Article.



A cross between wild boars and domestic pigs, these feral swine can survive cold climates and could create a whole new pig problem for northern states

The U.S. may soon have a new wild pig problem. Until now, the invasive species has largely proliferated in warm places like the southeast, Texas, and California. But in recent years, invasive pigs have started thriving in Canada and may spread into North Dakota, Montana, Michigan, and Minnesota.

According to Dr. Ryan Brook, who leads the University of Saskatchewan's Canadian Wild Pig Research Project, Canada's wild pig problem is relatively new. "The U.S. has a 400-plus year history with invasive wild pigs, but we didn't have any here until the early 1980s," he says. "There was a big push to diversify agriculture with species like wild boards and ostriches. Wild boars were brought in from Europe to be raised on farms across Canada."
Most of those pigs were kept on meat farms, but some were used on high-fence hunting preserves. Many farmers and ranchers soon crossbred the wild boars with domestic pigs. According to Brook, the hybridization resulted in bigger "super pigs" that could survive in cold climates. "For surviving in cold winters, one of the rules of ecology is: the bigger the better," he says. "Larger body animals survive the cold better and have better reproduction in those conditions."
In the early 2000s, the market for farmed boars dropped out in Canada. Some escaped from their enclosures and others were let free without anyone to sell them to. In less than 20 years, the wild or feral population exploded, in part due to the species' extraordinarily high reproductive rate. Wild boars now roam approximately 620,000 square miles in Canada, primarily in the Prairie Provinces of Saskatchewan, Manitoba, and Alberta.
"That they can survive in such a cold climate is one of the big surprises of this issue. The Prairie Provinces are where we have the coldest winters in Canada except for the very far north," says Brook. "One of the things they do to survive is tunnel under the snow. They go into a cattail marsh and channel into the soft snow and cut nests in the cattails. If you go early in the morning on a cold day, you can actually see steam pouring out the top of the nests."


For native species, the issue is dire. "Wild hogs feed on anything. They gobble up tons and tons of goslings and ducklings in the spring. They can take down a whitetail deer, even an adult," says Brook. "Originally, it was like 'wow, this is something we can hunt.' But it's become clear that they're threatening our whitetail deer, elk, and especially, waterfowl. Not to mention the crop damage. The downsides outweigh any benefit wild hogs may have as a huntable species."


And unfortunately, the issue may soon spread into the Northern U.S. "We have already documented pig occurrences less than 10 miles from the U.S. border. Quite honestly, I think there have already been some in Manitoba going into North Dakota for the last 5 or 6 years," says Brook. "There is no physical, biological boundary at the U.S.-Canada border. There is hardly any kind of fencing to speak of. There's a real risk of pigs moving south into the U.S."
Though there are no definitive population estimates, Brook says it's already likely too late to eradicate wild pigs in Canada. Doing so, he says, would be "sort of like trying to eradicate mosquitos." Still, local authorities are doing whatever they can to mitigate the spread of the invasive species. According to Brook, one of the most effective control strategies is ground-trapping entire sounders. His research team has also proven that using a "Judas Pig," which involves following a GPS-collared pig to help find other pigs so authorities can then remove them from the landscape.


One thing that hasn't proven effective is recreational hog hunting, which disperses sounders and causes some pigs to go nocturnal, making them harder to locate and remove. Brook says the most important thing people can do is to alert authorities. "Report any sightings of wild pigs," he says. "There's a Squeal on Pigs program in the U.S. and Canada. You can also report wild pigs to someone like your local game warden. Early detection and action are critical."

Cool. More pig hunting opportunities....

Yes, I know they hurt farmers and ranchers.... that was a mostly sarcastic comment.

Wasn't there a thread about RCMP working undercover at US gun shows?

If it was a real problem, they would allow the populous to solve it.

Instead this is a "we want more money to talk about this issue without letting any of you solve it for free".

150 years ago our ancestors could eliminate an entire native species in like a weekend of hunting and now we're worried about this shit.

Super BBQ.  Hopefully Eastern NC style.

No stupid red shit BBQ.

No bun sandwiches.

No disgusting slaw.

My body, my soul and my Ruger American Rifle are prepared.

Cool, I've never had a chance to go hog hunting. (Well, not that kind anyway.)

Never let a crisis go to waste.

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Welcome to the Southern US yanks.

Our woods and fields are LOADED with those big bastards.

I like Canadian bacon.

Excellent news!    Now those pig-greedy Texas ranchers can’t bogart all the pigs.

@midcap

Hope they come this far east. Just bought a Sabatti 45-70 double rifle, just right for illegal alien piggies.

My body is ready for increased bacon and porkchop consumption.



Unfortunately this. We could absolutely 100% wipe out the vast majority of feral hogs inside the USA in a year or less. No limit no permit no tags no restrictions - have at it. They'd disappear in a damn hurry.

This will be no different than other wild pig "problems":  we are being overrun by wild hogs, only $1500/pp/day to solve our problem

I spoke with our Crop insurance guy yesterday and he was telling me a story about Ryan is allegedly reporting domestic pigs as wild boars to justify his program. I think he got $1.1 million grant from ND government.

Heathen.  

Imagine that, Canada faces a pig bomb of super hogs that are wreaking financial havoc on farms and environmental havoc everywhere else but they say hunting them isn't a good way of dealing with it... probably because it would require all the icky guns they despise and have banned.  It's a proven fact that one shooter with an AR15 can kill way more pigs than a liberal can with hopes and dreams.  Sorry Mr. Maple Feelgood, your thinly veiled anti gun agenda is easy to see.

It's not going to be long before were dealing with them up here .

Yep , we could put a dent in it now if some folks weren’t trying to charge an arm and leg to hunt

Hunting them at night, under thermal/NV in Montana sounds like a fucking blast. Have rifle, will travel.

Wild and domestic cross? If they fuck around and taste good, they should avoid moving south where we could quickly decimate a large number of free bacon immigrants.

Farmers and ranchers are still gonna sell hunts on their property. If they were truly a problem they’d be paying to have them removed

I wonder how long they'll take to get up to Alaska.

populace

"populous" is an adjective, meaning "having a large population"

midcap thread

Super pigs are just another name for great northern hogzillas. Get your night vision & thermals ready boys

No such thing as a Super Pig.

Wild hogs and domestic hogs have been inter breeding since they were domesticated. Better start your trapping program yesterday.

Very smart animals, and they both eat and breed like crazy.

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@Prae

Whaaaaaaat?

Like you anyway.  Let's drink!  

Exactly, you hear all the big land owners and farmers bitch about wold hogs destroying their property and when you offer to come and kill some they want you to pay them to help solve their problem.

I really gotta get thermal.  I’d smoke the fuck out of a wild pig up here.

I know, I know, farmers would hate it, etc., etc.

I'd friggin' love it.  Feral hogs are year round hunting in my state, but we don't have any where I live.

LOL @Ambridge77

Already ahead of you.   Heating up brisket queso and drinking Yeungling.  

There was a guy who ran a wild boar hunting operation about five hours south of here. Then he released the hogs.

Trust me these are Russian boar and they are well suited to surviving in cold weather. When these pigs reach the US, it won't be good.

#MeToo

New food source for polar bears or polar bears become food source for hogs.

They're in NH is small numbers due to Corbin Park(AKA Blue Mountain Forest Association) escapees.

The shitty thing is they are classified as private property here, so if you run into one you have to jump through hoops to legally shoot it.  

https://www.wmur.com/article/upper-valley-new-hampshire-feral-hog-10622/41548757

https://outsideinradio.org/shows/ep27

They are very much a problem, and your logic is flawed.  If local pest control guys were tripping over themselves offering to pay you to let them kill the bugs infesting your house/yard, would you tell them, "No, no...they're a problem. I insist on paying you!"...?

So.....what round for Super Swine?

ATTENTION Snow Mexicans,please for the love of God send these to NY,my body is ready.

Noted, now I will forget it by the next time I type it out.

But, thanks anyway.

Been in Montana for a bit.

Friends and family have seen them.


Open season on them asap.