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

[South Pender]

There is a big difference between wildlife officers and guys selling hunts on helicopters.

Of course.

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.

If you read the posts in the thread I noted, you'll see that the Texas wildlife eradication campaign has involved a lot of trapping as well as shooting from helicopters. According to the author of the posts (who is himself a Texas wildlife officer), their efforts have been pretty successful in dramatically reducing the number of hogs in the Texas game-fields.

 

[legi0n]

last year during the floods a few hog farms went under water
piles of dead pigs (near Princeton if memory serves well)
but there's a good chance more than a few escaped
brace yourselves

https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/british-columbia/net-zero-waste-pig-carcass-princeton-1.6329158

 

[Sarj]

CO told me...if you see them...shoot them...if you want to eat the kill...fill your boots

 

[Suther]

last year during the floods a few hog farms went under water
piles of dead pigs (near Princeton if memory serves well)
but there's a good chance more than a few escaped
brace yourselves

https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/british-columbia/net-zero-waste-pig-carcass-princeton-1.6329158

Those pigs came from the Fraser Valley, that is just the location they got shipped to for disposal IIRC. If any of them escaped they wouldn't have had anywhere to go other than maybe up towards Chilliwack Lake, Jones Lake, etc?

 

[legi0n]

Those pigs came from the Fraser Valley, that is just the location they got shipped to for disposal IIRC. If any of them escaped they wouldn't have had anywhere to go other than maybe up towards Chilliwack Lake, Jones Lake, etc?

good point
there are pig farms in Abbotsford
so keep an eye on Abbotsford, Mission, Harrison, Chilliwack

 

[Candocad]

good point
there are pig farms in Abbotsford
so keep an eye on Abbotsford, Mission, Harrison, Chilliwack

Coyote and / or boar. Sounds like varmint heaven to me.

Candocad.

 

[trevj]

good point
there are pig farms in Abbotsford
so keep an eye on Abbotsford, Mission, Harrison, Chilliwack

Yeah. And get to stand and watch them wander along their merry way, as there are so many people in the valley there, and on the sidehills, that the chances are, you'll never get a legal shot off. That, in the odd case that one of those barn raised animals actually manages to survive any length of time, with the realization that they likely only MAY have seen grass through the bars in the crate when they were moved from the Farrowing barn, into the weaner pens in a different barn.

Not to put too fine a point on it, but up here in Canada, it makes far more sense to know 'of' the pigs, and to be able to act appropriately 'if' you see one, than to put any real effort or hopes in to specifically targeting them, which, unless you have a smoking hot lead, is pretty much time wasted.
At least, that has been the pattern in Saskatchewan, Alberta, and here in BC, over the last 25+ years I have been following the issue.

 

[Suther]

That, in the odd case that one of those barn raised animals actually manages to survive any length of time, with the realization that they likely only MAY have seen grass through the bars in the crate when they were moved from the Farrowing barn, into the weaner pens in a different barn.

This I think is a key point. Pig farms are indoor operations, the vast majority of them probably drowned in the barn.

 

[legi0n]

Yeah. And get to stand and watch them wander along their merry way, as there are so many people in the valley there, and on the sidehills, that the chances are, you'll never get a legal shot off. That, in the odd case that one of those barn raised animals actually manages to survive any length of time, with the realization that they likely only MAY have seen grass through the bars in the crate when they were moved from the Farrowing barn, into the weaner pens in a different barn.

Not to put too fine a point on it, but up here in Canada, it makes far more sense to know 'of' the pigs, and to be able to act appropriately 'if' you see one, than to put any real effort or hopes in to specifically targeting them, which, unless you have a smoking hot lead, is pretty much time wasted.
At least, that has been the pattern in Saskatchewan, Alberta, and here in BC, over the last 25+ years I have been following the issue.

well, we shall see
if there's a rash of pig sightings in the next 2-3 years it means they survived
they will certainly piss off some gardener or farmer and that will make the news.

 

[Suther]

well, we shall see
if there's a rash of pig sightings in the next 2-3 years it means they survived
they will certainly piss off some gardener or farmer and that will make the news.

Or chase some granola muncher down the trail lol

 

[Rugdoc]

There was a photo on HBC last year of a guy with a pig he shot.

It was obviously a pot-bellied big gone feral.

 

[Drillbit]

They’re around and seem to be in groups. You can tell where they hang out, everything is torn up along the roads.

There was 50 or so a few weeks ago, west of the Fraser, south of hwy 20

My dad likes the meat. I find it kinda tough n lean.

 

[FLHTCUI]

There was a photo on HBC last year of a guy with a pig he shot.

It was obviously a pot-bellied big gone feral.

Was he wearing a Pink Tutu ??

 

[kamlooky]

Was he wearing a Pink Tutu ??

The pig?

 

[FLHTCUI]

The pig?

Which one you talking about ?

 

[mikeelliot]

Which one you talking about ?

Who wore the tutu

 

[legi0n]

Who wore the tutu

Gatehouse in a rare vintage color image
didn't think color photography was invented at the time but I was wrong

 

[Denisb]

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

You have to treat it as game meat. Trichonosis is in bears and hogs. Cook to 165°F

 

[Gatehouse]

They’re around and seem to be in groups. You can tell where they hang out, everything is torn up along the roads.

There was 50 or so a few weeks ago, west of the Fraser, south of hwy 20

My dad likes the meat. I find it kinda tough n lean.

50 of them? A few must have escaped and bred like piglets!

I assume you or your dad have shot some as you've eaten them?

 

[Drillbit]

50 of them? A few must have escaped and bred like piglets!

I assume you or your dad have shot some as you've eaten them?

Saw the same ones in the same place last Easter. They’re at large.

Should probably knock down as many as possible, but so far we’ve just shot what we wanted to load up.

The local invasive species person that I had to report to, told me that although it’s legal to shoot them, they wanted them left alone so they could be trapped easier. And then I notice no attempt at trapping them….

Once people start shooting them n leaving them, I wouldn’t eat them.
Same as another spot I know where a logging truck hit a few. The others are eating the rotting roadkill…

Not as bad a Pickton Pork, but not something I want to eat