Feral Hogs on Alabama Hunting Land

The feral hog explosion that has descended on the state is a huge problem for landowners and outdoorsmen.  We have seen them expand to virtually every area in the central  and southern parts of the state.  Wild hogs multiply very rapidly and are capable of breeding at six months of age.  These sows will have several litters averaging 6-10 piglets per litter.  While hogs have become a problem for farmers, they have also become one of the hottest game animals as well.  Hogs can be hunted year round in this state and hunters have been enjoying them for a long time.  There is no proven way of exterminating a severe hog population totally- but there are several ways to manage and try to control them.  The hogs seem to favor low areas and river bottoms but have also started to move into upland areas that we weren’t accustomed to seeing them in before.  They cause large amounts of damage on Alabama hunting land and Alabama farmland.  They root up crops and in some cases can wipe a whole field out before it has a chance to make a stand.  Here are some of the ways to try and get a jump on them the minute you see signs of them on your place.

Hunting wild hogs has become an attraction for lots of hunting outfits in the state.  There are several wild hog outfitters in the state that will show hunters of any age a great time.  It is a lot of fun to shoot these hogs and enjoy time in the woods with friends and family.  I personally enjoy Hurricane Hogs down in Marengo County Alabama.  This is a great place to go and the owners are very good at what they do.  Another method of hunting hogs that can produce good management results is hunting them by using a good pack of hog dogs.  When hunting this way you are able to take numerous hogs off of your property each hunt.  This style of hunting has been going on for many years but has recently hit a new growth spurt.  There are hog rodeo competitions now and lots of different tournaments for these hunters to enjoy.  As a landowner I would definitely not have a problem letting these hunters come to my place if I had a hog problem.  The next and most effective way is trapping.  Much like with predator management, trapping will produce a better result in a much smaller window of time.  Trapping allows landowners to get rid of multiple hogs in each trap set.  There are plenty of ways to build these traps yourself or have a professional build them.  Another option is having someone come in who knows what they are doing to produce a good return on your investment.  We offer these services and would be happy to look at any problems that you may be having.

While the hogs are a definite problem, they are also a lot of fun to shoot.  A kid will never forget taking a big boar much like they will never forget their first deer or turkey.  The best thing to do if you already have them is to try and spend the time and effort to control them.  If you don’t have them- shoot the first one you see and then start trapping!