Aside from criminal career-punks, I’ve read that these animals are still a real problem - feral hogs have come to affect as many as 35 states, costing into the billions from destruction and disease. Dog-packs as well, especially with sheep-ranchers. Have any states - like Texas - declared an ongoing, open-season on them? FYI
3 Likes
I believe it is always open season on feral hogs here in Florida.
Packs of feral dogs? Haven’t heard anything any about them here.
6 Likes
Think most States with feral hogs have open season on them. I got to work in some areas infested with hogs last year. They really wreck the areas they hang out in.
Feral dogs don’t get much coverage in the news but are definitely a growing problem. Don’t think the dog lovers want to admit that their cute little pets can become violent predators. I personally would rather hike in wolf country than in an area known to have feral dog packs.
6 Likes
With friends and family in the livestock business I’ve had personal contact with dog packs. The majority have not been feral but are groups of family pets left to run loose, while owners are at work or whatever, where suburban and rural lands come together. They kill and harass livestock not for food but thrill of chase. We’ve contacted the owners when known and often receive the indignant reply, “my ‘scooter’ would never do such a thing.” Yes, some of these ‘pets’ have been put down.
6 Likes
Dogs, and cats, that are allowed to roam free also have significant negative impact on wildlife as well.
6 Likes
You can hunt feral hogs year-round in Ohio. You still have to have a license, though. And during deer season you have to follow the same laws for hunting hours and equipment that deer hunters follow.
Not sure about wild dog packs, but I’m sure that hog tastes better anyway. 
3 Likes
One particular year out at the farm we had a significant feral dog and cat problem. Checked with the Game Warden and he said there was no season, no limit and no problem. That deer season we had an exceptional number of rounds fired vs the venison quotient (usually 1:1). Over the course of the year I want to say we killed north of 40 dogs and 60 cats. 2 years later you couldn’t swing a dead cat without hitting a turkey or a ground hog, then came the foxes and bobcats. We quit screwing with mother nature after that. Coyotes are always on the terminate on sight list.
Cheers,
Craig6
6 Likes
Have you ever looked closely at my avatar?
I have tons of videos on my range/training/hunting FB page of the dozens of hogs that show up every night around our deer feeders. Usually 12-20 each feeder every night. Here in Texas you can dispatch them with whatever means you can, night or day, 365.
The meat on anything other than a giant male tastes just like ground pork from the store.
6 Likes
It seems that Coyotes are more prevalent here. Used to hear them howling but not so much lately.
2 Likes
Coyotes do a good job controlling feral cat populations;) There are actual several studies that show that hunting coyotes increases their population. They have some mechanism that dramatically increases liter sizes when their population drops.
But there is a hemorrhagic disease hammering the rabbit population in parts of the US right now. With a decline in rabbits we will likely see a decline in the predators. As well as some likely extra negative interactions with humans as they search for other sources of food.
1 Like
I personally won’t shoot feral or wild dogs, just against my morals. Hogs however are always fair game.
2 Likes
While living in GA we had a case where a pair of pitbull’s were dumped and appeared aggressive to people around the neighborhood. Growling at and threating people outside their homes. Animal control put out traps and searched for the dogs but after a week failed to remove them. My wife pulled into our driveway and the dogs showed up as she tried to get out of her car. She called me to come out and the dogs left when I did. I called animal control but they were unable to respond due to weekend staff shortage. They asked me if I could safely shoot the dogs and they would come remove the bodies. I said I could. However, when I looked closely at the dogs through my scope, about to shoot, I realized the dogs were starved. Instead of killing them I took some food out placed a T-shirt with my scent on it next to the food. Later after they had finished the food I went out to refill only to see the two dogs running hard at me as I knelt next to the bowl. My first reaction was one of am I being attacked, but watching their body language I realized there was no danger. they stopped short but soon came to the food and within the next hour I had their trust and was able to pin them up, even petting them. AC picked them up later. Point of all this is each case is different. Protecting expensive livestock (your lively hood) and human life is different from just killing stray animals.
7 Likes
That was great of you, hopefully they didn’t put them down once they came and got them.
2 Likes
@William220 you SIR are a good man!! Pit’s are wildly misunderstood but I have run across some that are beyond the pale and termination is the only answer as with any other animal not just a particular breed. Usually the human interaction is the problem. The year referenced above I had an 85lb German Shepard try to climb my tree stand to get to me while 4 other dogs waited for the results. I think I killed 8 dogs that day and wouldn’t come down till I had back up on the ground to get out. That was the tipping point.
Cheers,
Craig6
2 Likes
I understand completely. I’ve been forced to kill, never liked it, but sometimes it has to be done.
2 Likes
Hear in Texas it is almost a war with Ferrel Hogs. You can shoot them from the air if you want.
3 Likes
Brother I have never ate one but I hear it is some good meat there.
Brother If you want to eat one then there is some people in these forums that have hunting camps that are set up so you know what they are eating and have a good chance of good meat. No bacon I am afraid, not much fat. But if you drop one in the 200 pound range and get it cleaned and processed, yes it can be tasty.
The air guys are just shooting them like varmints. But at some of the hunting ranches they are grain fed and normally one is cleaned with the price of the hunt. They have college kids taking you to the stands and they get tips for cleaning and cutting them up, if you want.
4 Likes