Pig Bomb

[Black_Bay]

Anyone catch this show on Discovery last night? These animals are getting out of control down south. Hopefully we don't get any kind of a population here in Minnesota. The wild Russian Boars look like they'd do just fine here since our weather is similar to their original home range. I have to admit it would be fun hunting them though.

[toughguy]

I read something somewhere that there are already groups of pot bellied pigs in western MN. They grow in numbers every year and they are starting to become pests in that area of the state. Anyone else know about this?

[McGurk]

All I've read about them (granted; in OL and F&S) is that they will tear an area up, and then move on. Ravage crops, root up any stabilized plant life, and become a nuisance to an area. As fun as they may be to hunt, the damage they do will outweigh any benefit to hunting.

My opinion; kill them all before they spread up here. You can pig hunt down south all you want! They are akin to Asian carp and Milfoil in my book.

[Craigums]

Definately a nasty invasive species... I caught the show it was interesting to say the least

[Double D]

My opinion; kill them all before they spread up here. You can pig hunt down south all you want! They are akin to Asian carp and Milfoil in my book.

[toughguy]

I would like to point out I grew up on a farm and pigs are one reason I did not stay there.

DD

lol good point. If the little buggers didn't taste so good there would be about 99.99% less of them on the planet.

[toughguy]

I found where I read about the pigs in MN. It was in the StarTrib.

Pet pigs go hog-wild in western Minnesota

DNR is worried about a herd of destructive pot-bellied pigs near the South Dakota border.

By DOUG SMITH, Star Tribune

Last update: March 7, 2009 - 9:43 AM

Minnesota wildlife officials are searching the Big Stone Lake area of western Minnesota for something they hoped they'd never find: Feral pigs.

Officials recently discovered that pot-bellied pigs -- a southeast Asian species imported to the United States, often as pets -- have been roaming wild and apparently reproducing for the past few years. The pigs could number 25 to 50, and the first ones either escaped captivity or were illegally released into the wild.

"It's just really, really bad news,'' said Steve Merchant of the Department of Natural Resources. "They can be very destructive to native plants and wildlife habitat, and they carry diseases that can affect wildlife and livestock. We're definitely concerned. We want to get them out of there.''

Wildlife officials from Minnesota and South Dakota recently flew near the lake, which straddles the Minnesota-South Dakota border, searching for the pigs.

"We didn't find them,'' said Curt Vacek, DNR area wildlife manager in Appleton. The last confirmed sighting was in January when a coyote hunter reported seeing "at least two dozen'' pigs, Vacek said. He has seen the carcass of a pig killed by a deer hunter last fall and one killed by a vehicle. And he knows of four more killed in 2007.

"There was at least one young pig hit on the road, so there are indications they are breeding in the wild,'' Merchant said. "They can be prolific.''

Though officials said they only recently learned of the presence of the pigs, locals apparently have been seeing them for several years.

"The story I'm getting is these feral pigs have been reported in gardens, and a few were definitely shot last year during the deer hunting season, but I guess people didn't understand that it was a significant concern to us,'' Merchant said.

Pot-bellied pigs can grow to 300 pounds. Vacek said the carcass of one pig he examined probably weighed 90 to 100 pounds. It was a boar with 4-inch tusks.

Officials say pigs root-up vegetation, which causes erosion and other habitat destruction.

"The guy who tipped us off was a deer hunter who complained the pigs were damaging his native hill prairie,'' Merchant said. They also can damage crops, though the DNR hasn't received any complaints from farmers.

Their presence could have serious ramifications for the livestock industry, Merchant said, because pigs can carry pseudo-rabies and brucellosis.

The DNR is working with the state Board of Animal Health.

Feral pigs are found in at least 39 states and are a major problem in many of them. Once established, populations are extremely difficult to control and nearly impossible to eradicate. Some states encourage hunters to shoot them on sight.

Merchant and Vacek emphasized they don't want people to go looking for the pigs or shooting them, because that could disperse the population. They believe the pigs are congregated now, and the hope is to trap them all, then test them for disease.

Nature likely won't help. The pigs don't really have natural predators to control their population, Merchant said. Adult feral pigs can defend themselves. "A coyote would take a piglet, but I'm not sure they would mess around with an adult.''

People with information about the pigs near Big Stone Lake can call at 1-320-752-4394

[rushing]

Caught the show, kinda scary stuff. Germany has a big problem in some areas with them too roaming the streets of cities.

I heard there is a growing number in western Wisconsin too.

[zamboni]

We had boar on Guam when I was in the Navy and stationed there. We used to rent tents and camp out on Andersen AFB on north side of the island. You would be laying in your tent and hear them in the jungle, kind of a scary sound out there in just a tent.

[Black_Bay]

One thing I though was weird was that some guys were catching wild pigs and just taking hair samples then letting them go. Why not destroy the animals since they are such a problem?

[Whisker Trout Slayer]

They are becoming a problem in Southwest Iowa. They are a tough animal to control and destroy everything. The Iowa DNR wants you to shoot them if you see them, but NOT to actively go after them as they will become nocturnal, and tough to find the new area they move to

[Sandmannd]

One thing I though was weird was that some guys were catching wild pigs and just taking hair samples then letting them go. Why not destroy the animals since they are such a problem?

PETA!!

[Black_Bay]

Originally Posted By: Black_Bay

One thing I though was weird was that some guys were catching wild pigs and just taking hair samples then letting them go. Why not destroy the animals since they are such a problem?

PETA!!

Oh not the guys they showed. These were some young good ol' boys. Infact they needed subtitles for us northerners to understand them.