Wild Pigs Love My Fence (or not)

merlin44
merlin44 Posts: 426 ✭✭✭✭

Anybody dealing with wild pigs? Seems my goat fence is in their chosen path coming up the mountain-repairing the fence for the 3rd time this summer. I've heard their hearing is above par, wondering what their eyesight's like? Any ideas?

Comments

  • Well from what I understand their sight is better than domestic pigs. They can even manage to get through cattle panels but not as easily. I'm thinking sausage or BBQ lol. They multiply so rapidly and cause a lot of crop and pasture destruction.

  • blevinandwomba
    blevinandwomba Posts: 813 ✭✭✭✭

    Curious, are you talking about feral pigs or some kind of peccary?

  • merlin44
    merlin44 Posts: 426 ✭✭✭✭

    @blevinandwomba feral pigs, they've been becoming more plentiful the last few years in my area.

  • pamelamackenzie
    pamelamackenzie Posts: 143 ✭✭✭

    Maybe check around and see if there is someone who can try to corral trap them. They can be harvested and meat donated to charity.

  • shllnzl
    shllnzl Posts: 1,820 ✭✭✭✭✭

    I just read an article on Foxnews.com about feral pigs about to enter Montana from Canada:

    “Multiple people say that if we were to design an invasive species that would do the most widespread damage, feral swine aren’t too far off from being the perfect specimen,” Dale Nolte, of the U.S. Department of Agriculture's National Feral Swine Program, told the Daily Inter Lake. “It would be a disaster.”

    The pigs were described as "rototillers" — they root for food and wallow in farms, fields and forests, leaving terrain unrecognizable. Tahnee Szymanski, of the Montana Department of Livestock, told the publication the feral hogs "can decimate the rangeland by tearing up everything."

    The pigs might also spread diseases impacting livestock and other animals. (End quote.)

    Maybe the USDA National Feral Swine Program has information that you can use. Good luck.

  • dimck421
    dimck421 Posts: 203 ✭✭✭

    I hoped this area was void of wild pigs, as they are so destructive. But, nope. I looked out the window and saw about the ugliest "dawg" I ever spotted. A closer gander revealed it was a wild pig, not a dog at all. I implemented my standard means of pest control and went screaming and shouting like a crazed individual. Needless to say, it went running and squalling, but I have my doubts that it went far or that it will stay away. Worst yet, I am guessing where there is one there is more.

  • merlin44
    merlin44 Posts: 426 ✭✭✭✭
    edited September 2019

    @dimck421 I have used that "standard means of pest control" a few times myself. Found it particularly effective with raccoons, they seem to understand the crazy woman throwing rocks (I'm in Arkansas, a rock is always available) is requesting they vacate the property (at least for the afternoon). The pigs, when seen, are trudging through the woods, I quietly back away-they scare me. My faithful farm dog fearlessly takes over and chases them away. Unfortunately, they return and you're correct, there are more.

  • smockv
    smockv Posts: 44 ✭✭✭

    I just moved to Ohio, I am not sure if we have feral swine around here; but I am now going to find out...

  • dimck421
    dimck421 Posts: 203 ✭✭✭

    @merlin44 The creature I saw was still quite young. Had it been one of the full-sized adult monsters, I feel certain my "crazy woman pest control" would have been an epic fail, and I'd have been ailing. I live in the foothills of Appalachia. We , too, have a good plenty rocks available to hurl at offenders. lol Most of the time, though, my crazy is substantial enough to correct curious greedy critters, convincing them, it is wise never to tread again on the forbidden grounds. :) That said, there is a family of three bears. Yup, they can go any ol place they want. I will keep my crazy away from them.

  • r.lewmir
    r.lewmir Posts: 9 ✭✭✭

    Well, I certainly deal with wild pigs/boars & almost on a daily basis. A double chain link fence separates the bike path & forest that border my property. At the end is a big pond. The boars gain access by digging under both fences with their snouts & hooves, or by swimming across the pond (or walking in winter). They dug up 3/4 of my yard, garden & walkway. Multiple fence repair jobs, new sod layers, & new flower plants later, I gave up. Now usually a pair of scouts visit practically every night & sniff around & test the grub & root entrees. They return once a yr for a yard feast & overnight tear up most of the yard. The adults can't help their hideous looks but the babies, like all babies are cute. Though I rarely see any of them in my yard, I find their hoof prints & poo in the morning. In China they eat dogs, Boars are more intelligent than dogs. Smoked ham is a favorite of people in the west. Eventually, very green grass grows over the ruts in the naturally well-fertilized ground. Some boars may carry disease. To some extent, people do to. "My" boars don't bother my rose bushes or my lavender, so I plant as many of those as I can afford among my fruit trees & that is my yard landscaping. We co-exist & that's all I can do.😐️

  • shllnzl
    shllnzl Posts: 1,820 ✭✭✭✭✭

    @r.lewmir And my husband complains about the chipmunks tunneling under our landscaping. I admire your ability to co-exist with nature. Maybe some rock landscaping is in order.

  • r.lewmir
    r.lewmir Posts: 9 ✭✭✭

    shllnzl

    The previous owners left an approx. 6 ft long, knee-high stone wall which is a neat feature but the approx. 6 in long lizards that sun on it creep me out. Your suggested rock landscaping, though, gave me the idea of a walkway made of stone pavers. If wide enough it might deter the rutting of the pigs. I also "decorated" with tree stumps I dug out last yr. Boars are highly evolved & have an extraordinary sense of smell, very good hearing & decent eyesight which is partly in color. They prefer to skittishly flee rather than charge though they are very protective of their young. They are used to sniff out drugs in Germany, & I've heard of a case where they made a very loyal pet. But the herds which include adults & young that can be seen crossing the dirt roads around here has caused the local forest ranger to be pro-culling.

  • shllnzl
    shllnzl Posts: 1,820 ✭✭✭✭✭

    @r.lewmir I love the lizards in my yard. I'm afraid the roadrunners do too; I keep hoping they only eat bugs while they visit.