Feral Hogs? In Indiana?

[Titanium Man]

I was reading an outdoor distributors catalog section related to hog hunting, baits, etc., and the one quote that caught my eye was very interesting. "If you don't have wild hogs on your land, you will."

Back before 1980, we didn't have many coyotes either. We have them now.

 

[Expat]

I have never seen one. You would think they would be road kill every now and then.

 

[glockednlocked]

the one I posted pics of was killed in an area that is well populated. now it is dead people are rethinking damage that in the past was never attributed to a wild boar. No one I have spoken to had ever seen the hog around so you may have them around and not know it, but when they populate they distroy everything so kill them before they explode in numbers. Once they get a foot hold they are almost impossible to get rid of.

 

[jeremy]

A sows gestation is 114 days. Litter size will vary between 8-14 depending largely on how well they can feed. So that equals out to roughly 30 to 60 piglets from each sow every year... Couple that with the fact that they have no real predators other than the few humans that do actually hunt them on occasion.

 

[tdkahn]

"Back before 1980, we didn't have many coyotes either. We have them now."

That's only because they were re-introduced in the '70's. You can thank insurance companies for apppying enough pressure to the DNR to bring them back.
As far as the hogs go I read that each one causes about $17,000 damage to crops each year. I just wonder how many of them migrated this way from some of the Southern states.

 

[jeremy]

"Back before 1980, we didn't have many coyotes either. We have them now."

That's only because they were re-introduced in the '70's. You can thank insurance companies for apppying enough pressure to the DNR to bring them back.
As far as the hogs go I read that each one causes about $17,000 damage to crops each year. I just wonder how many of them migrated this way from some of the Southern states.

I wonder how many of the hogs were brought up here cause someons didn't want to drive Tennessee to hunt them...

 

[reno]

I was in Texas last week. A 500 acre pasture was rooted up like diggin potatoes. They multiply like rabbits. They will actually come out at night and eat entire rows of seed that was planted that day.
In Georgia I have talked to farmers who are plagued by them, they will actually eat the sweet corn seed first before devouring the regular field corn.
The fun is to find the entry point into these fields, set up before dusk and begin shooting.
Have hunted them on four wheelers and it is the most fun I have had in a long time. Lots of ammo and a good driver.

 

[Tactical Dave]

The fun is to find the entry point into these fields, set up before dusk and begin shooting.

If only Claymore hunting was legal...........

 

[ghitch75]

the one I posted pics of was killed in an area that is well populated. now it is dead people are rethinking damage that in the past was never attributed to a wild boar. No one I have spoken to had ever seen the hog around so you may have them around and not know it, but when they populate they distroy everything so kill them before they explode in numbers. Once they get a foot hold they are almost impossible to get rid of.

you seen any out in the flatwoods?...hunted out there years ago....i know all that area like the back of my hand from whitehall to the flatwoods....what road was it hit on?.....just looks like a barn pig that got out and went feral....it could get like that in just over a year runnin' wild....uncle was a hog farmer for 40 years....

 

[tenring]

I wonder how many of the hogs were brought up here cause someons didn't want to drive Tennessee to hunt them...

A couple of brothers in southern Indiana with a lot of money, and a lot of land bought some, had them trucked up here to their farms, turned them loose to have a new form of hunting, forgot to realize that the hogs didn't understand the trespassing laws, and started doing what wild animals will do, go where the food was at. They were later arrested for poaching deer at night using night vision scopes, but the problem is still there. Straight talk, face to face, with a DNR CO from that area who was in on the bust. Would like to have a reference on the importation of coyotes, the "I heard" position would not be a valid point.

 

[glockednlocked]

ghitch that pig was not a recent runaway. he was full on boar. bowling balls and tusks that would have come off the piglet at days old. he was as feral as any I have seen in fla,wv,tn or texas. he was killed east of the flatwoods west of bton south of eville north of the church. you can still see car parts and hog skiddins on the road. did uncle not tusk and castrate? my hog farmer buddies freaked and said that boar was a wild someofagun that needed blasted by any means possible. look at that tail too it wouldnt be that long on a domestic hog.

 

[Panama]

ok this thread intrigued me so I asked my best friends dad who lives in Lawrence county if this was true and he seemed to verify the story of a rich guy from the south bringing hogs to hunt for sport. his brother has a HUGE swatch of land around there and said he would ask him if he has seen any, and he said if he did I could go hunting

A couple of brothers in southern Indiana with a lot of money, and a lot of land bought some, had them trucked up here to their farms, turned them loose to have a new form of hunting, forgot to realize that the hogs didn't understand the trespassing laws, and started doing what wild animals will do, go where the food was at. They were later arrested for poaching deer at night using night vision scopes, but the problem is still there. Straight talk, face to face, with a DNR CO from that area who was in on the bust. Would like to have a reference on the importation of coyotes, the "I heard" position would not be a valid point.

You guys are both real close to the true story.
The person who imported the Russian wild boars did so over 10-15 years ago, his plan was to start a private hunting reserve, but he grossly underestimated the adequate fencing needed to contain them.
This person to this day has denied his involvement.
But these wild hogs escaped from a property just west of a well known area south and east of Leesville, called the Devils Backbone. (seriously, that is what it is called)

In the last 10 years they have spread like wildfire, and then mixed with domestic pigs that they literally helped escape. They have destroyed more crops than you can even imagine! They can have 3-4 litters a year and can have a litter of as many as 15, 3 times a year! Do that math!

My brother in law owns a large farm nearby and has had a lot of problems. However due to being a cattle farmer he does not allow any strangers hunting on his land, he says he can take care of the problem on his farm, himself. (he's a bit of a dick) Between his depredation permit for deer and shooting wild pigs, he has a serious killing zone goin' on!

But I would suggest you make friends with a farmer in that area, most are glad to get any help they can to kill every one of these destructive little b@st@rds
and there are plenty of them. Like some others have said, carry a backup weapon, these animals are tough and mean, should if you find yourself between sow and baby pigs they will viciously attack without warning.

 

[fyrefyter101]

This would be a new challenge for me! I always thought it would be fun to go boar hunting but didnt want to go on a "planned" hunting trip. How cool would it be to grab the nagant and walk through the woods and come home with fresh pork!

 

[jeremy]

This would be a new challenge for me! I always thought it would be fun to go boar hunting but didnt want to go on a "planned" hunting trip. How cool would it be to grab the nagant and walk through the woods and come home with fresh pork!

I would seriously advice against usig a bolt action for your first couple of hog hunts...

Something more like a semi in 12 guage is what I would advice, along with a serious sidearm...

 

[tenring]

Devils Backbone?

I know of an area called Devils Backbone, west of Pleasant, but no hog problem there that I know of, but with all the Amish in the area, well, someday that might be possible.

 

[adh72]

I know of an area called Devils Backbone, west of Pleasant, but no hog problem there that I know of, but with all the Amish in the area, well, someday that might be possible.

I believe the Devil's Backbone mentioned above is located southeast of Bedford in the Tunnelton-Fort Ritner area. Neat area to visit, out of the way but still neat.

I have heard stories about people hunting wild boar around Leesville since I was in grade school (not that long ago actually), but I haven't seen one that was taken personally. I saw someone post about a sighting in Norman a couple pages back, I grew up about 3 miles from there, Mom and Dad still live there I will have them keep an eye out.

 

[siroliver]

Populations of feral (or wild, free-ranging)
swine have been a problem in pockets around
the state in the past. In addition to being a
disease/predatory threat to Indiana livestock
and poultry productio

 

[southin]

So I have my 91/30, my 12g, my .357 and waiting on my new 270WSM for Yotes and groundhogs. After reading all these posts, has anyone taken one personally? Is anyone actively looking for them? I was raised in Warrick and never saw them, but that was 25 years ago that I roamed the lands north of Chandler, and all that between there and Lynnville has changed.

Has anybody found any landowner with a problem that's willing to allow hunting them, yotes, and whistle pigs?

Guess I need to start cruising around with bino's and tramping around to see what I can see.

 

[shftn6]

south east of Ellettsville major road. big bugger was just crossing the road I guess

WOW! We're just north of Ellettsville! Have never seen any evidence of something like that around here - or heard of it! You say between Flatwoods and Ellettsville? Starnes Road?

 

[techno.m3]

i was just watching a hunting video out of a helicopter for these hogs. I couldnt believe how many they took.