting and thank you!  In GA the hogs don't damage the nest quite as much as coons, possums, foxes and yotes.

I have actually read some interesting studies on coyotes...

Generally coyotes are not egg eaters, but they are generally good at controlling fox, opossum, and raccoon populations, and to some degree even skunk populations.  And bobcats do not like them either.

Furthermore, coyotes eat a lot of squirrels and rabbits which compete with upland species (including turkey) for food.

I know that coyotes eat turkeys, cause I have called in too many yotes to a turkey call...  But I still wonder if they sometimes are not more beneficial to have around than harmful?

The enemy of my enemy is my friend?

[kjnengr]

Good job on the pigs LaLongbeard.  They should certainly be shot on sight. 

I would have to say that they egg eaters have more of an impact than coyotes but that's just my experience. 

[J.D. Shellnut]

I completely understand that too. And would not take a unethical shot on any other animal. But when you pull up to a food plot, pasture, roadside ditch or like me my yard! And there's 15-20 of them tearing up things you worked for or even personally own. You only worry about one thing and that's how to inflict the most damage in the small window of time you have before they scatter. Because the ones that don't get hit WILL return. I've only seen one woodchuck in my life. But I'll kill the next one if they do half the damage a feral hog does! lol

[LaLongbeard]

Hogs are not native species they are invasive, destructive and a nuisance. Rats are also not native to North America and are also edible,some Vietnamese love them. Does anybody care what happens to a rat or would anyone here eat one?
I'm not big on picture posting or look what I did stories I only posted this because of how many hogs were in the area I was hunting and that they were rooting around in an area that hens were nesting. This wasn't in Louisiana but I do shoot them there every chance I get.
The last group of hogs I shot came right to my calling I don't know what they had on there minds but I have no doubt they were looking for the hen they heard. Everybody has there own opinion about killing snakes or pigs or whatever. If you live in an area that has a hog problem or hunt in water moccasin infested creek bottoms you'll probably have a different opinion than someone that saw a water moccasin on animal planet and likes bacon.
To each there own

[joey46]

These "if you shoot it you gota' eat it" discussions come up on many forums.  The picture posted of the dead sow with the dead piglets will shock some.  The only thing a central Florida rancher would ask is "how come you didn't get the rest of the piglets".  That sow probably had at least 6 more in her family group.  I once hunted a WMA quota hunt where a biologist was present.  He said a female pig is either pregnant or soon will be.  There is no middle ground on this.  I'll run game cameras again next week.   I'll post a few and you'll be amazed at the number of hogs present on a ranch where they are given no quarter. 

More to come.

[Sir-diealot]

These "if you shoot it you gota' eat it" discussions come up on many forums.  The picture posted of the dead sow with the dead piglets will shock some.  The only thing a central Florida rancher would ask is "how come you didn't get the rest of the piglets".  That sow probably had at least 6 more in her family group.  I once hunted a WMA quota hunt where a biologist was present.  He said a female pig is either pregnant or soon will be.  There is no middle ground on this.  I'll run game cameras again next week.   I'll post a few and you'll be amazed at the number of hogs present on a ranch where they are given no quarter. 

More to come.

I have no problem with it, just like wolves they have gotten to be to many and need to be thinned out. My question about the foodbank came as somebody that has been homeless before and can see much gain to be had by donation. It is why I donate as well.

[J.D. Shellnut]

Where we live and the terrain we hunt with the heat. By the time you got it out and cleaned I wouldn't trust feeding it to my family. So Im not going to poison somebody else. Don't get me wrong I eat wild pork. If you find a healthy sow that her ribs or hip bones aint showing and its cool. You cant beat it. And that bio that joey was talking about is right. Our saying down here is "if she aint got pigs under her then shes got pigs in her"!!! I killed a 50lb sow one time with pigs in her. She couldn't have been a year old.

[ATROX]

Kill em all, these things ain't good for the turkey population.

[Sir-diealot]

Where we live and the terrain we hunt with the heat. By the time you got it out and cleaned I wouldn't trust feeding it to my family. So Im not going to poison somebody else. Don't get me wrong I eat wild pork. If you find a healthy sow that her ribs or hip bones aint showing and its cool. You cant beat it. And that bio that joey was talking about is right. Our saying down here is "if she aint got pigs under her then shes got pigs in her"!!! I killed a 50lb sow one time with pigs in her. She couldn't have been a year old.

I can understand that they need to be controlled, I truly do. Having been injured in car accidents and all I just would rather make a clean kill and if I could not I would not because I know what it is to live in pain. Not that I think animals feel pain like humans do at all, it is just something that was drove into me is to not make the animal suffer. I can't expect everybody to think about it the way I do no more than I can expect somebody to like linguini and clam sauce just because I do, everybody had their own mind and their own methods.

[kjnengr]

Good shooting and thank you!  In GA the hogs don't damage the nest quite as much as coons, possums, foxes and yotes.

I have actually read some interesting studies on coyotes...

Generally coyotes are not egg eaters, but they are generally good at controlling fox, opossum, and raccoon populations, and to some degree even skunk populations.  And bobcats do not like them either.

Furthermore, coyotes eat a lot of squirrels and rabbits which compete with upland species (including turkey) for food.

I know that coyotes eat turkeys, cause I have called in too many yotes to a turkey call...  But I still wonder if they sometimes are not more beneficial to have around than harmful?

https://www.mdwfp.com/wildlife-hunting/turkey-program/turkey-ecology-and-life-history/dont-blame-predators-for-poor-turkey-habitat/

[LaLongbeard]

The Raccoon is my number one target...they are the most destructive nest predators. I think the coyote gets more blame than he's due. Once the turkeys get out of the eggs and make it 6 months or so they at least have a chance,it's that egg and poult stage that needs the most help imo. I just shoot anything that eats turkeys in any stage of life and consider that part of the sport.

[Sir-diealot]

To me the absolute worst is the feral cat. Can't legally shoot them in NY which is stupid.

[tomstopper]

The Raccoon is my number one target...they are the most destructive nest predators. I think the coyote gets more blame than he's due. Once the turkeys get out of the eggs and make it 6 months or so they at least have a chance,it's that egg and poult stage that needs the most help imo. I just shoot anything that eats turkeys in any stage of life and consider that part of the sport.

I agree about racoons. Another predator that is very destructive after they hatch are Hawks. Them things love poults

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