Hunting Hogs in BC - What's the Current Situation?

[South Pender]

I've been reading about hog hunting in Texas, where they are seen as basically varmints, and no bag limits apply. They've become such a problem that wildlife officers are hunting them from helicopters. So I've wondered what the situation is here in BC re hog hunting. Is there a large enough population of them to make hunting them worthwhile? Is there a bag limit in BC?

I'm guessing that most, if not all, hogs roaming around are descended from domestic pigs that broke out of confinement and went feral--and then began multiplying. Were there ever any indigenous wild pigs here?

 

[FLHTCUI]

Posted some pics a few years back from Quesnelle on the Nazco Hwy. where they ran wild.
Not Urban myth, just hard to pin down exact populations and numbers.
Rob

 

[trevj]

I've been reading about hog hunting in Texas, where they are seen as basically varmints, and no bag limits apply. They've become such a problem that wildlife officers are hunting them from helicopters. So I've wondered what the situation is here in BC re hog hunting. Is there a large enough population of them to make hunting them worthwhile? Is there a bag limit in BC?

I'm guessing that most, if not all, hogs roaming around are descended from domestic pigs that broke out of confinement and went feral--and then began multiplying. Were there ever any indigenous wild pigs here?

Nope.

Most would be escapees from various outfits that tried to raise wild boars for meat or penned hunting. Not a huge number of outfits running any noticeable amount of pigs, outside the fully enclosed meat factory style.

No indigenous wild pigs.

The way BC's wildlife Laws are written, unless it is a listed animal on the various 'Schedule' lists. Or is listed with a season, you are out of luck. Check the Schedule B and Schedule C lists in the hunting regs as a good place to start.

I would think that what you do while so authorized by the land owner, in protecting crops from free roaming escaped livestock, is probably a whole other issue.

 

[45ACPKING]

I've been reading about hog hunting in Texas, where they are seen as basically varmints, and no bag limits apply. They've become such a problem that wildlife officers are hunting them from helicopters. So I've wondered what the situation is here in BC re hog hunting. Is there a large enough population of them to make hunting them worthwhile? Is there a bag limit in BC?

I'm guessing that most, if not all, hogs roaming around are descended from domestic pigs that broke out of confinement and went feral--and then began multiplying. Were there ever any indigenous wild pigs here?

the only indigenous pigs in BC I am aware of are what a buddy of mine always refers to as bush pigs..... I found out this is his go to phrase for black bears LOL
people talk about feral hogs in the harrison valley but I know guys who have put quite a bit of time in and have not found any of the usual sign that is left from wild pigs. They rip the country side up so the best way to find pigs is to find where they have torn up every root they can find. and set up some cams.

 

[Gatehouse]

I've seen 2 or 3 pics of feral hogs that have been shot in BC. They are all escapees of some sort.

There isn't enough that I would bother going out looking for them but I would shoot one if I saw one in the bush.

 

[Suther]

Nope.

Most would be escapees from various outfits that tried to raise wild boars for meat or penned hunting. Not a huge number of outfits running any noticeable amount of pigs, outside the fully enclosed meat factory style.

No indigenous wild pigs.

The way BC's wildlife Laws are written, unless it is a listed animal on the various 'Schedule' lists. Or is listed with a season, you are out of luck. Check the Schedule B and Schedule C lists in the hunting regs as a good place to start.

I would think that what you do while so authorized by the land owner, in protecting crops from free roaming escaped livestock, is probably a whole other issue.

Feral Pigs are schedule C. They require a license but no bag limits or closed seasons.

 

[trevj]

Feral Pigs are schedule C. They require a license but no bag limits or closed seasons.

Thanks!

 

[Paul_T]

Feral Pigs are schedule C. They require a license but no bag limits or closed seasons.

And there is compulsory reporting for harvested feral pigs.

 

[South Pender]

How's the meat? Are disease and parasites a problem with wild hog meat?

 

[South Pender]

After starting this thread, I ran across this:

https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/brit...amloops, Okanagan, Peace and Kootenay regions.

It appears to confirm my earlier speculation about where the feral hogs in B.C. have come from:

"The wild hogs and sows come from communities of escaped farm animals that have established themselves in the B.C. wild, and have been spotted in the Lower Mainland, Kamloops, Okanagan, Peace and Kootenay regions."

 

[FLHTCUI]

After starting this thread, I ran across this:

https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/brit...amloops, Okanagan, Peace and Kootenay regions.

It appears to confirm my earlier speculation about where the feral hogs in B.C. have come from:

"The wild hogs and sows come from communities of escaped farm animals that have established themselves in the B.C. wild, and have been spotted in the Lower Mainland, Kamloops, Okanagan, Peace and Kootenay regions."

Back in the 70's and camping with the Cubs/Scouts in Morris Valley feral pigs/hogs was a common urban myth.
Not having read this article (posted link) there must be some truth to the matter.
They would be as good a eating as Black Bears with the same cautions given.
Also, there was a Canadian web site that had confirmed sighting with locations with pics added.
All of that info was lost when the Panasonic Tough Book took the Blue Screen of Death to another level and Released the Blue Smoke, so I can not help with anything further/useful.
Other than offering Oral History.
Tight Groups,
Rob

 

[45ACPKING]

there was also a hog tracker website at one time..... it may still exist but I haven't checked.
Friends of mine live right in Harrison village and spend a ton of time up in the areas the hog tracker identified but saw no sign from pigs.
I've watched several shows now on feral hogs in the US and wild boars in europe and especially italy.
I could move to a country that allowed hog hunting but still doing research.
The wife would move back to the Balkans in a heartbeat if I agreed to go.

 

[South Pender]

There was some discussion recently about hog hunting in Texas in a thread on the Sako Collectors Club forum. It was clear from the posts that hogs have become a major threat to wildlife in Texas, and state wildlife agencies are working hard to eradicate as many hogs as possible. Evidently, they reproduce in astounding numbers, and it’s proving very hard to make much of a dent in the ever-increasing population. Wildlife officers are hunting them from helicopters, and it’s not unusual for a hunter to bag 8-10 hogs in one outing. A very convincing explanation for the exploding feral hog population was offered by SCC forum member and club secretary Stonecreek, who wrote:

“There have always been feral hogs in most rural areas since small farmers used to simply graze their hogs on open fields. But the population explosion began in the 1980's after the passage of the Clean Water Act in the 1970's.

Hogs are subject to many of the diseases that impact humans, including gastric diseases cause by bacterial infections. Small towns used to simply dump their sewage into the nearest creek. When hogs drank it they got sick and died. Then, along came the Clean Water Act (the stick) and along with it came low-cost government loans and grants to upgrade city sewage systems to bring them into compliance with the act (the carrot). Tens of thousands of small towns turned their polluted sewage effluent into sanitary discharge, so when pig populations were no longer held in check by disease, well, guess what happened?

Just another of those unintended consequences which sometimes occur when you fix one problem but create an unforeseen one at the same time.”

One Texas hunter's bag after one day of hog-hunting:

 

[medvedqc]

How's the meat? Are disease and parasites a problem with wild hog meat?

cook it well like bear meat and your problems are solved. gut it the best you can and do not wait.

 

[HeliMD]

Think I was watching or read somewhere that the boars have sent glands you want to cut out of before you just start cutting into them . I could be wrong g but might be worth looking into .

 

[mikeelliot]

Think I was watching or read somewhere that the boars have sent glands you want to cut out of before you just start cutting into them . I could be wrong g but might be worth looking into .

Yes 2 on the back legs and 2 on the flank. Real stinky on javelina and I think can really sour meat on a feral hog too.

Most guys hang and skin, before gutting them as well.

If anyone has spotted any in the Okanagan let me know

 

[South Pender]

Yes 2 on the back legs and 2 on the flank. Real stinky on javelina and I think can really sour meat on a feral hog too.

Most guys hang and skin, before gutting them as well.

If anyone has spotted any in the Okanagan let me know

Good reason to eat only fat healthy females--forget the boars.

 

[Suther]

There was some discussion recently about hog hunting in Texas in a thread on the Sako Collectors Club forum. It was clear from the posts that hogs have become a major threat to wildlife in Texas, and state wildlife agencies are working hard to eradicate as many hogs as possible. Evidently, they reproduce in astounding numbers, and it’s proving very hard to make much of a dent in the ever-increasing population. Wildlife officers are hunting them from helicopters, and it’s not unusual for a hunter to bag 8-10 hogs in one outing. A very convincing explanation for the exploding feral hog population was offered by SCC forum member and club secretary Stonecreek, who wrote:

“There have always been feral hogs in most rural areas since small farmers used to simply graze their hogs on open fields. But the population explosion began in the 1980's after the passage of the Clean Water Act in the 1970's.

Hogs are subject to many of the diseases that impact humans, including gastric diseases cause by bacterial infections. Small towns used to simply dump their sewage into the nearest creek. When hogs drank it they got sick and died. Then, along came the Clean Water Act (the stick) and along with it came low-cost government loans and grants to upgrade city sewage systems to bring them into compliance with the act (the carrot). Tens of thousands of small towns turned their polluted sewage effluent into sanitary discharge, so when pig populations were no longer held in check by disease, well, guess what happened?

Just another of those unintended consequences which sometimes occur when you fix one problem but create an unforeseen one at the same time.”

One Texas hunter's bag after one day of hog-hunting:

It should be noted that a lot of people are NOT trying to eradicate them. Guys running helicopter hunt operations as an example, they either raise pigs or buy them from trappers. They often market it as eradication, good for the environment, etc but in reality they're perpetuating the problem not trying to fix it.

Simply put hunting will never fix the problem. You need trappers who are capable of getting an entire sounder in one go, anything less than that and you just educate them and disperse them.

 

[South Pender]

It should be noted that a lot of people are NOT trying to eradicate them. Guys running helicopter hunt operations as an example, they either raise pigs or buy them from trappers. They often market it as eradication, good for the environment, etc but in reality they're perpetuating the problem not trying to fix it.

Interesting observation, Suther. The helicopter eradication efforts I was alluding to are described in considerable detail in a thread on the Sako Collectors Club forum--link below. There you will see the extraordinary efforts taken by wildlife officers in Texas to rid the state of the feral hog problem. It's a long thread, but if you are interested, scroll down to Page 12 of the thread, and look at Posts #229 and #232. Also, Post #235 answers a couple of questions I posed to Spaher re meat quality and origins of the feral hogs.

https://sakocollectors.com/forum/threads/what-rifles-other-than-sakos-do-you-hunt-with.9490/

 

[Suther]

Interesting observation, Suther. The helicopter eradication efforts I was alluding to are described in considerable detail in a thread on the Sako Collectors Club forum--link below. There you will see the extraordinary efforts taken by wildlife officers in Texas to rid the state of the feral hog problem. It's a long thread, but if you are interested, scroll down to Page 12 of the thread, and look at Posts #229 and #232. Also, Post #235 answers a couple of questions I posed to Spaher re meat quality and origins of the feral hogs.

https://sakocollectors.com/forum/threads/what-rifles-other-than-sakos-do-you-hunt-with.9490/

There is a big difference between wildlife officers and guys selling hunts on helicopters. Generally speaking you can't even recover the meat from a helicopter hunt - it's not safe to be in the fields while the whirly bird is airborne and by the time you land they've been baking in the sun for some time. So really you're more or less paying to shoot livestock from a helicopter, you're not harvesting meat nor are you contributing to the eradication efforts. Lots of people justify pig hunts because they're "helping" but that's often not the case at all. Now, if that's how you want to spend your money i don't care, just know what you're getting into. I might go do it one day, hanging out of a helicopter with a gun sounds super fun, but I won't be justifying it to myself on the basis of "helping eradicate them"... (This is of course general information and doesn't necessarily reflect every outfitter there is.)

Although even wildlife officers will never get rid of all the pigs via guns - if that worked the numbers would be on the decline by now... Trapping is really the only way, and the trapper has to know their stuff to avoid educating them and creating a bunch of trap shy pigs.

Some states have started banning pig hunting. The theory being that if there is no hunting them nobody is incentivized to keep them around or introduce them to places they're not already established (for example they didn't walk from Texas to Pennsylvania, they most likely got a ride from a guy who thought it would be great to hunt pigs closer to home or were intentionally released from high fence operations).