HOG HUNTING FOREVER
More About Hogs
EDITOR'S
NOTE: The Chickasawhay River swamp in Greene County,
Mississippi, may have one of the oldest populations
of feral pigs in the nation. The area has no record
of a time when this river-bottom swamp hasn't homed
hogs. Fences and property lines never have bound the
free spirits of these feral hogs like the wild boars
of old. They roam at will, foraging for food, hiding
out in the big cane thickets and briar patches along
the edges of the river bank and wreaking havoc on croplands
by night. Hunters with packs of hounds and live traps
and sportsmen with rifles and bows never have eliminated
these free-roaming pigs. They have
become as much a part of the land as the earth itself.
The Florida Everglades has a healthy herd of feral
hogs, as does the Kennedy Space Center area where NASA
has estimated 5,000 wild pigs roam its 220-square mile
property. Officials fear these pigs may pose a threat
to using the spaceport for shuttle landings. These pigs
breed faster than trappers can catch them. The eating
habits of the pigs, which include rooting for bugs,
worms and grass shoots, make the pigs tunnel into the
ground and threaten NASA's network of underground cables
and communication lines. A survivor, the wild hog can
adapt to
all types of climate, habitat and foods, including fungi,
leaves, acorns, fruits, roots, bulbs, snails, earthworms,
frogs, reptiles, bird eggs, rats, mice and carrion.
Arkansas razorbacks have such tough reputations that
the University of Arkansas has adopted them as their
mascot. Outdoorsmen hunt wild hogs even as far away
as Hawaii.
Remember when hunting wild hogs that they have an extraordinary
sense of smell, a good sense of hearing and considerable
intelligence but poor vision. Although wild hogs can
move at a trot and are good swimmers, they can gallop
only for a short distance. Wild hogs frequent regular
paths connecting their resting places, feeding areas,
water holes and wallows and particularly like salt licks.
They must have water available for bathing in mud, which
is of great importance to their well-being and gets
rids of parasites. A challenge for early hunters to
take, the wild hog remains one of the most sought-after
game in America. As one hog hunter explained, "to
know the nature of a wild hog, start with just plain
hog. Then add a constitutional leanness and an ability
to run all day -- fast. Add skill at gutting hounds,
willingness to charge a man, the fleetness of a deer,
the cunning of a bear and the elusiveness of a fox."
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