About 18 years ago, I used to see them out in the Sundre/Bergen area of Alberta. Everyone knows the story about how they were released from a game farm after they shut down. The hogs were exterminated by hunters and recreational shooters shortly after and I never seen one since, not even a track after 17yrs of hunting and camping in that area. If there was a population of wild hogs in Western Canada, we would be hunting them like Texans. I don't think you could keep up with any breeding population of hogs.
Hog Hunting in Canada???
- Thread starter graysonk
- Start date
Alberta Agriculture has declared feral hogs to be an invasive species. As such they may be hunted anytime of the year without a license. Some Municipal Districts still offer a bounty on feral wild hogs. Yellowhead County is $50 per pair of ears.
While the opportunity to hunt wild hogs is entertaining and challenging the price everyone, sportsmen, farmers, wildlife lovers in general, will have to pay is far too high. Once hog numbers reach certain levels we will lose, or greatly reduce, many native species. Ground nesting birds, amphibians and reptiles, young deer, elk and moose and greatly impact native plant species which will, in turn effect even more animals species. They will eventually turn to eating domestic livestock as well. The best protective Angus cow on earth stands little chance to protect her calf against an entire herd of hogs.
Feral wild hogs currently carry some diseases and are capable of carrying a large number of diseases that can impact agriculture in a huge way. Everything from tuberculosis to PED, hoof and mouth, brucellosis, tularemia to name a few. An established feral hog population can harbour enough diseases to cause closure of our exports out of the country by ruining our disease free status rating by countries of the world.
Farms will be hugely affected and the impact to Alberta agriculture will be measured in $$millions$$ of dollars. If a farmer has $$### amount invested in land, $$### amount invested in machinery and equipment, $$### amount invested in seed, fertilizer and chemical costs, how long do you think it would be before they also invest in miles of hog wire and lock all their gates and forbid all entry?
Alberta Agriculture has done extensive studies on these hogs here in Alberta, as well as researched the work of other provinces and states. They know conclusively that hunting cannot and will not control feral hog populations. Hogs are smart, very smart, smarter than deer, elk, and moose put together. We all know that put enough pressure on deer. elk or moose and they evaporate into thin air. Hogs do that after being shot at ONCE. If you have a couple of skilled hunters and they get VERY lucky they might get two hogs each out of a herd. Then that herd will disperse and become nocturnal and continue having 1 1/2 to 2 litters per year. Simple math says that is a losing situation.
Alberta Agriculture has remote actuated live traps that work quite well, drones to survey large areas to find the hogs, and skilled knowledgeable people to run the equipment. For them to succeed and protect our Agriculture and Wildlife they need the Province to permanently shut down the ability to keep and raise wild hogs in Alberta, they need better funding, and they need people that are out in our rural areas to report hog sightings and not hunt them. A few County's in Alberta have banned the keeping of wild hogs. The rest need to follow suit.
The idea of hunting feral wild hogs is tempting and could be a lot of fun as well as provide some good eating. The price we will ALL have to pay to be able to do it is simply far, far too high.
That's my two cents.
Dave
Full disclosure: I do not work for the province in any capacity.
While the opportunity to hunt wild hogs is entertaining and challenging the price everyone, sportsmen, farmers, wildlife lovers in general, will have to pay is far too high. Once hog numbers reach certain levels we will lose, or greatly reduce, many native species. Ground nesting birds, amphibians and reptiles, young deer, elk and moose and greatly impact native plant species which will, in turn effect even more animals species. They will eventually turn to eating domestic livestock as well. The best protective Angus cow on earth stands little chance to protect her calf against an entire herd of hogs.
Feral wild hogs currently carry some diseases and are capable of carrying a large number of diseases that can impact agriculture in a huge way. Everything from tuberculosis to PED, hoof and mouth, brucellosis, tularemia to name a few. An established feral hog population can harbour enough diseases to cause closure of our exports out of the country by ruining our disease free status rating by countries of the world.
Farms will be hugely affected and the impact to Alberta agriculture will be measured in $$millions$$ of dollars. If a farmer has $$### amount invested in land, $$### amount invested in machinery and equipment, $$### amount invested in seed, fertilizer and chemical costs, how long do you think it would be before they also invest in miles of hog wire and lock all their gates and forbid all entry?
Alberta Agriculture has done extensive studies on these hogs here in Alberta, as well as researched the work of other provinces and states. They know conclusively that hunting cannot and will not control feral hog populations. Hogs are smart, very smart, smarter than deer, elk, and moose put together. We all know that put enough pressure on deer. elk or moose and they evaporate into thin air. Hogs do that after being shot at ONCE. If you have a couple of skilled hunters and they get VERY lucky they might get two hogs each out of a herd. Then that herd will disperse and become nocturnal and continue having 1 1/2 to 2 litters per year. Simple math says that is a losing situation.
Alberta Agriculture has remote actuated live traps that work quite well, drones to survey large areas to find the hogs, and skilled knowledgeable people to run the equipment. For them to succeed and protect our Agriculture and Wildlife they need the Province to permanently shut down the ability to keep and raise wild hogs in Alberta, they need better funding, and they need people that are out in our rural areas to report hog sightings and not hunt them. A few County's in Alberta have banned the keeping of wild hogs. The rest need to follow suit.
The idea of hunting feral wild hogs is tempting and could be a lot of fun as well as provide some good eating. The price we will ALL have to pay to be able to do it is simply far, far too high.
That's my two cents.
Dave
Full disclosure: I do not work for the province in any capacity.
Those were from a local farm, once they were declared fair game, the didn't last long. Small area, concentrated hunting can work, if you get them early, that's the key. The farmer went out of the wild hog business as well, good thing, he didn't actually know how many he had. That's the case I referred to in my previous post. Non stop traffic from guys hoping for a shot.
Grizz
Thanks thats a pretty good site
While They might be fun to hunt they're very destructive. I've been working in Florida for the last couple of months and the damage you see from hogs is crazy.
We snuck up on 3 sows a couple of weeks ago and there must've been 25 or more piglets with them. Once they're established, I don't think theres any getting rid of them.
On a high note, one of my co workers down there is lining up a night hunt with thermal scopes and AR's.
We snuck up on 3 sows a couple of weeks ago and there must've been 25 or more piglets with them. Once they're established, I don't think theres any getting rid of them.
On a high note, one of my co workers down there is lining up a night hunt with thermal scopes and AR's.
Friends of mine in the Barrhead & Mayerthorpe AB areas used to mention (~2010-2015) the high boar population however they could be dipsersing more throughout the province per the comments in the this aritcle. Vancouversun.com-hoping-to-control-albertas-wild-boars. I've got a couple irons in the fire with some locals to jet up there for a weekend if there are signs on their property. I think the stars would have to allign to be successful unless you live in the region or pay to hunt a boar ranch...
Brutus
CGN Ultra frequent flyer
Depends on thier diet mostly. If living in a swamp don't expect much. But if they are raiding farms expect the taste to be tremendously better even if they are only eating feed grade grain, lentils or corn.
If they are eating the later, will be the best and leanest pork you have ever tasted in your life.
maple_leaf_eh
CGN Ultra frequent flyer
I don't quite get how the researchers were able to put all the dots on the map while so many hunters are saying they haven't seen any. The only clue is in the legend of the maps - they state watersheds with pigs.
Edit - from a USask publication just last week, "The USask research team surveyed the pig distribution using eight different complementary monitoring methods, including capturing and fitting tracking collars to wild pigs, trail cameras, surveying hunters, government staff, and farmers, and getting the public to report sightings. The team did not record wild pig numbers in this project." https://news.usask.ca/articles/research/2019/wild-pigs-invade-canadian-provincesan-emerging-crisis-for-agriculture-and-the-environment.php
So, not what I would call a definitive and repeated study. A more diligent research method would come up with a different answer.
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Suka
CGN Ultra frequent flyer
I don't know, don't remember where I found this map, but according to it the rm we're in is hog heaven.
Not only haven't seen one or any sign, never heard anyone ever even mentioning them(been here 3 yrs now); that means not only neighboring farmers but at auctions within about a 100 mile area and local hunters who want access or general swapping hunting stories.
Personally I'm starting to think there's some around the fenced hunt places that escaped and that's about it. Believe me, were this map accurate we'd be not only hunting them, trapping them but I'd have hams and ribs in the smoker a lot more often. (just find the place with the most black dot's and that's where we are)
Wolverines and a dozen other mammals I wouldn't have expected to see here plus about a thousand different songbirds I've never heard of before? Ya, we got that.
Wild boar? No.
Not only haven't seen one or any sign, never heard anyone ever even mentioning them(been here 3 yrs now); that means not only neighboring farmers but at auctions within about a 100 mile area and local hunters who want access or general swapping hunting stories.
Personally I'm starting to think there's some around the fenced hunt places that escaped and that's about it. Believe me, were this map accurate we'd be not only hunting them, trapping them but I'd have hams and ribs in the smoker a lot more often. (just find the place with the most black dot's and that's where we are)
Wolverines and a dozen other mammals I wouldn't have expected to see here plus about a thousand different songbirds I've never heard of before? Ya, we got that.
Wild boar? No.
Just this week got an advisory from folks in Vermont that wild hogs have not only entered that state- meaning it's not too long before they appear in QC and Eastern ON- but also that they are infected with "pseudo-rabies" virus. I was glad to learn this is not actually rabies but a misnamed herpes infection that can however affect domestic pigs, so no more free range hog farms will be possible and regular indoor domestic herds are likely to be threatened by infection brought by farm workers and owners. In other words, wild boar are going to be a royal PITA here just as they are everywhere. And they looked so cool and tasty on the old Robin Hood TV series too!
Not to mention Asterix.
Not to mention Asterix.
Attachments
We had a Viet... man did he stink til his nuts got knocked out! After that I have my doubts about their succulence.
And feral hogs are bad buggers... thank all for no moronic statements about how cool it would be to have them.
AB is the Rat free province, mayhaps they are taking Feral pigs as seriously?
And feral hogs are bad buggers... thank all for no moronic statements about how cool it would be to have them.
AB is the Rat free province, mayhaps they are taking Feral pigs as seriously?
Big bore dinosaur
CGN frequent flyer
- Location
- NORT OF COW.TOWN.EH
Probably figure it out sooner then later..
The yanks have it figure out, night time is the right time.
NVGs , cans so they dont spook , 30 rounds..
Conventional hunting won't work.. look at places south of the boarder .. ravaged
You would be further ahead to bait from a tree stand ,with bow in hand..
The yanks have it figure out, night time is the right time.
NVGs , cans so they dont spook , 30 rounds..
Conventional hunting won't work.. look at places south of the boarder .. ravaged
You would be further ahead to bait from a tree stand ,with bow in hand..
Yes, and there’s more coming. 
https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/british-columbia/invasive-pigs-canada-1.5136431
Ted
https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/british-columbia/invasive-pigs-canada-1.5136431
Ted
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