Please don't read this and then complain. They're your eyes. Control them.

One of our members has been castigated over the years for hunting wild pigs. I randomly ran across an article that sheds some light on the situation -- wild pigs. How did they come to be in the Americas?



This is from the article at [Link: unintendedconsequenc.es] called "Don't Touch Anything."

It's worth a read. It shows pretty clearly that we people shouldn't try to alter ecosystems on purpose. It's a pretty interesting article. I forget which of our members has not only hunted wild pigs, but has been criticized for doing so. As it turns out, he's hunting creatures that were improperly introduced to the ecosystem they live in... so who's to say he's wrong?

The whole situation was brought about by people who did not understand, and who did not know that they did not know that they did not understand. Those would be any people who want to introduce a species to an area new to them. Environmental ecosystems are more complicated than we understand now, and they have always been so.

Ernie, could you kindly ask the moderators to move this to intermission?

There's an island far from anywhere, Gough Island. With the human population out of control nearly everywhere Gough Island has become a critical breeding ground for many bird species. However visiting ships in the past brought mice to the island. With no competitors the mice are now everywhere, grown huge, and have taken to attacking bird chicks. There's a video on You tube (warning, it is disturbing) showing how they can kill a chick in just a few short nights:



...



It really shows how we can really screw up an environment with something as simple as a few mice.  There is a plan to clean the island of mice.  Sadly removing all wild pigs in the US really isn't possible.

BTW - The comments for the video can be quite ignorant.

I married into a family of hunters and I can tell you that from a city-boy turned hunter, that the threats of wild pigs are very, very real.

They devastate crops, kill newborn animals, and are generally just a compete blight on our ecosystem, here in Australia.

When we hunt, anything over 20kg goes to the "box" which is a chiller set-up in a nearby town for pigs, kangaroos, deer and other select problem animals to be taken and processed for food.

The first time I stuck a pig, it was kinda hard, but when you see a sheep that has had its lamb killed and eaten before it has even been completely born, yu understand the damage that they can do.

They're an invasive species here and are to be dispatched on-sight, no questions asked.

20kg? Are you able to keep a kill if it is larger than 20kg?

Technically, we're not supposed to keep anything we kill.

Roos, deer, pigs... ...they're all considered pests and unfit for human consumption, until inspected yada yada..

But, I know some people who know some people who make really nice wurst etc. out of deer and wild boar. ;)

Pigs? Unfit for human consumption? Whomever came up with that has never eaten a pulled pork sandwich.

Wild pigs seem to be a problem wherever they're found. Getting rid of all of them is pretty much impossible. They're smart and learn fast.

No way would I hunt wild boar without a high caliber rifle and at least one backup pistol. They can get huge and are mean.