[Rhodes22-list] Rick's Hogs

[Tootle]

Rick said, "Garden fast until the ground hogs arrive.  They are over, under,
through--doesn't matter."  Me thinks you are talking about critters not
local to this area.  Ground hogs or wood chucks that dig tunnels and
resemble fat prairie dogs are not local down here. 
 
We do have feral hogs.  Hogs whose ancestors were farm pigs.  These feral
hogs have breed with real European and Russian wild hogs that were imported
for hunting preserves.  In football season look at the Arkansas razorback
pictures.  I have seen some that look like that rather than just pigs.

Now would they get to Captain Rummy’s house?  Actually, they might.  I have
seen them in the wild in the mountains about 30/40 miles north of Rummy’s
estate.  And the wildlife people are concerned with the spread of lower
Savannah River feral hogs north. Rummy's house is right in the middle of
these two populations of feral hogs.  
 
The thing to remember is that they are not domestic pigs.  The boars will
attack humans.  And because of the cross breeding the boars can be very big. 
I have seen some in the 200 to 300 pound range.  When I hike in the
Chattooga River basin I now carry a 357.  I have gotten to old to climb a
tree fast and often times have others with me.  A 22 or other small caliber
pistol would not stop these guys.

In the forest you can tell when they have been around.  The ground looks
like it has been 'roto' tilled.  The tearing up of the ground is what really
concerns the wildlife people.  They are not as concerned with the hogs
chasing people off the hiking trails.

See this webs site, page down till third article about ‘hogs’:
http://www.dnr.sc.gov/managed/wild/jocassee/newsletters/jocvol7no2.pdf

Ed K
Greenville, SC, USA



-- 
View this message in context: http://www.nabble.com/Rick%27s-Hogs-tp18650143p18650143.html
Sent from the Rhodes 22 mailing list archive at Nabble.com.