I hunt wild boar(not feral pigs)here in Germany exclusively at this time of year. We have experienced a 300% increase in the wild boar population all over Germany due to the restrictive hunting laws here. When you see a group of pigs, they tend to root an area, damaging much of the ground in the process. Figuring that a hunter who is a lease-holder(jagd paechter)gets charged by the forestry office for all damage done by low game (pigs and roe deer), he'd want to shoot as many pigs as possible. But normally its shoot one, then go beer drinking...

First, are these animals fit to eat? If so, I'll build a bigger BBQ. Second, where are all the compulsively vocal groups, clamoring for wilderness protection? silent = ignorant.
Feral pig problem = OPEN SEASON. Would there be such a thing as a piggy-back guarantee?

Been following this for a few years now on the HogBlog, so it's not really news. The explosion of wild hogs across the country has been coming on strong, but the last few years have really seen more publicity.

One of the things I've been calling for, and would love to see, is more objective research into the REAL impacts that the hogs are having on the habitat, and on native species. There's no doubt, of course, that they'll demolish an endangered species of plant if they encounter it... no different than deer will do.

The thing is, there's a lot of hype about the "theoretical" destruction, but I'm not sure it's all borne out by the reality on the ground. For example, they don't seem to be out-competing the whitetails, and despite their penchant for eating the eggs of ground-nesting birds, the quail and turkey populations in some of the high-density hog country here in CA are apparently doing fine.

I'm all for smart wildlife management, but the keyword here is SMART. Let's take action that makes sense. Creating some kind of federal eradication/control program may not be the right answer here, unless it enables a LOT of local oversight and regulation.

In this case, I don't even care if you eat them or harvest them humanely. They need to be gone ASAP. Get to shooting.

In coastal NC where I live you have to shoot the smaller ones if you want good table fare (100lbs. or less).
Some acquaintances of mine decided that they were going to shoot one and have a big BBQ. They shot a good sized hog and cooked it. I was told that they claimed they couldn't get drunk enough to eat it! I think it may have something to do with their diet and what they eat in the marshes.

Here in tennessee it is open season and no bag limit ive killed a plenty this year....there are so many ie came up on probibly 300 this year...mostly hunting other game.... if u want a big hog or alot of hogs just come to catoosa(wma) and there are a plenty...most ive sn in my life

It seems that PA that "feral swine" are not at all welcome. The Game Commission encourages that they be eradicated. I've not seen or heard of any sightings in my area. But if there was no closed season, it would be great for people like me who can't hunt much during the year to go out anytime and do some hunting.

In Florida thay are game animals on public property. On private land farmers and ranchers complain about them but the truth is while they complain about them they want to charge you $250 or more to shoot them. Big business here.

rgrikard, I have seen domestic hogs kill and eat chickens, and eat a heifer that was trapped and couldn't escape. We had a second farm several miles away from our home farm and there were both hogs and cattle kept there. After an intense winter storm there were several days when we could not get our feed trucks there due to drifts on the roads. Power was out and they were without water so I walked overland and let them out of their pens so they could get water at a warm spring that was on the farm. The next day we were able to force open a path with a tractor and one of the chained up feed trucks. I expected to find the hogs at the spring but they were under one of the machinery sheds feeding on a heifer that had caught its foot and was unable to escape. I also had a Berkshire boar as a pet when I was kid; he was as intelligent and personable as any of the family dogs. Even domestic hogs can bite and have tusks. We would have the vet remove the tusks on our breeding boars after my Grandfather was bitten and received a tear eight inches long in the back of his leg. The bottom line is they go feral easily, they are aggressive and they need to be controlled.

To me it's a no-brainer.
The hunting community is getting smaller, the porkers are increasing. Figure it out.
Longer open season, or non game status should cure the problem.
With more game to hunt for longer periods of time, license revenues would go up.
Better all around.

We here in NYS has classified them as an invasive species and we can hunt them 24/7/365.

Feral hogs have now been confirmed in Idaho: http://idahonaturenotes.blogspot.com/2010/01/feral-hogs-confirmed-in-ida...