Deer season is over but HOG season is just beginning ……

[Big Bend Brian]

With deer season over it's time to start playing with the feral hogs. There are plenty of them in Northeast Florida ....














124 lb boar
It's gonna be a fun 3 months until it gets too hot to play with them......

Brian

[AlinMi]

At times I wish we had hogs here!!!

What sight you running on that rig?

[Big Bend Brian]

A 1 MOA Trijicon RMR.
It's really helped shooting hogs in low light situations. The optic is pretty high quality and it's doesn't "starburst" in low light. Works great hog hunting at night with a green light too. I was using a 3 MOA Vortex Venom which worked well but not in low light (or night hunting). The "starbursting" kept me from taking shots on pigs on account of the "starbursting" red dot covering too much of the pigs head.

The 1 MOA Trijicon RMR solved that problem.
Brian

[Big Bend Brian]

At times I wish we had hogs here!!!

You don't want this problem where you live!!! The hogs are outa control and are a big agricultural problem.





Two independent university studies noted that it takes an annual removal of 70% of a hog population just to maintain a STABLE population. That's not noting a population decrease. That 70% removal is a challenge. They only way really to control them is by trapping them. These trapping photos are from my neighborhood where they were "rolling" lawns and destroying property.

These pigs are practically unstoppable........

This is WHY we have such a huge pig problem........



Brian

[Graybeard]

What kind of opportunities are there for out of state hunters that might want to get into the fun? Any issues with pseudo-rabies or brucellosis?

[Kenk]

Looks like fun to me 😀😀😀

[Harleycolt]

Graybeard,  there's plenty of them in Texas! 

[blaster]

What kind of opportunities are there for out of state hunters that might want to get into the fun? Any issues with pseudo-rabies or brucellosis?

in Fla. hogs are considered the land owner's property. if you can hunt on private land,  you don't even need a hunting license and can use what ever kind of weapon you choose, from knives to .50 BMG. on public land you would need an out of State license and have to follow the regulations for the area hunted. brucellosis can be a problem. I wear surgical gloves when cleaning hogs. if the blood or lungs look blue, it is a sign of brucellosis. I have never seen brucellosis but do know a hunter that contacted it.

[Graybeard]

Good to know! Thanks for the info Blaster.

[Big Bend Brian]

Good post & information blaster.

What kind of opportunities are there for out of state hunters that might want to get into the fun? Any issues with pseudo-rabies or brucellosis?

Pretty much all over Florida (and I'm sure in other states with hogs) there are a number of local places that you can go that will take you pig hunting; either high fences or others that have access to land. They will let you take them with archery, rifles, night hunts using suppressed rifles and night vision gear, knives, spears and dogs. As was mentioned no out of state hunting license is needed if on private land. If you are not a land owner they can be a source of fun during traditional non-hunting seasons (deer, squirrel, birds, etc). Their vision is not the best as is their hearing but their nose is hard to defeat. The old big boars are extremely cautious and are mostly nocturnal and I believe these old boars are better in the olfaction department than deer. Stalking them is quite fun and you can get quite close if the wind is in your favor. From a sportsmen's perspective they can be fun to pursue although if you are a dedicated deer hunter you'll despise them as they run deer off.

From a landowner perspective they are very destructive but trapping can reduce their populations. In my neighborhood we were having problems with them "rolling" neighbor's yards causing extensive damage. My kids & I trapped them out which was quite fun.




They are generally not very happy when handling them........



From the handling perspective they do harbor some nasty diseases, brucellosis being one of them. Just like other animals they can have a heavy parasite load (but not all do):




Yes, we have Lone Star Ticks in Florida......

You can avoid these problems however with care. When I field dress hogs I glove up and do the gutless method, leaving only the tenderloins. The urinary tract and the intestinal fluids are where brucellosis reside.


Gutless method

Smaller hogs (up to 150 lbs in my experience) are good to eat and some prefer it over venison. They make for great sausages!









Come on down...there are plenty to go around!

Brian

Brian

[Roguer]

Oh you practice Eat and Release! 

Good hog-be-gone actions!

[Graybeard]

Thanks Big Bend Brian! I'm going to have to encourage some relatives in Florida to do some scouting around for me.

[Kenk]

Me too, looks like a ton of fun : )

[45BBH]

Wish I had a neighbor like you!