Wild Boar

[Fox]

Then where are they all ? There doesn't seem to be any around here and they haven't spread from where some guys are saying they are. If they were so bad I would like to know why they are not here already causing the mayhem and mass breeding some here claim?....

They are not hear yet, but when they do move up here they will probably end up growing larger.c.

[Snowwalker]

There is also the tendency for mammals to be larger the colder the temperatures, hence why norther white tails are larger, this is called Bergmann's Rule, don't be surprised if hogs up here would grow significantly larger naturally, even with poorer food.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bergmann%27s_rule

Add to that lower hunting pressure. As I said to jaycee's early question all large hogs I had seen ( ARKANSAS [ 1 ] and Florida [ 3 ] ) were in areas with low hunting pressure. Good food equals a good growth rate, but higher hunting pressure means a higher Mortality rate.

I think if feral hogs became established in Ontario we would see larger hogs at the star. But as more hunters started hunting them and got good at it, the average size would drop.

[Cheeta]

Hogs are very intelligent, I didn't read the whole tread replies. I live in Saskatchewan rn and we have an ok population in the making. However, lots of them are nocturnal and people don't share their spots. It's easy to spook them too, and they hide better than you may anticipate. That being said, even here with the population of hogs being higher, not many are harvested. We may eventually get bad to the point where hog hunting is 'easier' but I don't think we will ever eradicate them.

[Splaker]

I stopped reading when you mentioned "climate change" - you guys do realize climate change is a giant money-making hoax, right? Major global climatologist like Linden (MIT) won't buy into the "models" made up by these con artists..The middle class will pay for this through carbon taxes and higher cost of living... It's a socialist attempt to redistribute wealth and the capitalists realized they can make a pile of money participating in it

By the way, I love pork.

Are wild boar here to stay?

There have been an increase in sightings of feral pigs roaming the countryside in central/southern Ontario, including almost as far south as Windsor ON (wildboarscanada.ca), in the last 2 years. The majority of the sightings come from Eastern ON due to escaped feral pigs. Progeny may continue to spread to the slightly warmer, crop abundant, and predator free, southern Ontario. I don’t wish for southern Ontario to “feel” the impact of wild boar, but feelings aside…

Wild Boar have no natural predators in Southern Ontario, except human (http://wildpiginfo.msstate.edu/behavior-feral-pigs.html ). Coyotes may attempt at piglets, but not a full grown boar. Considered dangerous game, and often ranked just after Africa’s big six (https://www.wideopenspaces.com/10-da...-game-animals/ ). The extremely sharp tusks and aggressive temperament have given this animal a history of turning the tables on its predators, even killing them (including human).

Wild Boar reproduce frequently. Litters range up to 8 piglets, twice a year (http://wildpiginfo.msstate.edu/behavior-feral-pigs.html ). Many countries around the world (eg. Australia) have been “over run” with exploding non-native feral pig populations (http://agriculture.vic.gov.au/agricu...-feral-or-wild ).

Besides the urban centers, southern Ontario is mostly divided up into farm land. These farms support a many crops from corn, soy beans, fruit, etc… all consumed by wild boar who eat just about anything available (http://wildpiginfo.msstate.edu/behavior-feral-pigs.html ). This area is also interspersed with numerous streams, rivers, lakes and forests providing abundant food, fresh water, and shelter.

Southern Ontario experiences the warmest climate in Canada (not counting B.C.’s coast), likely to increase with climate change. Historically, wild boars occupy southerly climates, eg. Southern states (http://wildpiginfo.msstate.edu/history-wild-pigs.html), but range has been increasing. With greater sightings and activity of wild boar in Saskatchewan, a province with a higher latitude (wildboarscanada.ca), it is conceivable that southern Ontario with its warmer climate is more attractive.

Maybe the prequel story to the wild boar is the eastern coyote. A recent inhabitant of southern Ontario (and much of central and eastern Canada also), it is a product of interbreeding with the eastern wolf and western coyote, filling an ecological niche spreading all over southern Ontario (habitat of the eastern wolf once upon a time) (http://wolvesontario.org/wolves-ontario/ ). Despite a continual hunting season, no daily limit, no possession limit, and little to no firearm restrictions the eastern coyote is doing very well everywhere it goes (https://files.ontario.ca/hunting_regs_e_final.pdf ). I expect something similar will happen, should the wild boar become established here. In 2014, the MNRF issued a memorandum to the counties of Prescott and Russell in Ontario “authorizing landowners and hunters to kill any wild boars sighted as per Section 54 (5) of the FWCA.” (http://www.ofah.org/downloads/getfil...l_Prescott.pdf ).

However, unlike the eastern coyote, I think humans will feel the agricultural and ecological effects of wild boar sharper. Wild boar are many things, including a pest. The agricultural damage in the U.S. is estimated to be $1.5 billion annually (http://wildpiginfo.msstate.edu/damag...d-by-pigs.html ). Should wild boar become established here, the consequences will be felt.

That being said, as a hunter, I must adapt and overcome if I am to continue to be successful. Wild Boar hunting offers new opportunity, excitement and great culinary options (https://www.outdoorcanada.ca/hoghunting/ ). Although I don’t wish for it, I will take the good with the bad and the ugly, and hunt swine in southern Ontario. Mmmmm....baaaacooon.

[DanO]

Add to that lower hunting pressure. As I said to jaycee's early question all large hogs I had seen ( ARKANSAS [ 1 ] and Florida [ 3 ] ) were in areas with low hunting pressure. Good food equals a good growth rate, but higher hunting pressure means a higher Mortality rate.

I think if feral hogs became established in Ontario we would see larger hogs at the star. But as more hunters started hunting them and got good at it, the average size would drop.

It's called Bergmans's Rule if I remember right. Animals on the northern edge of their range are typically larger because they increase their volume compared to their area to reduce heat loss. Same reason Ontario deer are larger than deer in Southern states.

[Snowwalker]

It's called Bergmans's Rule if I remember right. Animals on the northern edge of their range are typically larger because they increase their volume compared to their area to reduce heat loss. Same reason Ontario deer are larger than deer in Southern states.

Yes it Bergmans's rule, but it's also not a hard and fast rule.
The rule says the farther north the larger an animal will generally grow, but also the shorter it lives.

[SongDog]

Does anyone else remember the wild boar posted on here last year (or maybe 2017)during November deer hunt? I have the picture saved somewhere.

It said it was shot near Magnetawan, big pig, looked 200lb plus

I know of 4 different camps around there, they heard about it but didnt see any sign where they are.

Sent from my SM-G960W using Tapatalk

[jaycee]

You have to be aware that in certain WMU's 10 percent of the tags are also allotted to Outfitters.

[pawam pionki]

One year we actually made salami with half domestic and half wild boar and they were pretty darn good. I wouldn't mind a hunting season for them provided everything else remains in check.

PP

[Snowwalker]

All the rain down here in the TX, AR, OK, AR area is pushing them out of the low areas. Last trip up from El Paso I come up on a accident where a Dodge Dual had hit one. Driver was smart enough to not swerve and hit it clean, but he said it was like hitting a cement block. He and the passenger both got beat up real bad. They had their belts on but got shook and hurt their backs and neck. The welding truck was a write off, with 2 of the bolts holding the cab to the frame broke off.