Do you find it ethical to shoot a wild hog and let it lay?

[GobbleAndGrunt78]

The only thing wrong with your little reverie is that the hogs are non-native invasive species. When you throw them into the equation, everything else gets thrown out of whack. Nothing, including coyotes and bobcats are going to prey on hogs. The coyotes seem to be sort of self limiting, at least in my area,because mange and parvovirus ravages them every so often. Deer,which in my opinion almost qualify as non-native invasives, will quickly starve if their population is unchecked. Nothing fazes the hogs.

Your implication that removing all the hogs would throw the natural order out of whack is absurd because they are not part of the natural order in the wild. They are like kudzu or privet hedge in the plant world.

The "big picture" is that just about every naturally occurring species in the Georgia woods suffers because of the presence of the hogs, not to mention the crop depredation.

Well aren't you just the confrontational type. I wasn't trying to make an arguement. This thread just made those thoughts of mine come to mind. The point I was making is, anything we do with wildlife (native or non-native) WILL effect the ecosystem. Hogs are here to stay and we got to live with it, as our ancestors have for almost 500 years! The reality is that they ARE part of the ecosystem simply because they ARE here. And redlevel, I wasn't saying that hogs aren't destructive, non-native, or hard on the native wildlife. But, I will disagree about the statement about coyotes/bobcats not preying on hogs. That is absolutely false. I can find coyote/bobcat feces with hog hair in it EVERY time I go to my local hunting grounds. Also, the bobcat I killed in Feb was hot on the trail of a pack of hogs that managed to give me the slip just a few minutes before. We all know that they are non-native destructive critters, but the reality is that we can't stop them.....so enjoy hunting them and do your part to help control them.

 

[11P&YBOWHUNTER]

Redlevel, if you or any of your friends on or off here have such a problem with hogs, i would come shoot every single one of them because i know people who would take them in a heart beat...and i have not shot a couple of critters with 4 legs in the last 14 months. Feel free to send me a PM anytime day or night.

I personally know that BEAR are about the worst thing for a corn field. Deer nibble on the outer rows and in the open pockets and all but BEARS will knock down a 10 yard circle at a time and lay on top of it and eat and eat and eat some more. Hogs will destroy crops and in the process dig holes that can and will damage machinery which is as bad if not worse.

Back home in NY, they give out permits once and a while to shoot crop damaging bears in areas that do not have a bear season...which of course really upsets local sportsmen, myself included. This next fall will be the first bear season in that area of NY and i will be there because of the mass number of bear overall and their sizes are awesome too. In November 2006 our group saw 11 bears in 2 days of hunting in this area and the smallest one was a 100 pound cub by himself. The rest were all over 200 pounds easy. I hunted a few days later in an area we can kill them, not 2 or 3 miles away and i shot a hoss of a bear,...in a corn field. We ended up taing a bunch of them that day in the corn fields we were driving.

Thing is,...bears, deer AND hogs create havoc on farms...but the difference between the south and up where i am from is that up there, farmers will allow just about everyone come and shoot deer and bears off thier property, just not near the barn or house...or even in the fields surrounding the barn and houses.

When was the last time a farmer gave you permission in GA to hunt for deer, bear or hogs on their property. I asked many and they all said that they leased their land out to hunters...so the all mighty dollar wins again while they themselves still gripe about the local wildlife...if you want to complain, invite hunters to your place and kill them all.

 

[redlevel]

G&G you put hogs in the same category in your post with squirrels, rattlesnakes, and bobcats. It sounded to me like you were suggesting they were part of the natural ecosystem. Your statement that "anything we do with wildlife WILL effect the ecosystem" is true. The only effect removing every hog seen will be positive. Feral hogs are wild, but are not wildlife in the sense hunters and conservationists use the word, no more so than the feral cats and dogs that are continuously dumped into the wild. These feral animals only have negative impact on the natural ecosystem.

Call it confrontational if you like, but when I see such an obvious misrepresentation as comparing squirrels or rattlesnakes, both naturally occurring critters, to hogs, then I'm going to correct that.

11P&YBOWHUNTER, I always have people who offer to help alleviate the problems with deer and hog over populations by hunting. Hunting isn't the answer for hogs. Wholesale slaughter is the only solution, and the opportunity for that is a random event. Every so often we happen to see a few sows and a bunch of pigs from 15 to 60 lbs in a field. If there are two or three of us with rifles, and we can shoot down the sows, the pigs don't know where to go. The most we got like that was 23. That doesn't happen very often. It isn't hunting, and we don't claim it to be. We have plenty of hunters who shoot all the deer we can legally shoot, and a bunch of hogs, too.

You say you know people who will take them in a heartbeat. Just wait till you get a half-dozen or so on the ground and listen to all the excuses; "UH, now is a bad time." "We were just leaving to go eat." "MY Mama'n'em are coming to visit." Most of them will be glad to take them quartered out in an ice chest.

 

[11P&YBOWHUNTER]

RedLevel, if i was coming to kill them all, that ain't hunting either...and that is what i would be doing...coming to kill them all. I never had a problem giving a hog away within the first three phone calls. My offer still stands and if killing them all is what you want,... that i can handle.

 

[50 Caliber]

If you dont eat it it aint huntin.......Its Killin. I vote "NO" dont do it.
The human race caused the problem by introducing the species, they are not bad eating and there are plenty of them.......eatem!

 

[Allen Waters]

What does ethics have to do with an invasive species?

that says it for me. they are an undesirable species. yes i'll take them and process some. but i don't have a problem shooting them to control population and protect crops or food plots for deer. whats the difference in a hog, armadillo ( which is edible ), crow, coyote, or any bug....i've seen plenty of bugs eaten before, so if you won't let a hog lay... shouldn't you be saving all those protein snacks on your windshield, i mean you killed them and all, shouldn't you eat them
one way to look at it is leaving a hog to lay might feed some yotes that would otherwise be eating you polts or fawns, so manybe they really aren't wasted.

 

[EMC-GUN]

I've killed them and eaten them and they eat good. Having said that I do know folks that kill them and let them lay. The are a pest. I don't know if I could kill some nice eaters and let them lay though. If I can pack it out and it will fit in the freezer it's coming home with me. I don't blame the farmers here at all for killing as many as they can. Those buggers will tear up some land something fierce!

 

[contender*]

I was raised that if it's edible and you shoot it you should be planning on eating it. I myself wouldn't kill a hog unless I planned on eating it. HOWEVER, my property isn't overrun with hogs and I have seen pics of property ruined because of them, therefore I ain't bustin nobody's chops for shootin em like crows in a corn patch.

 

[morris]

sometimes you gotta do what you gotta do

 

[sbrown]

"Get this through your judgmental skull: pest eradication has nothing to do with hunting. Hunting "morals and ethics" have nothing to do with eradication of a destructive invasive species, whether it be hogs or deer. Even though deer are considered game animals, there are provisions for taking care of crop depredation. There are no restrictions on hogs, so there is nothing illegal, immoral, or unethical about trying to eradicate them. Send me your phone number and I'll call you next time so you can distribute the meat."

Not trying to be smart here, but shoot me a PM and I'll gladly round up 3 or 4 guys and we will come bowhunt them at your conveinance. I am from a farming family and while we never had a problem like this I certainly feel for anyone whose income and livelihood is affected. However, this stuff is on here all the time and you can never get anyone to let you come and hunt them. Me and 3 buddies went to south Ga a few months ago and paid several hundred dollars each to hunt pigs and had a blast. Depredation permits may be legal but still doesn't make it right in my opinion. Not my place to tell somebody else what is right or wrong to do with there land either but guess it's hard to understand unless you're in the situation. Offer stands though for anyone who wants some wiped out, I have several veteran bowhunters/rifle ready to go and we'll take every one we kill.

 

[stick-n-string]

I had a game warden tell me that if i saw a hog on chickasawhatchee,shoot it and if i did'nt want it to leave him there. Like it has been said a hundred times, they reproduce so rapidly, you cant eradicate them, yet you can keep them under control.
So to answer the question is it ethical. I say some must die, so the rest can eat. No one can argue that a hog can eat allot, when you got way too many hogs, the deer and everything else will be affected. so to keep the population down means you have to leave a few out there to rot, so be it. There are plenty of animals out in the woods that will eat it, so technically its not going to waste.

 

[firebiker]

Here we go again
I voted NO !

 

[CAL]

Just my 02, yes I think it is ethical as long as its far enough away as to not stink up a neighborhood. We actually have people working for the DNR who have full time jobs killing hogs on barrier islands. These animals destroy native animals such as sea turtles, gopher tortoise, Indigo and other snakes, the list goes on and on. They are not native and are completly useless as far as ecosystem health is concerned. On barrier islands they are the number 1 cause of seaturtle nest destruction. I know of wildlife agents that kill 20 or more in a day. Although some of these are dressed and eaten the majority of them are vulture and gator food. My personal opinion is to kill them all! They don't belong here! Again this is my opinion.
I kill everyone I can, young and old alike.

I agree 100% with your statement.I doubt those that don't agree with shooting and leaving has never had them destroying their property and their field where they have to try to make a living farming!

 

[Big Al]

What does ethics have to do with an invasive species?

My question exactly. Shoot them all and feed some buzzards.

But seriously, wait until it gets to a point where people start to feel it in their wallets due to crop damage and increased food prices. It is easy for people to say "poor farmer" or something like that when it does not affect them. It usually takes someone to lose "their" money for their opinions to change.

 

[LJay]

Worms gotta eat, same as Buzzards.

 

[sbrown]

Still waiting to see that post on here or get that Pm looking for help to rid of some of these invasive hogs. Or is the EASY answer just to shoot them and leave them lay? Maybe that is the question that should have been asked.Again, I am not passing judgement on anyone who is loosing income because of this, but seems we have have alot of good hunters here in GA, alot of nuisance hogs that farmers don't want, why don't we work together on this forum to to find an answer that helps all out? I am sure a lot of people already are I know I will here that there are liability concerns and that you have to be there when the hogs are, etc... Sure wished I lived closer to some of these farming areas, I would love to hunt these pests as much as possible.

 

[12gamag]

have any of you ever thought about all the turkey and quail nest hogs tear up??

If I need to meat I put them in the freezer.....If I dont Ill let them lay right were the drop.....

 

[skoaleric]

First of all, I don't kill ANYTHING i'm not gonna eat.
Second of all, those of you who have hog problems and are seeing lots of numbers and shooting them to leave them lay....yall need to either let those of us who will eat them, come shoot them...or shut up about it. Whether its a hog or a deer with horns cutoff, leaving anything lay to rot is pathetic! Its makes you a killer and not a hunter.
And for those of you who have deer clubs, or family farms and don't allow any others to come hog hunt...Then SHUT UP ABOUT THE HOG PROBLEM!
I live in Lamar County, and whenever I hear the farmers around hear talking about hogs, I ask them to let me hunt and take a few for the freezer. When they say, they don't allow any hunting at all, I tell them the same thing---- SHUT UP AND QUIT COMPLAINING ABOUT THE HOGS!.

 

[hevishot]

First of all, I don't kill ANYTHING i'm not gonna eat.
Second of all, those of you who have hog problems and are seeing lots of numbers and shooting them to leave them lay....yall need to either let those of us who will eat them, come shoot them...or shut up about it. Whether its a hog or a deer with horns cutoff, leaving anything lay to rot is pathetic! Its makes you a killer and not a hunter.
And for those of you who have deer clubs, or family farms and don't allow any others to come hog hunt...Then SHUT UP ABOUT THE HOG PROBLEM!
I live in Lamar County, and whenever I hear the farmers around hear talking about hogs, I ask them to let me hunt and take a few for the freezer. When they say, they don't allow any hunting at all, I tell them the same thing---- SHUT UP AND QUIT COMPLAINING ABOUT THE HOGS!.

Gee, I wonder if your pathetic attitude has anything to do with the fact that folks wont let you hunt the hogs?...

 

[Limb_Hanger]

His attitude

His attitude is fine twards the subject....i totally agree with him stop crying about it...