# Michigan's wild hog population like 'bomb waiting to go off'



## goodworkstractors

From MLive.com

Alex Kohut -- Bay City Times

BAY CITY  Pat Rusz says the states growing wild hog population is like a bomb waiting to go off.

Imposing regulations on the game ranches that raise the boars, Rusz adds, is the only way to defuse that bomb.

If regulations arent put in place soon, that bomb is going to go off and well be up to our eyeballs in hogs, said Rusz, director of the Michigan Wildlife Conservancy.

The conservancy reports there are up to 5,000 wild hogs running loose in Michigan.

The Michigan Department of Natural Resources and Environment offered a possible remedy in July, when the organization announced it would classify wild hogs as an invasive, exotic or prohibited species under Public Act 451  the states Natural Resources and Environmental Protection Act of 1994.

If passed, the legislation would make it illegal for anyone to raise or own wild boars, which typically weigh 200 to 300 pounds.

Opposition to the legislation, however, has brought it to a stalemate, keeping wild boar breeders and owners regulation-free.

Certain members of the agricultural community and some legislators oppose any regulations because they dont think its a problem, Rusz said.

Kevin Anthony, owner of Trophy Ranch in Huron County, said a handful of people have ruined it for the rest of the game ranches.

About 40 game ranches in the state have wild hogs, according to Rusz.

You have a couple of bad ranches that went against the rules and the pigs got out. And now its giving all game ranches a bad name, Anthony said.

Anthony said he isnt opposed to regulations similar to practices he already implements, including conducting three blood tests on all of his animals and daily checks of the 10-foot-tall fencing surrounding the ranch.

The proposed legislation, however, would cripple many game ranches, including his own, he said.

Anthonys ranch features animals such as ram, buffalo and deer, but because hunting wild hogs is more affordable, they account for more than 80 percent of his business, he said.

If we couldnt have the boars here, wed have to close up, Anthony said.

Wild hogs rapid reproduction rate and the damage they cause each year top the list of reasons Rusz said legislation is necessary.

Wild hogs breed similarly to rabbits, he said, producing several litters of four to nine offspring a year. By comparison, deer usually breed two fawn annually, Rusz said.

Such a high breeding rate yields a strong possibility that wild hogs will become a bigger problem for the state over the next several years.

Current state law allows anyone on state land with a hunting license or concealed weapons permit to shoot wild hogs. No permit is necessary for anyone on private land.

The hogs also have a devastating effect on crops, Rusz said, accounting for up to $1.5 billion in annual damages.

Unlike most animals, wild hogs dont stop at just eating the crop. They also root holes in the ground as deep as a foot, destroying crops, Rusz said.

Jason Bartlett, a Sterling dairy farmer who also grows about 1,000 acres of corn, said hogs have affected his crops in a way unlike any other animal.

Nothing does damage the way they do. They go low into the area and just demolish everything, Bartlett said.

Deer or raccoons may damage a half-percent of a farmers crop, he said. By comparison, Bartlett said hes seen wild hogs damage as much as 10 percent of a farmers crop.

The proposed legislation to label wild hogs as an invasive species is on hold, Rusz said, with no assurance of further progress in sight.

State Rep. Jeff Mayes, D-Bay City, said attempts to reach compromise have stalled the process.

Mayes said legislators want to protect the rights of property owners while ensuring the safety of the agricultural industry, which is the states second largest industry.

When it comes down to it, I would rather err on the side of protecting such a vital industry, Mayes said. If we cant get a handle on the problem that these natural escape artists present, then we need to take aggressive action.


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## MOTOMAN91

This whole hog thing is a joke imop. Hundred of thousands of hunters in the woods deer hunting, how many have shot or seen hogs? Hmmmmm.


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## shop tom

Rusz keeps forgetting one fact.



















The pigs are invisible.

tom


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## Robert Holmes

There are way over 1000 wolves in the UP and the DNR loves every one of them. Mabey they will call them an exotic prohibited species when they cannot sell a hunting license up here anymore. Bring your pigs up here so we can have something to hunt they cannot be anymore exotic than the gray wolf which was illegally brought here by the USFWS to begin with.


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## thongg

odd that the dnr says there are about 500 wolves in the up and people see them often dnr states that there are 3000 to 5000 pigs in just the lower Russ Mason and noone hardly ever sees them both animals are notcurnal and way more people in the lower just seems very odd


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## Walleye Dog

6 sighted on our Mecosta property last night. Too dark for a shot. They were in the food plot on the way back in from a deer hunt. All 6 were medium sized and feeding in the plot. I wish they moved a little more in daylight hours.


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## bucketmouthhauler

Walleye Dog said:


> 6 sighted on our Mecosta property last night. Too dark for a shot. They were in the food plot on the way back in from a deer hunt. All 6 were medium sized and feeding in the plot. I wish they moved a little more in daylight hours.


Its never too dark to shoot at pigs! If you can see them you can shoot them imo I would have shot anyway....


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## shop tom

bucketmouthhauler said:


> Its never too dark to shoot at pigs! If you can see them you can shoot them imo I would have shot anyway....


And some wonder why people get shot by "accident".

tom


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## MAttt

*GO PIGGIES!*

Could be Michigan's Next big game animal!
Ya, I'll take Trophy wild boars over worthless
wolves anytime!
At this point, I've not met a hunter that wouldn't like
to see a decent huntable population of them.


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## mcfish

bucketmouthhauler said:


> Its never too dark to shoot at pigs! If you can see them you can shoot them imo I would have shot anyway....


Yikes! Your kidding...right?


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## doughboy4.6

shine and shoot:evilsmile


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## Enigma

I would love to see hogs around. I've only seen two so far.I shot and wound one.


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## Flyhack

MAttt said:


> *GO PIGGIES!*
> 
> Could be Michigan's Next big game animal!
> Ya, I'll take Trophy wild boars over worthless
> wolves anytime!
> At this point, I've not met a hunter that wouldn't like
> to see a decent huntable population of them.


It sounds like you will be one of those sportsman enjoying those monster asian carp too. Lunker city population you.


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## michgundog

MOTOMAN91 said:


> This whole hog thing is a joke imop. Hundred of thousands of hunters in the woods deer hunting, how many have shot or seen hogs? Hmmmmm.


 
I agree!!!


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## Wildwood_Deckers

What amazes me more than the hogs, wolves, and DNR, is the ignorance of some people about whats going on around them, and not too far from their back yards....

I don't believe hunting ranches should be banned from having hogs, they should just allow them to have only barrows (cut boars) available to hunt....

Clyde


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## SURF&TURF

They should just allow them to have only barrows (cut boars) available to hunt....

Clyde[/QUOTE]

Best idea I read yet: It would be a win win situation. You better claim that one before someone steps up and say they have been looking at this option  I have shot a few free roaming hogs in Florida and the boars taste like p*&@ the sows tasted just like store bought (the other white meat) the friend that got me on the farmers ranch said that if the boars where cut they would tast just as good! he traps the wild piglets cut them and release them to grow.


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## swampbuck

Wildwood_Deckers said:


> What amazes me more than the hogs, wolves, and DNR, is the ignorance of some people about whats going on around them, and not too far from their back yards....
> 
> I don't believe hunting ranches should be banned from having hogs, they should just allow them to have only barrows (cut boars) available to hunt....
> 
> Clyde


 I have to agree......That could be a very workable compromise. You should get that suggestion to the MDA/MDNRE.


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## solohunter

the hogs are out there, however they are NOCTURNAL, stay in the swamp areas and are normaly very hard to hunt, they breed faster tahn rabbits, fewwho hunt them will ever see them. and they are here to stay. we cant kill them off now.


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## JourneyGirl

swampbuck said:


> I have to agree......That could be a very workable compromise. You should get that suggestion to the MDA/MDNRE.


Only stocking barrows (castrated boars) has been proposed by these agencies and rejected by the Michigan hunting ranch industry, although a few breeders do already sell the males that way. What requiring barrows doesn't address: 1) that litters born to breeding operations supplying the ranches are 50:50 males and females, and breeders sell both sexes, 2) many hunting ranches have a breeding population of their own now, 3) unfortunately that wouldn't stop pigs from escaping from ranches and/or breeder operations.

Wild hogs = feral swine = any pig outside an enclosure and they are here, are nocturnal, nomadic and very intelligent. Eradication is still the goal, and control may be realistic. Other states where there is a long established population suffer millions of dollars each year of crop damage, wildlife damage, environmental damage, urban damage (landscape, human safety, vehicle accidents), and some, like Texas, did not think they had a problem 15 years ago and now have $52 million documented in damages yearly. 

People who want a 'huntable population' are missing the long term impact that will result and the dollars of public money (our tax dollars) that will be used in an attempt to control an out of control population. And, the use of hunting as an eradication tool produces very little result - it does produce more educated pigs quickly that relocate to avoid harassment, and more nocturnal pig activity.


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## cabledad

I am from Texas and hunt hogs all the time,they are very smart and good at hiding there self.You have to be kidding me about like to see hogs in Michigan ,there a plague. Reproduce at unbelievable rates.All last year I did not see a hog during the day,they have gone nocturnal.Killed 2 in the last 2 weeks both at night over corn.Getting a trap soon and will trap all I can.Chuck


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## SteelShot

3fingervic said:


> I don't claim to be a pig expert, by any means. I have never seen a feral pig. The notion of a female pig being able to have 4 or 5 litters a year and to have up to 8 offspring per litter, scares me.


I just got back from my first pig hunt in Georgia. I saw the devastation that hogs can do and we don't want them here. BTW shot a 200lb mainly Russian free range Sow.


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## cabledad

Here in North Texas I have shot 2 hogs out of a stand at night in the last 3 weeks,with lights over corn.Then I had 2 in the trap this morning.Gave them away.if I kill 1 a week I won't keep up with the birthrate.No trapped hog will leave my place alive.i really disagree with hauling hogs around to hunt.Thats the way they spread.Once they spread your Grand Kids will be cursed with hogs.Chuck


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## 3fingervic

SteelShot said:


> I just got back from my first pig hunt in Georgia. I saw the devastation that hogs can do and we don't want them here. BTW shot a 200lb mainly Russian free range Sow.


I'm with you. I definitely don't want them here.


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## cabledad

I have been hunting hogs in Texas for over 20 years,when I first heard of them it is like Michigan a few hogs in different areas around.Lucky if you kill one back then.Now your lucky if your not covered up.Towns golf courses yards ever thing. Hogs can bred when they are 6 months old and can rebred up to 3 times a year with litters of 6 and up.Kill 70% or they will gain one you.Killing hogs is my hobby.Chuck


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