There is one concept that I have heard over and over at every feral hog workshop I attend. And it is, "You have to kill 70-80% of the population on your property just to maintain the current population."

For the life of me I just can't make that work. I don't see how it is possible.

Here are some reported estimates.
Hog population in Alabama is estimated at 300,000
The Hunter Survey reports that the following have been killed over the past 5 years.

2011-2012 81,500 killed
2012-2013 151,500 killed
2013-2014 122,699 killed
2014-2015 109,794 killed
2015-2016 208,200 killed


I do not think we have killed anywhere near 70-80% of the population in any year. If that is true, how has the population not exploded over 300,000?

I have no doubt there are a lot of pigs killed in Bama each year. I would estimate that the actual percentage killed was closer to 25% than 80%.

I found an article written back in 2014 that estimated the population around 300,000.

I heard the same estimate last year at the pig conference.

If we are only killing 40% as indicated by the 2014 hunter survey, the population should have exploded to near 1 million by now. Yet, I don't think it has or is. Something else is at play here and I can't figure it out.

Opinions are welcome!