Aldeer.com Forums Alabama Deer Talk AL HOGS Hog population data

LOL, I knew I would get you on that one. We are cool.

OK, I will play.....here are my estimates.

50,750 Square miles in Alabama - Land
5% High population percentage per square mile - 2%
10% Medium population percentage per square mile
85% Low population percentage per square mile
100 Estimated pigs per square mile High - 75
50 Estimated pigs per square mile Medium - 20
5 Estimated pigs per square mile Low - 2
723,188 Estimated population within Alabama - 263,900

Just as good as anyone else's guess.

I do think the hunter survey is pretty accurate. At least within 3 or 4 percent.

If it is close, then your guess would mean that sport hunting killed about 45% of the total hogs in Alabama during the 14-15 hunting season. I don't think anyone in the world believes that hunters take out that many. The most conservative of estimates place sport hunters in the 20-25 percent range. Making the population in the 450,000 to 550,000 range.

Depends on what you call 'Sport Hunters'.

I can tell you that most all of the DCNR personnel that I have personally talked to were grossly underestimating the number of hogs taken by dog hunters.

What was their estimate on the number of hogs killed by dog hunters?

From the conversations I have had with them......I think that they thought that they killed Zero and only moved them around in trucks.

However, the arrest records AND the experience since the Law changes, along with numerous people supplying them with real numbers of caught/killed hogs has hopefully changed their mind.

But, there will always be the desire to have a scapegoat to 'blame'. The reality is, the influx of Eurasian blood and the change in land use patterns (i.e. Recreational properties managed for wildlife and restricted access) are the two biggest reasons for the growth in hog populations. At lest, that is my opinion based on my personal experiences over the past 30+ years of being actively involved with hunting them.

Just google Feral Hog Distribution and select images.


When you compare the 1988 and the 2014 maps, it makes your theory practically impossible. I am not trying to pick a fight. Just stating the obvious.

Hogs inhabited the same areas for almost 600 years and then in just the past 25+ years expanded their territory at unbelievable rates. In many cases jumped hundreds of miles at a time. I don't think that had anything to do with blood lines or timber practices. It had to do with pickup trucks giving them rides.

I have picked up jobs in many areas of Alabama and ALMOST everywhere I go the local folks can tell me who the guilty party was that brought in the pigs to that area.

So, we will just have to agree to disagree on that part. LOL

Question for you ElkHunter.

If you were getting paid to trap hogs strictly on a per head basis ( let's say $20 per head), what percentage of land in Alabama would you be willing to trap on given the opportunity?

Just some food for thought but....
in many areas hogs were introduced by pickup truck...no doubt about that! In Danny's area it was done to increase places to hunt hogs with dogs since the hogs were actually restricted to about 4-5 properties along the rivers where access was very restricted if done legally...Now some years later and in a large number of instances they were placed on a property and the hog supplier had been contracted and paid to do so by the landowner and/or outfitter (in most cases a well to do landowner).
Today there is no longer a need to help stock hogs anywhere...with the introduction of the dominant, Eurasian bloodlines pigs can now FLY!!! LOL

I rarely have a landowner pay me by the pig to trap. Two landowners in four years have done so. The vast majority purchase the traps and run them themselves. I simply provide customer service and give advice on how to make their trapping program successful.

Where are ya'll getting this Eurasian issue? I don't see anything but domestic pigs gone wild.

The question was hypothetical ElkHunter. I want to know what percentage of acreage in Alabama has, in your opinion, a hog population high enough to make trapping profitable or worthwhile to you given a rate of $20 per head per trapped hog. No travel fees or hourly fees or feed fees, just $20 per trapped hog.

Most of the guys who hunt hogs with dogs understand that there are a lot of areas that have hogs with Eurasian blood. They can be identified by looks, traits, and actions. Ask around. You can find out pretty quickly where these type hogs can be found.

You can't make it profitable and effective at $20 per hog unless you are trapping with crappy traps in your own back yard and cheating on your taxes.

I would have thought it would have taken a blood test to determine bloodlines.

More food for thought!

Please understand I am not trying to be a jerk here.

This is the part that really confuses me. You are openly admitting that hogs were moved simply for the sport of hog dogging. There is not doubt that is true. Obviously these hogs did NOT stay on those properties and spread to surrounding properties causing lots of damage.

Should the people that moved these hogs be responsible for the damage?

I am always shocked when I hear a hog dogger complain about access when they are admittedly to blame for the problem.

Your statements on this subject alone is more than enough to prove that you are FAR from the Hog Expert that you proclaim to be.

I think you missed a huge part of Jayhooks post and simply read what you wanted to. The 'blame' is shared between landowner's, outfitters, trappers AND recreational hunters.
Do you feel that YOU people who make money off of those people are the only ones who should be allowed to hunt?

Please enlighten me on how you have determined that ole great one!

Determined what?
You are the one with all the answers........and, wanting to argue.....

No I do not think we should be the only ones allowed to hunt.

Do you think a landowner/farmer has the right to refuse access to anyone he or she doesn't want on their property?

If I were a farmer without a hog on my place and some jackass released hogs in the area just so he could chase them with his dogs, I would not be polite a DAMN bit if said idiot had the courage and stupidity to ask me if he could hunt my property.