Hunting Feral Pigs In West Virginia
BY Herschel Smith
4 years ago
West Virginia’s wild boar firearms season, which is open to state residents only, will be open Oct. 24-31., announced the West Virginia Division of Natural Resources.
The season will also include a second segment from Feb. 5-7, 2021. Boar hunting is currently not permitted for nonresident hunters and is restricted to Boone, Logan, Raleigh and Wyoming counties, according to the WVDNR.
“Wild boars depend on available hard mast, and while hickory and beech production are down for 2020 in the four wild boar counties, acorn production is up,” said Nick Huffman, DNR wildlife biologist. “Boars will utilize this food source and will be scattered due to abundant acorn crops, which means hunters will need to cover more terrain to find feeding areas.”
The DNR announced that in order to hunt wild boar, hunters must possess either a Class X, XJ, XS, AB-L or A-L license or be exempt from purchasing a license. They may also hunt boar with a Class A, AH or AHJ license if they purchase a conservation stamp and resident big game stamp.
The environmental destruction caused by this invasive species (or combined with an escaped farm population) is extreme. There is no more destructive wild animal in America than feral pigs.
It isn’t just the deer hunters wanting to keep pressure off of the herd. You know why the government of West Virginia doesn’t want to decimate the feral pig population?
Because they make money off of it.
This will be fine until some little child gets gored by tusks, or crops get decimated instead of the wild pig population. Then they’ll write stories about the out-of-control pig population in local newspapers and lament how there’s nothing that can be done to control it.
Then hunting guide companies will spring up out of nowhere to guide out-of-state hunters who want to kill feral pigs. Just like in Texas, where they have chosen not to eradicate the population.
On October 18, 2020 at 10:01 pm, Frank Clarke said:
Florida: No bag limit; no closed season.
Kill ’em all; let the butcher sort it out.
On October 19, 2020 at 7:35 am, Bob in NC said:
“There is no more destructive wild animal in America than feral pigs.’
Except for feral Democrats…
On October 19, 2020 at 9:05 am, John said:
I read up un the Texas feral pig problem. The politicians brag that they opened the State
to unlimited hunting. They don’t say it’s on only 7% of the State’s entire area.
Almost all of Texas land is privately owned. Until the entire place is opened to hunters
without high fees and tangled restrictions it’s a joke to think that it will help.
On October 19, 2020 at 9:57 am, Ivan Brooks said:
@John. Exactly right. Ten years ago, I heard farmers begging for people to come clear out the wild hogs. Then a few fools came forward willing to pay hundred and thousands of dollars for the privilege, and everything changed.
On October 19, 2020 at 3:30 pm, Levi Garrett said:
@ Frank Clarke,
You are correct that in Florida, there are virtually no restriction on hogs, ON PRIVATE LAND. Public wildlife management areas have seasons, limits, etc. In the state’s defense, those management areas are also utilized for the hunting of deer and other native species, and just opening them up for wholesale hog slaughter without restriction might cause user conflicts during those seasons. The crappy thing is, once established, it’s dang-near impossible to eradicte hogs. I’m all for trying though!
On October 19, 2020 at 10:49 pm, Sanders said:
In New Mexico, they are not regulated. They are a nuisance and can be killed at any time like coyotes and rabbits. Just make sure you don’t accidentally pop a javelina without a license, or they’ll come down on your like a ton of bricks.