Hunting Forum

I suppose it was bound to happen sooner or later. Feral swine have been verified in several counties in NY. Go to the DEC website and check out http://www.dec.ny.gov/animals/70843.html  I hope this doesn't get as out of hand as it has in the south.

it will. once established they are virtually impossible to get rid of. DEC better do something and quick; those swine will thrive here.

I was reading some articles about this on line yesterday. Of course, PETA is whining about killing them already. They think the hogs should be trapped and then make determinations on an individual basis as to whether or not they should be killed. Those people carry things a bit far.

to say the least. peta needs to stay out of this one

checked out the DEC site and i dont see any places listed where they have been spoted or are already established. that would be some useful info to publish if the DEC really wants help eliminating them. i'll do my part if i see 'em.

Here in Kansas the KDWP feared that they were being trapped in other states and being released here to establish hunting herds so they outlawed the hunting of them and used helicopters with snipers to eradicate established herds.
After mistakenly stocking one of our local lakes with white perch (thought theyb were stocking wipers) and have now been found in other lakes they want to make it illegal to catch your own bait and use it in another location other than body of water it was caught. Half the fun of setting lines on river is taking the youngsters and catching perch in a farm pond and using them for bait on river lines. It's already illegal to posses a live white perch and when caught have to be killed. That should be enough. Those that don't abide to those rules aren't going to abide to any stricter rules.
I do like the KDWP idea of opening deer rifle season a week earlier and adding an early rifle doe season.

I've heard there are some over Cortland County way, supposedly got loose off a game preserve over there a few years ago.

I suspect that's how a lot of this gets started. A boar gets loose, starts looking for love, breaks down a fence where domestic stock is, and their off. There is one of those private game preserves near Savannah. I've never been a fan of those. It's fenced in, but, the place is huge and I don't believe anyone walks miles of fence every day looking for holes. As far as I'm concerned, if someone wants to hunt exotic animals, they should go where they are. Raising them like pets and shooting them from an air conditioned/heated cottage they call a blind is not a sportsman.

There was mention on this site earlier of "3" feral hogs loose in a state park and they were killed.....It's definately not as widespread as elsewhere, but the potential is there!
  Ummm.....don't think "escaped" exotics are the primary cause for feral pigs/hogs. Escaped/released domestics can become "feral," that is the main reason for the "feral" problem, from what I have read.  Either way, lets hope it doesn't get out of hand here in NY.

I didn't say it was the main cause, but, it is certainly one of the problems. Accidental release of non native species has been proven to be a problem many times over.

It is an open season on Feral Swine. That is the DEC's answer. It would be nice as you say to know generally where they are. There is a huge amount of open ground out there. Also exotics and game farms may have contributed to a few animals and their progeny. Just your regular hog farm escapes are the bigger problem. Studies have shown that they take on wild boar tendencies and looks after just a few generations.

I wish a herd of Elk would escape in NY. Now that would be nice.

We have the occasional Elk in NYS now. They come up from Pa where they have a season now from stocking. Hopefully enough will spill over to start a resident population!

I've got a buddy (knows it all) claims all you need is a 22lr to kill feral hogs. Well that may be true of hogs on the farm if you look at feral hogs they're snout is longer and head is flatter a 22lr is gonna bounce off that puppy tick him off and then he'll want revenge. Best medicine for em at short range 12ga foster slug anything farther i got a 7mm Rem Mag that's dead on at 200yds.

I believe you guys are right on both counts....domestic can become feral if escaped into the wild and exotics do the same but in my opinion are more dangerous due to the breed itself. Ever look at a Russian Boar up close? Just a mean fighting machine! Yikes!

I would certainly use something bigger than a 22 LR. I am sure it can be done; however any dear rifle would be better. Besides, it gives practice for deer season. That is why my chuck gun is my 30.06.

Has any one seen these hogs yet?Or better yet has one been killed in NYState.

Check out "Feral Hogs in Texas" to see how bad it is.  You have to kill 70% of the population each year to maintain the herd.  They have 2 litters per year, each of 5 or 6 or more.  Weather isn't a concern.

I wondered if it was as bad down there as they make it look on Discovery Channel. Killing off 70% every year must take a lot of hunting. Is it always open season on them? Is the meat any good?

Go to Texasboars.com. They will answer all your questions re feral hogs. Hunting them with bow, firearms, dogs, cooking them, etc. You have to be a member to post a question but it is the go to site re hogs. Supposedly, they're great to eat but how much pork do you eat in one year. They can't give enough away. There are so many, they are using helicopters to eliminate them to save the damage to farmers. You don't want them here.
Yes to open season all year. To see how bad it is, go to youtube and search hog hunting.