TOPIC: Wild hogs and ginseng

Like bellco ky, I truly don't believe that Wild Hogs specifically seek out Ginseng to eat, that they just happen upon it during their rooting and feeding travels. It is quite possible that they have acquired a taste for young Ginseng plants and roots but the older plants and roots (old 3 and 4 prongs) are not as patible to them as the young ones. If this is the case, then the destruction of some of the older plants and roots is just collateral damage in their attempts to get the young ones. In any case, it would behove folks that grow or steward Ginseng to take steps to limit this damage! In Tennessee, Wild and Feral Hogs have been designated as an invasive and destructive species. As long as there is a Deer or Bear Season in which requires Bow or Gun to be used, there is no limit on how many Wild or Feral Hogs that a hunter can take. On private land, the owner has to fill out a form and designate every person that is allowed to hunt and exterminate Wild or Feral Hogs on their' property but while in the National Forest, they only require that a Big Game Season be in play when a hog is taken.


Frank

I wouldn't say that hogs \"seek\" out seng to eat per say but, what I've had problems with is hogs rooting up seng growing beside rotten logs for grubs and they gobble up the seng as a bonus. I've NEVER found hog damage to seng in rocky ground until AFTER I go through and dig a few roots and then the hogs smell the freshly turned earth and go to investigate. I also found a patch of sang where there wasn't a leaf left on the ground, simply bare dirt because the hogs had ate everything there was trying to get all the acorns. Now, these plants will come back because they just \"topped\" them but, in the more moist areas at they do this to I'm sure they get the roots as well. They do a TON of damage to the land.

Skunks are a pain in the butt too. I planted a bunch of seng roots this year and the skunks came in smelling the fresh dirt and dug almost all of them up. I put wire over the roots and cinder block on that but, the hogs then came through and knocked the block off and dug around under the wire.

My solution next year is going to be, get my roots, plant them, lay galvinized chain link over them and drive rebar stakes down to hold the chain link down. I'll also put out all my live traps and pop the skunks. I believe that this will also deter SOME poachers because once the seng is old enough to harvest tree roots and stuff should have mingled into the chain link and should REALLY hold it down. Unless the poacher comes with bolt cutters or the chain link REALLY rusts, they'll have a hard time digging up roots through chain link.

A possible solution to Wild Hogs being attracted to the scent of freshly turned ground either from planting or digging Ginseng, is to carry a bottle of Pine Sol with you. Spray the Pine Sol around the perimeter or periphery of Ginseng beds and patches, especially after digging or planting some Ginseng. Just don't spray the Pine Sol on the Ginseng plants or near them. Most animals cannot stand the strong smell of Pine Sol and when they get near the smell, they will turn around or detour around the smell. We have long used it here to keep Raccoons, O'Possums, Bear and other critters away from trash and trash cans and I believe that it would work for keeping Wild Hogs, Deer, Rabbits and many other critters away from Ginseng beds and patches. A person might even experiment with adding some other substances as a deterrent but just make sure that Pine Sol is the main ingredient. If you do such, just be careful as to what you add as some compounds and/or chemicals do not react well with others and some could also do more harm than good.


Frank

With the Wild and Ferrel hog population exploding faster than they can track it, I hope they consider putting a bounty on them some day real soon. They are doing billions of dollars of damage to crops and who knows the extent to wild plants.

They should let you hunt them and keep them for the meat as they already do. But wouldn't it be a great way for hunters as well as folks wanting to make a little extra money if there was a bounty on them.

If they do not do something soon it will be even more out of control than it is already.

Not sure where the funds would come from to pay a bounty on them. But if they are doing billions of dollars of damage to crops perhaps someone could figure out how to fund this idea.

Thoughts anyone?
Latt

I can't speak for all states, but for Arkansas there is no bounty because of a fear within the state wildlife agency that a bounty would encourage people to turn hogs loose so that once they go wild (1-2 generations) they could collect the bounty. There was a feral hog hunting contest done in the state, that was pretty successful (50 dead hogs over 3 counties). However, when the state game and fish agency heard about prize money being paid out they squashed it pretty quickly.

Feral hogs are a problem in \"the razorback state\", but because they are so easy to release and reintroduce, any type of bounty probably will never happen. At least here. We need better methods and almost no restrictions on how to kill them. I personally believe that the best way to get rid of feral hogs is to put extremely harsh penalties on people that release them. Large fines AND years in prison. The fine for littering in most places is $500.00. Releasing hogs that destroy crops, spread disease to livestock, compete with wildlife, and destroy native plant communities (ginseng), and endanger the lives of people should be so much more. I.M.H.O.

-Mills

maybe one way ,would be to take a lil money,or as for donation from license buyers or take a few doilars from every tag and licenses they sale;)

Tennessee has enacted some of the strictest Laws, regulations and rules in the country concerning Wild and Feral Hogs. These were enacted in 2011 with revisions every year since mainly by the State Veterinarian, so it is hard to say how effective these have been so far as I have not seen any reports issued. Click on the link below, let the .pdf file load then go to page 31 of the Tennessee Hunting & Trapping 2013 Guide for info on Wild and Feral Hogs. Below that is the 2013 Revised Transport Order for Wild Hogs in Tennessee issued by the State Veterinarian.

www.eregulations.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/07/13TNHD_LR.pdf

news.tn.gov/node/10976

It is doubtful that we will ever see a bounty placed on Wild or Feral Hogs themselves, like the bounties placed on Coyotes by the West Virginia Sheep Breeders Association back in the 1980's to mid or late 1990's. However, it is possible! It really depends upon the effectiveness or ineffectiveness of the fairly new State Laws, regulations and rules as to what might happen. I do believe that in Tennessee, they may eventually show some positive results but I believe that the State will eventually need to enact special Wild & Feral Hog Erradiction/Hunting seasons to really make a dent in their populations and that some areas that are not normally opened to hunting, will have to opened up to ensure that Wild and Feral Hogs in these areas are dealt with.


Frank

big boar from a spot a sang hunt some

Congrats on a nice Wild Boar! It looks like it may have gone 200 to 250 on the hoof. Was it a Russian and European Crossbreed with maybe a little Domesticated Hog mixed in?


Frank

frank he wieghed 278 at the slaughter house where i took him that was after field dressing. i have killed a few but this one the biggest. they are some lodges around here that hunt them and some folks around think he was an escapee from one of them. not sure about the bloodline but definately some russian in it. this guy was waitin on me at my stand about an hour before daylight. i walked right into him with in ten yards. talk about hair standing up on your neck i was tore up. my first instinct was not to kill him i just wanted him to run off like i said it was still very dark. as i started to step back some he starrted walking closer as if he wanted to check me out. then i feared an attack coming on so i just raised my gun to my hip or sorta just pointed it towards him and fired he let out a noise i will never forget and flopped around some bushes. i then climbed in my stand just twenty yards away and just set there til daylight. turns out i got him but man was it an expierience i will never forget.