OT Somewhat-feral hogs

How many of you have trouble with feral hogs on your farm and what is your favorite method for smoothing up the hog rootins'? I use a JD 2020D with 6' tiller that works reasonably well.

Those are bacon are they not! Jim

They are incredibly destructive. Small ones (less than 200 lbs) are good eating, big ones taste terrible are aggressive and dangerous.

We have about a quarter acre that looks like it was bombed. Hole after hole after hole that ran 4 ft in diameter and some as much as 2.5 feet deep.

James tried to smooth with the disc, but it wasn't up to the task. Had to use the 4 prong chisel plow, then will come back with the disc.

In a couple of counties north of us where they do a lot of row crops, feral hogs were causing so much damage farmers got together, got the necessary permits from Tx. Parks & Wildlife, hired a helicopter and a guy to shoot them. I was told that over 3 days over 1000 wild hogs were shot.

One of our neighbors who has a large cattle operation has told us that the feral hogs are doing extensive damage to their pastures and its costing them $$$.

The hogs are smart and elusive. Unfortunately, from what I've read, eradication is not probable.

Ever try attaching a plank across the back row of chisel shanks? Makes a handy and cheap land leveler. Front teeth loosen the soil, plank levels it. Used to do that with a field cultivator years ago, to fill in potholes. You"d be surprised how much dirt you can move in a few hours.

Good idea! I"ll make sure James sees this.

Too late for this time, but could come in handy for next time.

I am about 120 miles south of Nancy. Down here we shoot on site. They move in heards saw one heard one day. Stopped counting at 75. They can rip a field apart over night. If Peta thinks we are being cruel. They can come and get as many as they want. Know one guy that killed 25 in one day

I'm curious, why are you calling them "somewhat feral"? A neighbor of mine had some hogs rooting up his bean field, it happened to be around deer season. They were pure white hogs from the nearby containment hog operation. He was after the tattoo in the sows ear to get restitution from the hog farm, however, someone else apparently got to her first and they were never seen around again. There were 4 or 5 young hogs with the sow.

After trying different methods, I now use a box blade with the scarifiers down 2 or 3 inches below the blade. This works to break up the high spots and helps flip the sod back over where they have turned it. I set it just low enough to catch the piles. A pass or two with this and a good rain get it pretty smooth - not totally repaired, but OK. I have heard old tractor rear tires are good, but haven't done that one, a little concerned that soil would accumulate inside the tire and be hard to get out.

I shoot them too. Ours are nocturnal, so it is a night time activity. Challenging to shoot a black hog on a dark night with a tree line behind it.

South west Wisconsin has a problem with feral hogs -some brought from Texas and some local escapees. Causing some damage- law has decided that a small game license is all that nonlandowner needs to take them, landowner can shoot without license and tell DNR later. Was attempt at prosecution of exotic game ranch owner who supposedly brought hogs from Texas and turned them loose after some license was denied by state-- went to trial and not proven so he didn"t have to pay $$$ for control by state-- damage seemed to have been caused by other than his hogs, prosecution witness wasn"t competent, some of his accused hogs were still in pens, others had been sold and couldn"t be found but about 1/2 of missing were supposed to have been barbecued (others seemed to have escaped). Mississippi river valley is overwinter area as well as odd lot farm fields and brush on sloping grazing land- dairy farmers upset about rooted up pasture slopes. DNR test on some of carcass indicate mix of breeds including large European/Russian boar, Texas/Arkansas razorbacks, and English Large Whites, Durocs, Poland China(common to confinement operations). Few years back Mother got a young escapee from neighboring confinement operation, she put it in pen with couple other bottle runts from brothers open field litters and called the confinement outfit to get it-- they said once the hog escapes they can"t risk it bringing back infectious desease so she could keep it and any others she found that had wandered off from opened door in housing(?), so it seems to have happened more than once and confinement operations pretend that "feral" hogs aren"t related to theirs. Proper parboil or marinade of older ferals supposed to result in accepable eating, especially when paired with lots of beer or wine. RN

Not quite to your question but...
helicopter hog hunting

if anyone would like assistance in removing hogs from their property all you have to do is ask! I have posted on here several times trying to find a place to go hunt them with no responses. I am willing to travel!