Hogs Gone Wild: Hunting and Bloodsports Are Not the Answer

Wild pigs are wreaking havoc across the country. These are not domestic pigs that broke free from a factory farm like asylum escapees; these are pigs that were introduced from Europe (and, later, interbred with their domestic cousins) for the sole purpose of hunting. Pigs tend to be rather prolific and, as their population has grown, so has the damage they can cause. They decimate the landscape, fearlessly harass people and pets, and spread disease to domestic farm animals.

This growing problem has state governments and various environmental groups worried. And with good reason -- there are no effective means of controlling the wild pig population or stopping them from doing damage. It's currently legal to hunt them in half a dozen states, and many others are considering (or being lobbied to consider) whether to legalize it, even though hunting hasn't been proven as a better means of control than anything else.

The last thing we need is one more reason for people to go tramping through the woods to kill animals, especially since hunting may not be any better than other known methods of wild pig damage control. Pigs are intelligent animals and, once the hunt is on, they'll hide or move, quickly outsmarting the hunters. A number of sources cite aerial hunting and snares as the most effective means of hunting wild pigs, which throws animal ethics and the hope for humane practices out the window.

The third option that's often discussed is using dogs in the hunt. When this comes up, the line starts to blur between whether it's a method or a sport. Setting dogs against hogs is another bloodsport that stays just under the radar. Hog dogging or hog baiting is a rural past time -- still legal in most states -- where a dog (usually a trained pit bull) is let loose in a pen with a feral pig while people stand around and watch them fight. This isn't set up because it's an imbalanced match. Wild pigs can be very dangerous and injure or kill the dogs. Oftentimes the tusks are clipped before the hogs are set loose in the pen, but in the wild, those tusks are lethal. Advocating for hunting wild pigs with dogs is as inhumane for the pigs as aerial hunting or snares and, for the dogs, is as cruel as promoting dog fighting.

Bloodsports should never be a means of wildlife management (or anything else, for that matter). Hunting shouldn't be the default solution either. Even with species where it's considered more effective, it's only a band-aid until the population cycles back up again. We need more sustainable, humane solutions to the wildlife problems we've created.

Photo credit: Makro_Freak