# Utah pigs expanding their area?



## Narient (Jan 9, 2011)

Thought some of you may be interested in this news. On my drive to Vegas today, I passed a road kill feral pig at mile marker 180.


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## 10yearquest (Oct 15, 2009)

Where is that?


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## StillAboveGround (Aug 20, 2011)

Must be just North of the Holden exit...
Must have been climbing the hill South of Scipio?
Scipio is exit 188 & Holden is 174.
Interesting...


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## twinkielk15 (Jan 17, 2011)

I grew up in Delta and those mountains have had pigs for at least ten years. It was a real problem when I was in high school. Crazy to see them out on the roads though.


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## 90redryder (Oct 10, 2011)

Thats awesome, hope they come closer to utah county and ill be out slayin em.


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## WeaselBrandGameCalls (Aug 16, 2010)

Hitting a pig with a vehicle is like hitting a little mini-tank. They tear up a car or pickup something terrible I witnessed the after math of a semi truck hitting a group of four pigs. The truck was a disaster and had to be towed away.


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## Pops2 (Jul 28, 2010)

Narient said:


> Thought some of you may be interested in this news. On my drive to Vegas today, I passed a road kill feral pig at mile marker 180.


did you get a good look at the shape of it's head to know for sure it was feral?


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## Narient (Jan 9, 2011)

Having spent 20+ years in the southern Kansas/Oklahoma area, I've seen my fair share of feral hogs & traffic wasn't moving very fast so I got a decent look as I drove by. It really took me by surprise as I've never seen one in Utah. But yes, it was a feral pig.


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## Pops2 (Jul 28, 2010)

cool beans


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## shaun larsen (Aug 5, 2011)

90redrider said:


> Thats awesome, hope they come closer to utah county and ill be out slayin em.


theres already a small herd of feral pigs in utah county.... :O•-: ive seen them a few times, i seen a few of them get shot. they are here, they just live in a real remote spot that not alot of people get to.


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## Narient (Jan 9, 2011)

Well, I do and yet I don't hope to come across any while in the field. It'd be nice for some fresh pork, but the possible repercussions of having them proliferating in Utah sets my teeth on edge. Their populations are pretty hard to control.


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## shaun larsen (Aug 5, 2011)

Narient said:


> Well, I do and yet I don't hope to come across any while in the field. It'd be nice for some fresh pork, but the possible repercussions of having them proliferating in Utah sets my teeth on edge. Their populations are pretty hard to control.


with as hard as its going to be for hunters to get tags to go hunt in the near future, thats about the only hunting opportunities they will have. i dont think you are going to have to go beg hunters to go shoot pigs o-||


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## Steveb (Sep 11, 2007)

I thought they hung around lakes and tossed their trash while fishing!


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## Pops2 (Jul 28, 2010)

Narient said:


> Well, I do and yet I don't hope to come across any while in the field. It'd be nice for some fresh pork, but the possible repercussions of having them proliferating in Utah sets my teeth on edge. Their populations are pretty hard to control.


arid state like this has the best chance of eradicating them even if they don't get on it early. been hog dogging off & on for about 33 years now.
i got a dog to train up. she's caught **** & coyote, but she isn't really equipped for yote. i also have a bit of knowledge on hog trapping. if anyone wants to get together and deal with some of them let's talk and maybe make some plans for after the big game seasons are over.


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## Narient (Jan 9, 2011)

Pops2 said:


> arid state like this has the best chance of eradicating them even if they don't get on it early. been hog dogging off & on for about 33 years now.
> i got a dog to train up. she's caught **** & coyote, but she isn't really equipped for yote. i also have a bit of knowledge on hog trapping. if anyone wants to get together and deal with some of them let's talk and maybe make some plans for after the big game seasons are over.


If you're thinkin about getting out for some early population control, I would be happy to assist. :twisted:


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## Bax* (Dec 14, 2008)

I would assume that these are domesticated pigs that escaped locally and not pigs that are slowly expanding their territory from areas with enormous ferrel pig problems (like Texas)?


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## Narient (Jan 9, 2011)

That's right, Bax. Last I heard, though, they were secluded to the Virgin River area, so to see one almost 200 miles north of there was a bit of a shock. It doesn't take long for the domesticated variety to revert back to their feral state.


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## ram2h2o (Sep 11, 2007)

Once you have hogs you can control them, but not get rid of them. I have hunted and trapped hogs for over 40 years back in Mississippi and Louisiana. They start out as seeing a few and in a few years they are everywhere. Have several litters a year, have very few predators and eat just about anything including small fawns, turkey eggs and most anything they can catch. Tear up cultivated fields and pollute streams with their wallows. They eat most of the mast crops (acorns) that the deer rely on for winter foods. I go home every fall to hunt Whitetails and Hogs. This year we have seen a very large increase in the hog population due to the flood waters of the Mississippi river pushing the hogs up into the hills.


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## Bax* (Dec 14, 2008)

Im interested to hear what is being done to control ferrel pigs in Utah (if anything). I would hope that we would take action before it is too late and we end up in a position where they are causing damage like ram2h2o mentioned


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## johnnycake (Jul 19, 2011)

I don't know if the arid country would really make too much difference for them.....they seem to like the Australian Outback just fine...pretty arid there if you ask me....


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## Clarq (Jul 21, 2011)

Is any pig on public land fair game or are there certain characteristics that make them "feral" and legal to shoot?


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## shaun larsen (Aug 5, 2011)

Clarq said:


> Is any pig on public land fair game or are there certain characteristics that make them "feral" and legal to shoot?


i think its kind of a "shoot first, ask questions later" kinda deal on public land.


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## Bax* (Dec 14, 2008)

Clarq said:


> are there certain characteristics that make them "feral" ?


Pigs have a somewhat unique quality that allows them to adapt from a domesticated animal to a feral animal rather quickly. This also means that their physical attributes change as well as they make the transition to feral pig. I know there are guys that can give more information on it, but it seems pretty simple to me.

If memory serves me correct, this Discovery Channel show called "Pig Bomb" explains it in more detail 
http://dsc.discovery.com/videos/pig-bom ... s-pig.html

Here is a domesticated pig









And here are some feral pigs:









Notice that their coat gets longer and thicker, and their tusks grow out as well. These are some characteristics that are indicative of a feral pig as opposed to a domesticated pig


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## Pops2 (Jul 28, 2010)

johnnycake said:


> I don't know if the arid country would really make too much difference for them.....they seem to like the Australian Outback just fine...pretty arid there if you ask me....


contrary to what the movies show, Oz isn't one huge desert. the eastern 3rd of the country/continent has a lot of moisture and supports highly vegetated mountains similar to the appalachians. as you move west the forested belt/farm country gives way to high grass plains (like IA) & then short grass plains (like eastern WYor west TX). pig populations are highest in the wet east and thin out as the water does. the big deal about arid environments is the water. the water concentrates the pigs and the pigs foul the limited water so that other animals can't use it. also aggressive pigs will drive other animals away from the water.
but because the arid environments hold smaller populations in higher densities, these environments are the easiest to eradicate them ESPECIALLY if you jump on them early when populations are small.


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## Pops2 (Jul 28, 2010)

Narient said:


> Pops2 said:
> 
> 
> > arid state like this has the best chance of eradicating them even if they don't get on it early. been hog dogging off & on for about 33 years now.
> ...


i want to wait until all the big game seasons are over. in my experience deer shooters get trigger happy over most dogs in the woods. heck i know a lady on a homesteading forum whose dad had his lab shot by a deer shooter for "chasing deer." the shooter was in his stand at one end of a field. the lab was on a 6 ft leash walking in the road when a deer jump up from it's bed in the field. yeah her dad won his lawsuit but it didn't bring the dog back.


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## Pops2 (Jul 28, 2010)

Clarq said:


> Is any pig on public land fair game or are there certain characteristics that make them "feral" and legal to shoot?


all pigs grow tusks (it's just that on farms they usually cut them for safety). the best way to tell is the shape of the head. farm pigs have a dished shape. that is like a dog they have a stop where the snout joins the cranium. wild hogs because of the extensive rooting have a strait snout. it is one straight line from the tip of the snout to the top of the cranium.
if you run into a farm pig & it'll let you handle it then treat it like an escaped pet. try to find the owners etc. if you can't then cart it off to the butcher. anything that acts wild treat it as wild and shoot it regardless of how it looks.


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## 90redryder (Oct 10, 2011)

shaun larsen said:


> 90redrider said:
> 
> 
> > Thats awesome, hope they come closer to utah county and ill be out slayin em.
> ...


Mind sharing some info?


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## eddy (Sep 27, 2011)

it look like the other difereince in the pig pic is the colour of the coats


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## Pops2 (Jul 28, 2010)

eddy said:


> it look like the other difereince in the pig pic is the colour of the coats


ferals can retain the domestic colors for a few generations & even after that inbreeding can cause the colors to pop up randomly. their active lifestyle cuts down the amount of fat they carry. also it tends to cause them to develop a gristle plate over the shoulders which muscle up. as i've already said rooting causes the skull to straighten & get thicker. within as few as three generations wild the ears prick back up. and in no more than five generations the shoats are born with stripes like wild boar. within ten generations there is little or no difference.


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## shaun larsen (Aug 5, 2011)

90redrider said:


> shaun larsen said:
> 
> 
> > 90redrider said:
> ...


secret


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## MadHunter (Nov 17, 2009)

Pops2 said:


> anything that acts wild treat it as wild and shoot it regardless of how it looks.


This goes for the piglets as well. Just because they are piglets doesn't mean they are not a nuisance. Shoot, shoot and shoot them all.
Here is a cool video of a pig shoot at night.


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## Narient (Jan 9, 2011)

The piglets are usually beauty tasting.


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## wilky (Jun 19, 2011)

if anyone needs a extra set of eyes and rifle i am up for it i dont want to have the same problem as other states the best defence is a good offence my amily bred wild boar cross pigs in scotland and they would easily give birth to 15+ piglets every 3 months thats over 60 per sow per year and the grow and become mature quick


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## Huge29 (Sep 17, 2007)

In related news http://www.ksl.com/index.php?nid=960&si ... -officials


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## Pops2 (Jul 28, 2010)

Huge29 said:


> In related news http://www.ksl.com/index.php?nid=960&si ... -officials


what a pair of stupid dipthongs. they need to be stripped of all hunting rights.


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## wilky (Jun 19, 2011)

i read this article to i make me mad that some would wantanly endanger our system so they can make a few extra bucks i say we go over and just take out the hogs


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## Huge29 (Sep 17, 2007)

Sounds like absolute losers all the way around, they are only a few years behind in their lease and have now also broken the law endangering the entire agriculture in the region, but otherwise.... My only surprise is that the state agencies act like they don't know what to do,,,go destroy them already! I don't think that the landowner would have any issue with that.


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## wilky (Jun 19, 2011)

out of interest if i saw a hog on public land can i shoot it or do i need a licence or anything just so i know


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## wilky (Jun 19, 2011)

out of interest if i saw a hog on public land can i shoot it or do i need a licence or anything just so i know
i thought about heading down saint george way as i head there is wild hogs down there thought it might make for some winter hunting


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## huntingbuddy (Sep 10, 2007)

How does a .223 work on hogs? I am thinking about loading up some hog hunting bullets if this becomes an issue in this state. Probably some barnes tsx bullets


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## wilky (Jun 19, 2011)

not sure but but i do know wild hogs have thick hides and they take some stopping a angry hog is mean if i come across one i am useing my 7mm rem mag (only rifle i got at the moment till i buy my wife one and build my AR


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## shaun larsen (Aug 5, 2011)

wilky said:


> not sure but but i do know wild hogs have thick hides and they take some stopping a angry hog is mean if i come across one i am useing my 7mm rem mag (only rifle i got at the moment till i buy my wife one and build my AR


if you hit them right a .22 will kill them. ive seen quite a few killed with a .223


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## Narient (Jan 9, 2011)

A good shot right behind the ear will drop 'em flat. .17HMR, .22Mag... any of these on up will do fine so long as you can hit 'em right. Hit the shoulder plate and they can deflect a misplaced 30-06 round. Also, the anatomy is not what most folks are used to. Notice how low the heart and spine sit in the body.


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## Chaser (Sep 28, 2007)

I have seen hunting shows where they stalk pigs and take them at close range with adult air rifles. If a .22 caliber pellet gun can kill one, any type of rifle should as well, barring a bad shot.

As for the pigs and sheep on Fremont Island, they need to go in there and kill every one of them. It's completely irresponsible, and and I can't understand why the DNR would stand for it at all, considering the issues the could cause.


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## Pops2 (Jul 28, 2010)

Chaser said:


> I have seen hunting shows where they stalk pigs and take them at close range with adult air rifles. If a .22 caliber pellet gun can kill one, any type of rifle should as well, barring a bad shot.
> 
> As for the pigs and sheep on Fremont Island, they need to go in there and kill every one of them. It's completely irresponsible, and and I can't understand why the DNR would stand for it at all, considering the issues the could cause.


the adult airguns used for big game are USUALLY tuned 9mm, 45 or 50 caliber shooting lead BULLETS at muzzleloader velocities. the biggest thing you could safely take w/ the tuned 22s would be fox & **** as they just barely reach 1200 FPS w/ a 29 gr bullet. in between are 6mm, 25 & 30 calibers. Don Quackenbush makes a custom 30 cal that could reasonably be used for smaller southern whitetails.


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## Pops2 (Jul 28, 2010)

shaun larsen said:


> if you hit them right a .22 will kill them.


 before it was outlawed i know many NC bear doggers used 22 rifles & put the muzzle to the bear's ear.



shaun larsen said:


> ive seen quite a few killed with a .223


but not a good idea, as most people won't match the bullet or wait for the best shot. this is why the round is illegal for softer game like deer in most states


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## Chaser (Sep 28, 2007)

Pops2 said:


> Chaser said:
> 
> 
> > I have seen hunting shows where they stalk pigs and take them at close range with adult air rifles. If a .22 caliber pellet gun can kill one, any type of rifle should as well, barring a bad shot.
> ...


The show I saw was dedicated to proving the lethality of the .22 caliber. They chose to hunt pigs because there was no restriction on weapon type or caliber. Mind you, these weren't hogzilla, but they weren't piglets either.


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## wilky (Jun 19, 2011)

i am not familiar with the 223 but i do know a 22 is a very well used round in the poaching of deer in europe 
back on the subject of the possible hog problem is there anything us concerned hunters can do to try to prevent the hogs from continueing leaving the island and breeding 
best form of defence is a good offence


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## Chaser (Sep 28, 2007)

Well, you can't shoot on the causeway, but I would say shoot 'em if you see 'em, provided they are in a place you can shoot them, and you are sure they don't belong there. The DWR needs to buck up here and put an end to the situation.


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## cklspencer (Jun 25, 2009)

pellet gun taking hog.


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## Pops2 (Jul 28, 2010)

cklspencer said:


> pellet gun taking hog.


yeah & Inuits hunt polar bear w/ 22LR. doesn't make it a smart move. way too many deer shooters make crappy shots w/ 300 mags & 7 mags, just because one guy takes the time to do it right doesn't make it a good suggestion for a public board.


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## shaun larsen (Aug 5, 2011)

Pops2 said:


> cklspencer said:
> 
> 
> > pellet gun taking hog.
> ...


honestly why do you care if a bad shot is made on a wild pig? its not a game animal, they need to be taken out. i'd much rather someone cut loose on a herd of wild pigs with a .22 and a banana clip and kill or wound several that eventually die, then someone make one good shot with a .300 and only kill one!


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## wilky (Jun 19, 2011)

all animals deserve repect and as hunters we have the reponseability of dispatching our quary as quickly and efficently as possible


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## Pops2 (Jul 28, 2010)

shaun larsen said:


> honestly why do you care if a bad shot is made on a wild pig? its not a game animal, they need to be taken out. i'd much rather someone cut loose on a herd of wild pigs with a .22 and a banana clip and kill or wound several that eventually die, then someone make one good shot with a .300 and only kill one!


this is a dumb @$$ statement to make on a public board. this is exactly the kind of crap the PETAphiles use to persuade nonhunters to move to their side of the issue. this is also the kind of crap that allows criminal minds writers to paint hunters as serial killers. even if you FEEL this way have the good sense to shut the heck up and keep it to yourself.
if that isn't enough, willfully wounding animals IN THIS STATED FASHION would violate animal cruelty laws. do it in front of some granola munching bambi brain and you may never hunt again.
on top of that I would lay a butt whooping on anyone hunting w/ me that did this.


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## lehi (Sep 13, 2007)

Every animal deserves your best shot (with a sufficient weapon).


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