I think it is very possible. It would be great to hunt also. But on the other hand it scares me, being a farmer in north west ohio. I believe just one herd of these hogs could completely destroy a crop in just one night. But yes I believe they will eventually habit all of ohio


Posted using Outdoor Hub Campfire

 

I think the ppl hunting hogs in southern Ohio may be the same ones spotting Bigfoot. I've been hunting southern Ohio awhile now. No sightings yet. If they are out there, the numbers couldn't be substantial. Just my two cents.

posted using Outdoor Hub Campfire

 

I think the ppl hunting hogs in southern Ohio may be the same ones spotting Bigfoot. I've been hunting southern Ohio awhile now. No sightings yet. If they are out there, the numbers couldn't be substantial. Just my two cents.

posted using Outdoor Hub Campfire

i agree here, i hunt with a group of people in southwest ohio and i have never seen one or even seen damage that could have came from them. not saying there isnt any in OH but the numbers cant be too high

 

More east than west. Vinton county has hogs. There are more in other places also. These are bad. Would be fun to hunt but other than that a real prob. As long as the state tries to control them by hunting over time they will expand.


Posted using Outdoor Hub Campfire

 

Maybe I’m optimistic, but I just don’t think it’ll happen. The only “reports” I’ve heard of are internet posts like this one, almost zero first hand accounts of wild hogs. Yes, some are killed every year. But I just don’t see or hear anything to even suggest some sort of “exploding population”. The ODNR really got people talking a few years ago when they put out the article about wild hogs. For some reason people took that to mean they were everywhere, rather than the pre-emptive strike that it was. If you look at the states where they’ve gotten out of hand, they’re all well south of Ohio. TN would be the closest that I would consider having a real population, and they’re nothing like TX or GA. For whatever reason, they don’t thrive in colder climates. I just don’t think they can really explode in Ohio. I also agree with Rod Man, some of the sightings are questionable.

 

In all of my years of hunting, Atehns and Hocking Counties I have never seen a hog or a hog track nor do I know anyone that has ever seen one.

I'm sure some exist in the wild but they are not widespread.

 

I have hunted se Ohio for 25 years.. Never seen one in Washington or Noble county. We do have pics of bobcats though...

Sent from my EVO using Tapatalk 2

 

Yeah, agree with everyone, and magis raises a good point. They want to keep them from establishing well and are getting the word out. Ohio has too many hunters and to many small properties for them to go unnoticed in an area for long.

In Texas they do so well because of all the space I think. I hunt the there every couple of years. The hunter per acre there is much lower than in Ohio.

Also wonder if the winter climate is a factor?

If you do see them, kill them and enjoy.

 

There are a few around but they are few and far between in most areas the ODNR says are over run with them.

 

My understanding (which is second hand in this instance) is that the wild hogs are a lot more gamey than farm raised pork. It was explained to me that there is a night and day difference between the meat due to a number of things. For instance they are more active, they have different diets so the flavor of their fat is different, and after all they are different animals.

Anyone on here who has taken one care to speak to that?

posted using Outdoor Hub Campfire

 

My understanding (which is second hand in this instance) is that the wild hogs are a lot more gamey than farm raised pork. It was explained to me that there is a night and day difference between the meat due to a number of things. For instance they are more active, they have different diets so the flavor of their fat is different, and after all they are different animals.

Anyone on here who has taken one care to speak to that?

posted using Outdoor Hub Campfire

I can only speak to Texas hogs. The adults are not very good to eat unless caught live and penned and feed for a period of time. You can make spicy sausage though.

I will also say that the adults are stinky, nasty and wormy certain times of the year. They also have a high rate of disease. I think trichinosis was the me, but someone might know better.

These were true razorbacks though. The hogs in Ohio tend to be more feral hog than wild boar. So they might be better. Now we did kill a few piglets one year and they were really good.

 

Almost all are feral, very few Razorbacks. Of the 10/12x's I've consumed hog it's best eaten as sausage or a roast that's been brined for 24 hrs.. A brine solution with a variety of spice's is best. Quite tasty!

Feral hogs are a tuffer animal than farm raised, less fat, different eatin habits & a much leaner meat. So as an end result, like with all game it's how one prepares the meat to make it palatable.

Nik,

 

I've only had wild pig once, and it was from a game farm here in Ohio. For the most part, any wild pigs in Ohio have come from game farms, though the one I tried may have been penned and fed for a while, I'm not sure. I just had some pork steak, but I thought it was very good. I had to cook it slower than domestic pork because it burnt easily, but other than that it tasted like regular pork. This was from a boar around 200 lbs. I was surprised it at how good it was.

 

Have seen the damage first hand if you see one blast it these things are so destructive they will destroy what is left of our fragmented forest Ohio does not need a hog problem it is bad eneough logging is out of control in this state just one more problem if you want to hog hunt go south these private hunting "preserves" could care less about the problem they just count money they dont see the big picture why would you want to hunt in a fenced in area, just has bad has the pay lakes, GREED GREED GREED That is all I have to say

 

I have to concur with most of you guys. Hunted in a lot of places in ohio for 15 years. Never, never saw a wild boar let alone saw a track. I know they are destructive and I know we don't need them screwing up our native habitat or wildlife. I would love to hunt them someday, but not at the expense of farmers income. I know if I ever do see one its bacon time.....


Posted using Outdoor Hub Campfire

 

I went to a seminar this fall and heard a great talk concerning ferrel hogs in Ohio. Go to the USDA website and look up a Craig Hicks, wildlife disease biologist with the U.S. Department of Agriculture, APHIS-Wildlife Services, he knows everything about ferrel hogs and where the populations and problems with them in Ohio currently are. He is the only one assigned to deal with the growing issue of ferrel hogs in Ohio. If you are having a hunting or sporting club meeting or function invited him to speak, he will come and give his presentation which is about an hour long. You can contact him at 866-4-USDA-WS.

 

i agree here, i hunt with a group of people in southwest ohio and i have never seen one or even seen damage that could have came from them. not saying there isnt any in OH but the numbers cant be too high

+2...agreed here also..Ive heard sooo much about these pigs in ohio and there exploding populations..been hunting SW ohio and SE ohio for 15 years and have yet to see ONE yet..i dont argue that they are in ohio, and MAY become a problem SOMEDAY..but there are definitely not significant numbers of them.

 

Ironman,
I've lived & worked in the vicinity of TRC & have never heard anything about any hogs killed there. Not saying it's impossible, but I do have contact with TRC personel who take care of those things & nothing. I do know though about the hunts down around Urbana ; a guy I work with owns one of the farms that they actually killed a few hogs on. They waited for a fresh snow , then drove out blocks of woods. He never did bring me in any sausage from one of those things !!

 

A Buddy saw a large hog 6-7 years ago and 3 years ago has a large hog on a trail camera and saw a smaller one during hunting season...no shot....in Champaign Co. His dad has one on trail camera from Jackson Co.

 

I hunt Galia Co. and while I have never seen one there have been over a dozen killed in the area I hunt. I did see a dead one in the creek but nothing alive. Last year one guy got a 650 lb. hog less than 300 yds from one of the stands I hunt. Last week the land owners son saw six one night from his deer stand. A couple years ago a couple of locals set up a pen trap and got four one night, but never caught another. I have seen their tracks and alot of crop damage. They are here and will be adding numbers fast, everyone I know that sees them kills them on sight even if they just leave then lay. "birds and worms gotta eat too" Clint Eastwood- Red Legs.

 

Got some in Vinton County in a few different areas. As Magis said, I sort of doubt the explosion. With the amount of hunting pressue, open season, cooler climate.... Could be wrong, and will eat crow (pig sounds better) if I am.

 

Let's hope they never establish a foothold here.

Lived in Houston for 6 yrs. Every hunter I ever met shot a hog to go with the deer to make sausage and that was the only time they ever shot one.

They eat more and out-compete deer for food sources, breed like rabbits, and carry a boatload of diseases.

 

I hunt Galia Co. and while I have never seen one there have been over a dozen killed in the area I hunt. I did see a dead one in the creek but nothing alive. Last year one guy got a 650 lb. hog less than 300 yds from one of the stands I hunt. Last week the land owners son saw six one night from his deer stand. A couple years ago a couple of locals set up a pen trap and got four one night, but never caught another. I have seen their tracks and alot of crop damage. They are here and will be adding numbers fast, everyone I know that sees them kills them on sight even if they just leave then lay. "birds and worms gotta eat too" Clint Eastwood- Red Legs.

I hunt Gallia Co aswell leupy. Like you I've not seen the first track or heard the first snort. My understanding is that in the south where these Sounders flourish you can't miss the damage. I say it's possible there are a few here and there. I accounted most of the claims of 'this person shot 1' or 'these people trapped 12' folklore however. I've heard the stories too. Never seen the first bit of evidence

posted using Outdoor Hub Campfire

 

Last year one guy got a 650 lb. hog less than 300 yds from one of the stands I hunt.

An animal like that came directly from some fenced operation. They should really be accountable for escapees via discreet ear tags or something like that.

 

Funny I am late to this thread, but until last Saturday I would have answered this as most here:

I've hunted SW OH, Central OH & SE OH for 22 seasons and never once seen a wild OH hog...never. And I have hunted some really large tracts of private woods in areas years ago before they were parceled out.

Last Saturday in notheast Pike county changed all that! My buddy bought 96 acres last year; it is in a very large undisturbed tract of timber (well over 500 acres of solid timber on his side alone that joins a lrager tract). His 96 acres is in the center - he has an easement to drive back to access his property...it is as remote as anywhere I have hunted in OH...completely off the grid.

I had never hunted there before and my buddy made no mention of hogs. He led me to stand on a saddle way before first light and continued on to his stand location. Before I could even see I heard "hog noises" (I know this sounds funny, but obviously a couple got too close to eachother or something - it was a short disturbance). I had honestly almost forgotten about it and at 10am I hear something coming through the woods down the ridge towards me. I am convinced it is deer or **** with the level of noise being made. I couldn't spot anything even when the noice level told me they were within sight. Finally, I spotted 2 hogs working over the oak flat behind me heading over the ridge!

Being like minded as most of you I still wasn't convinced they were "wild" hogs. I asked my buddy if there were any farms around when we met at the end of teh hunt...he just smiled and asked if I saw them. I said yes...there ain't a farm within miles of his land. He tells me I am the first to put eyes to them. Both he and his brother have heard them both last year and this year, but not seen any. They also run cams and do not have any cam pictures.

Am I to say they are certainly wild hogs.....I wouldn't bet my finger on it. But, this is a long, long way from any farming...nothing but timber around for miles too. Until we learn something to sway our opinion, I saw my first wild OH hog on Sat and they do live in at least very small #'s in Pike county.