Feral Hogs, Natural Predators and the nation wide threat and what can be done about it, wow look at Texas's problem.

  There are times when we are surprised by the activities that occur overnight in and around the areas we live. On November 10, 2017, in San Ramon California residents awoke to the sight of a roto-tilled yard and garden. What happened and who did it? There were no sounds of machinery running in the darkness, no voices, it was just as quiet as normal. San Ramon is located close to the foothills of the "Diablo Range" of mountains which form the western boundary of the large San Joaquin Valley the productive farming region. The Diablo range is waterless mostly, I'm sure there is water up there someplace, there are no natural flowing rivers or streams on its eastern slope. For more information on the Diablo Range follow this link. There must be springs and some other water sources to support the various species of wildlife that inhabit those hills and valleys. It's hot, dry, and vacant, there are very few houses along the I-5 corridor on the eastern side of the mountains, it is mostly grazing land. The gigantic San Luis Reservoir is about 100 miles south of San Francisco, it too is a sparsely populated area. Offering an abundance of open space with plenty of food there exist a vibrant population of wild animals, explaining what is digging up the terrain of San Ramon. The lawns are being destroyed due to animals digging up grubs and other insects from the soil. The culprit is the dreaded "Wild Hog", they have plagued California for many decades. The landscaping is an "attractive nuisance", which means it is beautiful, green, lush and wet, it's a great place for a feast, and once an area like that is discovered the pigs will be there for good. But is it only California?

Actual picture of Wild Hog damage, it's severe.

  Feral pigs are found in the Southern Prairies of Canada, as well as all of the United States south of 36 degrees N. The mountains of California is the beginning of their range, crossing the mountains and continues eastward. Texas, Louisiana, and across to include the entire Florida peninsula. Stretching north from Florida including all of the forest and swamps of the Southeast and Eastern seaboard. Following the Appalachian Mountains into the Northern extremities of New York State, their presence is increasing in the border states of New York, West Virginia and Kentucky. They occupy a huge portion of our country, they are also widespread throughout Europe, Asia, and South America. Texas is reported to have an estimated 2-1/2 million wild hogs, living and thriving in all but one of the 254 counties.
  Hawaii has a feral hog problem as well, they are an invasive species, having been introduced to the islands soon after Captain Cook landed there, and was first "discovered" by Europeans in 1778. (He met his demise there as well). Pigs travel well on sailing ships, large, heavy, and meaty they take up less space than the larger cattle, and they are prolific regenerating every 6 months. There was an acceptable practice of letting domesticated pigs "free range", then hunting them when needed, they took care of themselves. Boy howdy do they ever, eating endangered birds and plants becoming a terrible nuisance, to say the least.
  In 1990 there were an estimated 2 million hogs in twenty states increasing to 6 million (estimated) 25 years later with a range that includes 38 states and increasing. The hogs have been expanding their range into Oregon, Ohio, New Hampshire and Pennsylvania. To compound the problem Russian boar's were introduced (for hunters) and kept in captivity, for a while, animals escape, these cross-bred with the formally domestic pigs in North America. Is there a remedy for all of this? The short answer is not really.

The habitat of Wild Hogs in the U.S. This map was drawn in
2010.

  There are natural predators of the beast, Bobcats, and Coyotes, occasionally take a piglet or weak adults, full grown healthy wild hogs grow to about three times the weight of a Coyote. In Florida the native Panther is their prominent predator, the feral pig is a major part of their diet. Large predators that are capable of taking down a full grown animal do exist and include, Gray Wolves, Cougars (Mountain Lions), Jaguar's, Red Wolves, Black Bears and the very dangerous Grizzly Bear. At one time the Grizzly Bear was the top predator in the west however it is now extinct in all of the states with major hog problems, Texas, Arizona, California and New Mexico have all eradicated the big predator. Wolf populations are small and expected to remain at that level until their slow reproduction rate re-populates the states they have been introduced to. Only one has been reported in California, I think there are more. In the 1980's while backpacking in the Sierra Nevada's south of Yosemite and North of the Sequoia National forest a friend and I saw one. A large defiant beautiful animal, it was not a Coyote, I know what a wolf looks like, we don't know what is up in those mountains, the "experts" especially do not know either. The Mountain Lion is present in large numbers in the west, extending to Minnesota's eastern border, there is none further east. (This Link list all of the natural predators of feral pigs.)
  Hunting works, trapping, shooting and snaring with no limit restrictions, in Texas, for example, the eradication of the hogs have fueled many small businesses. In Wisconsin, they are considered unprotected species, year-round hunting with no limits, or closed season. Hunting with dogs is also permitted, in order to control the population 66% of them must be taken every year, that's just to keep the population stable. The Federal Government spends $20 million annually for feral hog management.
  The use of rat poison is used as well in Texas, legalized in February of 2017 the pesticide "Kaput Feral Hog Lure", is bait laced with warfarin (used to kill rats and rodents). There are an estimated 2-1/2 million feral hogs in that state causing $50 million in damage yearly. Personally, I do not support the use of rat poison, due to the "collateral" damage in the form of killing other animals that will feed on the poisoned carcasses. I am not familiar with that pesticide, it is possible it is harmless to other species.

Hogzilla, enough said.

  Back to San Ramon, what's a guy to do? Hand-wringing and worry will have to do, for now, they are very dangerous animals. There are in the Diablo Range natural predators, one, in particular, is the Mountain Lion, there are many in the state. What we have is a population of hogs descending from the foothills and mountains to the lush valley, followed by the Cougars which are spotted in neighborhoods, parks and golf courses. Panic ensues, the cats have been seen throughout the entire state, last month one was captured in Golden Gate Park, people fear them. They are driven out of populated areas, Cougars will leave, they don't like us any more than we like them, but they could help in desolated areas. They (the hogs) can be hunted but only in designated areas of the mountains, however, professional hunters are able to obtain a "special permit" to hunt them in cities. They are attracted to the abundance of food and water that is available on golf courses, lawns, and parks, it is a major problem with no consensus on the remedy. San Ramon is not isolated with this issue, many bay area cities share the grief with limited solutions, I cannot imagine what would happen if a hog was to be shot by a hunter in one of the upscale neighborhoods in the bay area. It would be nice to control them naturally with Mountain Lions, however, the big predator also preys on pets, livestock and yes people. 66% of the population of feral pigs would have to be eliminated annually, I don't see that happening anytime soon. I don't suspect Grizzly Bears will be introduced to the bay area in at least my lifetime, most likely never.

There's a Grizzly Bear now. 

Poisoning may work if one can be developed that won't endanger the other wildlife, the California Condor is just now making a healthy come back after 30 years effort, we don't want to start all over with that. Trapping is the only solution left, how many traps would it take, then what relocation or eradication? It's a huge problem not only in the bay area of San Francisco but in the entire country. So that's where I will leave it,
  Thank you for reading and sharing, I'd like to hear your comments and experiences in dealing with the Wild Hogs, don't forget they are terribly dangerous animals. Check out my new video, it has nothing to do with wild hogs, it deals with another passion of mine, Worm Farming click this link to go there.
jacquesandkate  emergencykitsplus.com