Opinions on Wild Hog Hunting

[YourSoJelly]

What is your guys' opinion on hunting wild hogs?

My opinion is that it is a good thing and I personally want to go hog hunting and I would like to purchase some dogs to go hog hunting. It is dangerous and that is why my mom won't let me go. I am a huge animal lover and I want to be a vet when I grow up but I see these as an international problem. What do you think?

*NOTE: These feelings do not transfer to my or anyone else's piggies!

 

[Varcoda]

hogs are very tough animals and if you don't hit them right they will get very aggressive (thus putting you in danger) and probably cause them alot of pain? it's fine enough if you need the food, but personally i don't think hunting is a nice thing as a sport

 

[GoldieBrodiexx]

Personally, I don't agree with hunting for sport. It's very hard to do in a humane way, and could cause the hogs a lot of pain. And also, are you sure you want to purchase a pack of working dogs for this?

 

[YourSoJelly]

I of course wouldn't actually be able to afford the dogs. I would only get two or three dog because that's all you would need. I also know of the dangers because I had to do a project on hog Hunting so I am very aware of the protocol and dangers.

 

[Inle_Rabbit]

Many vets hunt. I haven't worked for one that doesn't.

 

[2198lindsey]

My dad had several hog dogs and we used to do it a lot. There's a HUGE problem with them here in Florida and it's highly encouraged.

 

[MommyOfMany]

I feel like hunting is extremely unfair (far from what some call a sport) and NOBODY has the right to take away another being's life. Relocation, maybe. But killing something because it's an inconvenience to a person? A life is worth so much more than that. As for putting dogs into that sort of danger, it sounds like an all-around horrific idea. It would be sickening to watch, personally. How would you feel if you saw someone chasing your guinea pigs around with a gun, trying to get a good shot in? Hear them squeal in pain? Those poor animals .
That's my personal opinion.

 

[mufasa]

I'm of a divided mind on this. I don't like hunting in general and am adamantly opposed to the disgusting spectacle of canned hunts, which sometimes involve wild hogs, although it's more commonly done with exotics. I can stomach it more when the hunter stalks his prey and eats the kill. However, living in Florida, I'm well aware of the damage done by wild hogs here, and they're not a native species. They destroy the heck out of the national parks and forests, as well as yards in residential areas and anything else they can get their snouts into. My horse is scared to death of them when we encounter them out in the state park.

I think the wild hog population needs to be culled, so I can stomach hunting for that reason even though I'm not fond of killing any animal. Humans brought the hogs in, and now the animals have to pay the price for that. They bring in hunters with dogs in the state park a few times a year, but the hunters aren't allowed to shoot the hogs, which is really stupid. It would be more humane and they'd cull a lot more. I've talked to some of the hunters and they say that just using the dogs and hunting on such a limited basis means they don't even make a dent in the population.

 

[pinky]

Feral hogs can kill you. I have a friend in TX who says they are a real nuisance and VERY dangerous if they're wounded. I don't understand wanting to buy some dogs so you can hunt hogs, though. If a serious hunter wants to kills feral hogs to eat them, I don't see an issue with that but to hunt for fun, I don't really get.

 

[Agrimony]

I am from a family of hunters and I am very supportive of responsible hunters, they have actually done so much for conservation. For example, chronic wasting disease is a big problem for deer in the area, but due to development there are no wolves or bears in the area so the deer have no natural predators. Without hunters keeping the population in check the disease runs rampant and kills off huge numbers of the deer- much more than the hunters take. This is especially true when, like my family, you hunt for meat and not just sport. Although if one does want to just hunt for sport there are a few great organizations where you can donate the meat to that will give it to needy families in the area. Most hunters I have met are very responsible and good people, with a real respect for nature. Obviously there are exceptions to that, but in my experience they are few and far between.

Hogs specifically though I don't have much of an opinion on, I have never seen a wild hog around here though I believe there are some in the state!

 

[couchon]

Personally, I am extremely opposed to taking a life of an animal. I am a pescatarian and would like to transition to not even eating fish (I also love meat a lot to this day, so it's a struggle, but I gave it up).

However, I do kind of see the point of those that say that if you are hunting for food, rather than buying it in the store, it's more 'honest', because you are kind of taking the responsibility for how you get that meat. Also, presumably wild animals at least get to live out their lives better than farmed ones. I kind of, sort of get that. Kind of. Again, this only applies to hunting for food, using every part of the animal, and not buying meat in stores.

HOWEVER, I feel there is NO excuse in hunting for sport or taking someone's life just for sport.

Also, if it's dangerous, I think it's very unfair to use dogs. If you want to put your life in danger, that's absolutely your right, but I don't think it's OK to pu the dogs' life in danger.

 

[pinky]

I am from a family of hunters and I am very supportive of responsible hunters, they have actually done so much for conservation. For example, chronic wasting disease is a big problem for deer in the area, but due to development there are no wolves or bears in the area so the deer have no natural predators. Without hunters keeping the population in check the disease runs rampant and kills off huge numbers of the deer- much more than the hunters take. This is especially true when, like my family, you hunt for meat and not just sport. Although if one does want to just hunt for sport there are a few great organizations where you can donate the meat to that will give it to needy families in the area. Most hunters I have met are very responsible and good people, with a real respect for nature. Obviously there are exceptions to that, but in my experience they are few and far between.

Hogs specifically though I don't have much of an opinion on, I have never seen a wild hog around here though I believe there are some in the state!

I agree that culling herds is often necessary to keep diseases from spreading.

 

[YourSoJelly]

I now realize how my wording sounded wrong. I do not hunt for a sport, but for meat. And the dogs are given protective vests that ate made of Kevlar. I

Also personally am NOT going to actually get the dogs. There is a different between someone chasing an hunting my PET guinea pigs versus a FERAL hog.

"Do not feel sorry for these feral hogs. They are cunning, aggressive, and they do NOT belong here."~Krista: L3 Outdoors. I completely agree with her. They send the hog meat to charity for them to be eaten by poor, hungry people.

 

[MommyOfMany]

I still do not understand why people will value a human's life over one of a nonhuman animal. These hogs cannot help that they are hogs, and feral ones at that. I doubt they are being intentionally viscous. I feel a relocation initiative would be more effective, though to where they would be relocated I am unsure.
Regarding your comment on a feral hog versus a guinea pig:
I think this is a huge problem with the world. There is an apparent difference between "pet" animals (guinea pigs, dogs, cats) and "food" animals (cows, pigs, chickens) that I have not fully grasped. Some animals you eat, some you covet as family members that you would never dream of harming.
What do we do with loose dogs? We round them up, transport them to animal control, and wait at least a few days for the owners to step forward.
What do we do with loose cows? We shoot them on sight.

 

[couchon]

Thank you! I DO feel bad for the hogs!

And every animal has emotions individuality, personality, and and like people don't see it in guinea pigs, because they don't know them, it's easy not to see it in other animals.

 

[couchon]

Also, it reminds me of people in the cities and pigeons and rats. They call them filthy, diseased, vermin that needs to be eliminated. People kill them and poison them for 'good reason'. Yeah right. I have a pigeon, a regular street one that used to be a homing bird possibly who got PMV and now can't live outside. All I can say is they are amazing. They do NOT deserve to be treated this way. Nor do they deserve to be eaten or shot in shooting competitions. I have even more horror stories about that.

It also makes me sad how little respect people have for animals and how they believe they are superior and have the right to kill them. Why?

 

[YourSoJelly]

In Texas and Florida it is illegal to relocate the animals. If there was a choice, I'd relocate them before takin their life.

 

[LC Kiko]

There are plenty of animal lovers out there that hunt. There is nothing wrong with hunting, as long as you do it right and have respect for the animal you are taking. I am a hunter myself, its how my dad and I bonded. We use every bit of the animal as possible. Nothing gets wasted. All possible meat is processed, bones are used for stock, hides are sold, and everything else we can't use for ourselves goes to the garden - and it still is being used for fertilizer. We aren't trophy hunters either. I personally hunt to feed myself for the year.

My opinion is different for sport hunting. Taking a life for sport seems disrespectful to the animal.

 

[YourSoJelly]

@LC Kiko, that is EXACTLY how I feel about hunting. Exactly and to a tee.

 

[SheWolfSilver]

I am kind of torn on this. I realize the wild hog population is out of control in the south particularly in Florida and Texas but hunting for sport just rubs me the wrong way! There is also the fact that they are VERY dangerous both to the hunter and the dogs they use! So, I'm not sure what side I am on I can see the need to cull the numbers but at the same time hunting them for sport seems like a waste.