Land Between the Lakes has a wild hog problem? The wild hog problem may be worse than thought in LBL.
How bad is the wild hog problem in Land Between the Lakes? I don’t think anyone really knows for sure about the feral hog population in LBL and, as usual around here, if they do know they ain’t saying much.
Every calculated so often we hear and see video of these daring helicopter sniper fires on the LBL wild hogs; or we see ’em caught up in the trick snare and rounded up like cattle and hauled away. But this is just every so often there is any ‘official’ word and it appears that a good portion of this ‘news’ coverage on the wild hogs of LBL is a thinly-veiled public relations plug. What is going on with the wild hog problem day-to-day? We hear longtime LBL farmers have stopped trying to raise and cultivate crops of ‘the unit’ as United States Forest Service releases and suits call LBL.
How many feral hogs are there in LBL? Is it a couple of dozen, a couple of hundred or a couple of thousand? And where are they? Are they in the southern portion of LBL? The northern part of LBL? Or spread throughout ‘the unit?” aka our sacred homeland.
How dangerous are these animals? We all have heard stories about folks who have been attacked wounded and worse by wild hogs. Is it just a matter of time before someone is injured or killed by a hog or hogs in LBL? Just writing these words seems weird to me. Wild hogs in Land Between the Lakes: it sounds like a nightmare and it is .. apparently a nightmare that has come true.
If someone injures one of these animals and a hurt hog is out in the wilds of LBL, that for certain would be a dangerous animal. How about if an unsuspecting hunter or hiker happens upon a sow and her piglets? We all know how fierce and protective a domestic hog is for her little ones. A wild one would be much, much worse.
How bad is the problem? It seems little real information on this topic is available. As I said, I see the public relations stories written and broadcast about once or twice a year, when it is sniper time or roundup time. What goes on day to day with this invasive species”
Should there be a wild — or feral — hog hunt in LBL to put an end to this problem? If not, why not? That really makes no sense to me. Intensive hunting would eradicate this problem, many say.
Yes. It is hard for me to remain as an objective writer and reporter when it comes to Land Between the Lakes; but I disclose that up front and honestly. I figure the other side has plenty of well-paid suits to push their side, so I will weigh in with my thoughts and questions.
I have few facts on this story and it is one of the largest environmental and economic and ecological stories in the LBLUS.com and Land Between the Lakes region. If you have information that can lead to LBLUS.com knowing or being able to ask questions about the wild hog population and problems, place a comment below or contact me privately on my Facebook page.
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We’ve seen several. Seems like they’re making their way down the trace and closer to town. I’ve not seen any at the house (we’re just off Hickman creek road) but I’m certain I hear them in the woods rooting around from time to time
There is a healthy reproducing population of feral/wild hogs in the Southern portion of LBL. How many? Who knows? Wild hogs are not particularly fond of staying around to be counted. They flee into the underbrush at the first sight/smell of a human.
It’s my personal belief that information is being withheld from the public. The hunting them from helicopter is just a cover for a select few thrill seekers. If you have read the articles posted in the local media justifying the helicopter hunting. Then you should know how ridiculous their excuses sound.
What I do know is every time they have one of these hunts the number of sightings outside of LBL increase .
Wild hogs are not a new thing for this County. My first sighting of a wild hog was back in the 1980s. In the early 90s a friend and me stumbled upon some early one morning on our way deer hunting. There had been a light snow fall which made it possible to track them. Personal experience, they are not short winded. Nor do they cower from the steepest hills. The easy path is not the one chosen .
But I believe the wild hog population has grown to the point to where the land owners and occasional hunter will not be sufficient to keep their population at bay.