Feral pigs in Washington State

Our Dept. of F&W has just announced the are going to do an aerial (helicopter) feral pig elimination at the end of this month in the desert marshes of Central Washington. Somehow I don't think that will work (LOL). Those marshes out in the flooded sand dunes behind Potholes Res. are choked with Russian olive thorn trees, tules, and sawgrass. Since I do a lot of fishing and coyote hunting in the desert and marshes just south of there, I may have to rethink what I have been shooting the last couple decades. My trusty 204 may be set aside for something with more "authority". I can just envision a 400+ yard shot at a pig across basalt coulee with a marsh in the middle.
I can see feral hogs doing well out there. Our winters are just too harsh west of the Cascades for hogs to do well. Feral hogs can handle a Russian winter but our incessant 33 degree rains are a different challenge.

They can go ahead and move east a couple hundred miles. I like pork and the F&G have more or less destroyed any chanced of successful deer and elk hunting here.

They can go ahead and move east a couple hundred miles. I like pork and the F&G have more or less destroyed any chanced of successful deer and elk hunting here.

Any talk of letting us help eliminate a few? I would relish the challenge of hog hunting in my back yard.

The state probably got a grant from the Feds to do it so they don't want us civilians (peasants) doing it for free. You know the saying about volunteers - One good volunteer replaces 2-1/2 bureaucrats, one that says he is doing the job, one that says he is supervising, and half the bureaucrat that writes all the grant requests.
I have faith the pigs will soon be the full length of Crab Creek and up into the Coffeepot Lake area.
Late add - Looks like the Feds are doing it (Dept of Agriculture) and the state is only closing access to the area while it is going on.

I believe we can hunt them any time of the year with no bag limit.

They got to do something with those 4.4 billion rounds of ammo they are storing up.

Most folks simply don't have a clue at how much damage a bunch of hogs can do. If their numbers aren't kept in check, they'll destroy the very stuff they feed on over time! And with it, all the other animals that depend on it for their lives. But they do it whether most folks understand it or not. Reality has never depended on folks' understanding it for its existence, and never will. Where pigs run wild and overpopulate, and aren't kept in check, they'll wind up committing suicide if they can't move on to "greener pastures" to mess up, and they'll take just about every other critter and creature with them if they can't be checked. That's not a "sporting" proposition, to keep them in check, it's really "self-defense." Hope they do a really good job and aren't stopped too soon by the tree huggers, and their "delicate sensibilities" that are SO horribly wrong.

oh, yeah. a field rooted up by hogs literally looks like a bombing range, and trying to walk though one is a good way to break your ankle!

There is a solution:

Open Season 24/7/365
No Hunting License Required
No Limit
Any US Citizen allowed to hunt no out of state hunting license required.

Will not eradicate them, but numbers will be controlled.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Mica_Hiebert

They can go ahead and move east a couple hundred miles. I like pork and the F&G have more or less destroyed any chanced of successful deer and elk hunting here.

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I lived on the Wa Coast for 38 years, born and raised there. Sadly i seen that country go to hell in a hand basket over those years. I moved to Idaho about 6 years ago, i dont miss what that place became a single bit!!! I do miss the old days growing up over there when fish and game were plentiful. I actually HATE crossing the Idaho/Washington border going in to Wa anymore, i don't hate the state, its a beautiful state, i just despise the way its ran, from the Game Dept to the Law enforcement that haggle you to death over a seatbelt, like vultures! They can have it

Quote:

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Originally Posted by MUSTANG

There is a solution:

Open Season 24/7/365
No Hunting License Required
No Limit
Any US Citizen allowed to hunt no out of state hunting license required.

Will not eradicate them, but numbers will be controlled.

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Even then I would doubt you would control the numbers. A lot of states have an open season with no limits and are still having trouble. As far as no hunting license required, a non big game license is a small part of the price of an out of state hunt. Then you run into the whole private property issue which is a huge part of the problem. I shoot every hog I can on our proprry, but can do a thing when they cross the fence.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by MUSTANG

There is a solution:

Open Season 24/7/365
No Hunting License Required
No Limit
Any US Citizen allowed to hunt no out of state hunting license required.

Will not eradicate them, but numbers will be controlled.

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I think you need a hunting license, but you can kill all you want, any time. They are not game animals, so you don't need tags and there is no closed season. Looks like I need to take a drive West.

I happen to know that the 6.5 Creedmoor is wonderful at killing hogs.

Since Washington State has joined places like California in welcoming refugees...maybe there could be a massive hunt by Illegals and refugees to teach the middle eastern visitors how to kill and eat pork...turn them loose with an exploding vest and let them wander into the middle of a herd of feral pigs and pull the zip string...pork for everyone and one less "visitor".
Sorry..just cranky this morning

I don't know much about the feral hog population but what I don't understand is why the landowners who have the problem won't allow hunters on their land without paying a fee? Not trusting the "average hunter/riflemen" just doesn't cut it with me, as you put money in their hands and they will trust your competency with a firearm.

Unless you're a paying customer (them or an outfitter), have family with land, you're basically SOL when it comes time to hunt unless you have State or Federal land to hunt on - doesn't really matter the species. In small rural like areas, if you were born there or have lived there a few years you develop relationships with landowners, but for the rest - well, it's getting to be a dying activity and the State's licensing fees are showing that as well - BUT, the State just raises the license fees and all is well I guess.

Feral hogs in California used to be a problem. You didn't need a tag and there was no limit. The F&G saw an opening and a way to gain money so they started making us pay cash for tags. Then the people that live in the big city that like to hunt but have nowhere to hunt are willing to pay to hunt so the ranchers that at first just wanted all the damn pigs killed started charging ! Then outfitters came into the picture. The F&G and the government of this state has reduced the deer population to almost nothing which equals less interest in deer so lots of hunters have gone to predator hunting! Now the state sees this increase and decrease so they are pondering tags for coyotes!!!!!!! It's way past time to get the hell out of this so called state but as written above I remember seeing 1000's of pheasants and lots of deer and its sad to see what man can do to a good thing. But money talks