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  • From: Kakerby <kakerby AT aol.com>
  • To: market-farming AT lists.ibiblio.org
  • Subject: Re: [Market-farming] Digging Dogs and Feral Hogs, Anyone?
  • Date: Fri, 1 Feb 2013 14:38:37 -0500 (EST)

Possible? Yes.  Practical method for pest control?  Occasionally, but not usually.  First, the hogs are very wary; they were already considered a challenge for hunters, and they still are.  Secondly, the sheer numbers in some areas make "control via hunting" problematic.  I know some areas have literally declared open season on feral hogs, and that hasn't been enough to make much of a dent in the populations.  There's also a lot of debate about what to do with the meat which comes from such hunts; suffice to say the debate on that topic alone is lively.  Third, they are often most active at night, and have a terrific sense of smell.  A lot of folks will sit out there waiting for them in deer blinds, only to have the hogs sense their presence and avoid the area until a few hours after they've finally gone back to the house.  

Toss in the political and ethical issues involved, and it turns into quite the fiasco as a public policy topic.  From the folks I know who deal with feral hogs on a regular basis, shooting the occasional fence-savvy repeat offender is commonplace.  But shooting enough of the general population in any one area, as an ongoing management strategy, hasn't proven to be very effective.  Despite a lot of very enthusiastic volunteers for such assignments.  It's a tough situation and getting tougher by the day.  I don't envy anyone in a position to have to even think about how to harden their perimeters against feral hogs.
Kathryn Kerby
frogchorusfarm.com
Snohomish, WA


-----Original Message-----
From: Franklin W Davis <knarfme AT comcast.net>
To: Market Farming <market-farming AT lists.ibiblio.org>
Sent: Fri, Feb 1, 2013 11:27 am
Subject: Re: [Market-farming] Digging Dogs and Feral Hogs, Anyone?

   Hello all...is it possible to shoot the wild hogs? Franklin
----- Original Message ----- 
From: "Beth Spaugh" <lists AT rhomestead.com>
To: "'Market Farming'" <market-farming AT lists.ibiblio.org>
Sent: Friday, February 01, 2013 1:13 PM
Subject: Re: [Market-farming] Digging Dogs and Feral Hogs, Anyone?


> We only have one year's experience with pigs, but used three strands of
> electric fence very successfully.  They put out a very loud squeal any 
> time
> they touched it, and quickly learned to keep their distance.  Have friend
> who has about ten years experience with hogs year-round, breeding, etc, 
> and
> just uses one or two strands.  They did find their way out over packed 
> snow
> one winter.
>
> Beth Spaugh
> Rehoboth Homestead, Peru NY
> http://rhomestead.com      http://www.facebook.com/rhomestead
>
>
> "How we eat determines, to a considerable extent, how the world is 
> used." -
> Wendell Berry
>
> "Without power over our food, any notion of democracy is empty." - Frances
> Moore Lappe
>
> It's not that nice guys finish last. They have a whole different notion
> where the finish line is. - unknown
>
>
>
> -----Original Message-----
> From: market-farming-bounces AT lists.ibiblio.org
> [mailto:market-farming-bounces AT lists.ibiblio.org] On Behalf Of Barking Cat
> Farm
> Sent: Friday, February 01, 2013 12:24 PM
> To: Market Farming
> Subject: [Market-farming] Digging Dogs and Feral Hogs, Anyone?
>
> Hello,
>
> We're embarking on a project to reinforce our farm's perimeter fence.  It 
> is
> currently 4' field fence, which has worked well on coyotes and other
> non-deer larger mammals.  However, we have a problem with digging,
> particularly from the local pack of vicious dogs.  We need to find a way 
> to
> keep them out, and since I'm modifying the fence anyway, we want to also
> exclude feral hogs.  We don't have them yet, but they've been spotted in 
> the
> vicinity, so it's only a matter of time until they find us.  What damaging
> behaviors and solutions have you experienced with respect to feral hogs?
>
>
> More detail:  Our perimeter has a variety of micro-environments, so it may
> be a hybrid design works the best.
> - Some areas are heavily vegetative. We don't plan to modify these areas 
> at
> this time, as the vegetation is doing a good job of exclusion and we say 
> if
> it's not broken don't fix it.;
>
> - in other areas we have purposely planted rose bushes and other low 
> growing
> plants which will do a good job of exclusion once they are more mature. In
> these areas we might need to do some chicken wire "elled" at the bottom of
> the field fence and extended out a few inches and stapled down to prevent
> digging until roses and other plants mature, hot wire not a good idea due 
> to
> vegetative load.;
>
> - and in other areas we have bare ground where vegetation is not growing 
> due
> to heavy forest shade, for example.  In these areas, not quite sure 
> whether
> a hot wire or a barrier mesh similar to above is a better solution.  We 
> know
> mesh works against digging dogs, but not sure about hogs.  Thoughts?
>
> My question to those who have dealt with feral hogs and fencing is how,
> specifically, they damage and/or breech fencing?  Do they ram and break 
> it,
> do they dig under it, or what?
>
> Note: please don't suggest poisoning, shooting, or trapping.  We have
> thoughtfully considered and ruled all three out for a variety of reasons.
> We feel that exclusion is our best option and are looking for guidance on
> that specifically.
>
> Many thanks in advance,
>
> Laurie Bostic
> Owner/Farmer
> Barking Cat Farm
> Heath, Texas
> barkingcatfarm AT mindspring.com
> www.barkingcatfarm.com
> http://www.facebook.com/barkingcatfarm
> https://twitter.com/#!/barkingcatfarm
>
>
>
>
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