Courtesy of Bill Coursey

2007 Best Galleries

fieldandstream-editor — Wed, 13 Feb 2008 09:40:10 -0500

3. Hogzilla Or Wilbur? Solving The Mystery Behind The Latest 'Giant Boar' Is this new world-record-sized hog the heir to the great Hogzilla? The answer depends on who you ask ... and how loosely you define "wild" and "feral." Kirk Deeter, on assignment for Field & Stream, has the dirt on this monster swine story.

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fieldandstream-editor — Wed, 13 Feb 2008 09:39:51 -0500

Coursey had earlier been contacted by wildlife biologist Jack Mayer of the Savannah River Site. Mayer, who holds a PhD in feral hog morphology, and played the lead consulting role in the National Geographic forensic investigation of the original Hogzilla, hoped to collect data on this boar. "I am one of those people who finds wild pigs interesting from a purely scientific or natural history perspective," said Mayer. By analyzing this hog's snout (above), ears, and cape, and making precise measurements of its skull, Mayer was able to determine the likely genetic origin of the hog (DNA samples were also sent to a laboratory for analysis). Mayer sought to determine which of four known animal types - boar, feral hog, feral hog-boar hybrid, or domestic hog - this particular hog was. Soon after Field & Stream contacted Mayer, we learned that his investigation was yielding "interesting" findings. The story had taken a turn to the strange side ...

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fieldandstream-editor — Wed, 13 Feb 2008 09:39:51 -0500

Coursey said he had no idea shooting the hog would trigger such fervor. "I thought I was doing a man a favor," he said. Within days, he was giving interviews to the likes of Georgia Outdoor News, various newspapers, CNN, even BBC Radio in London. "When the BBC called, I thought it was a joke," said Coursey. "I thought it was my buddies from the fire department trying to rag me about this thing, but (the BBC producer) called me at 9:30 at night and they put me on the radio the next morning." He also soon found himself in the woods with a crew from the Discovery Channel, recreating hunting scenes for a planned television special. Coursey has even signed autographs for admirers, including a crowd that gathered when he dropped the hog's hide and head off (above) at noted taxidermist Eddie Wilson's shop in Aiken County, South Carolina.

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fieldandstream-editor — Wed, 13 Feb 2008 09:39:51 -0500

Coursey (above) describes himself as a "little old country guy who likes to hunt," but says he's not a boar or hog hunter, and he admits that his bout with this massive hog wasn't a classic wild chase episode. "My wife and son were driving home that afternoon, and they saw this hog eating water oak acorns in the neighbor's yard," explained Coursey. "We asked the owner if he'd like me to shoot it, and he said he did. So I went over there, and got in position with my crutches (a fireman, Coursey is recuperating from a broken femur). I was about 40 yards away when I shot it right behind the ear (with a Ruger 7mm/.08). It took one step back and fell over, and that was it." It didn't take long for an ensuing media circus to erupt.

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fieldandstream-editor — Wed, 13 Feb 2008 09:39:51 -0500

By Kirk Deeter. This much is clear: Bill Coursey killed a very large free-roaming hog (shown above) in his neighbor's yard in southern Fayette County, Georgia, on the afternoon of January 4, 2007. The hog measured 9 feet in length, and weighed in on a certified truck scale at 1,100 pounds. At that size, the animal dwarfs the vaunted "Hogzilla," recognized by Safari Club International as the North American free-range record hog.