# Ohio hog hunting



## Pharen52

I think it would be really cool to get after some ohio feral hogs. From what I've read zaleski state forest seems to be like the place but how substantial is their population? Does anyone have experience on how difficult it is to find? Any tips would be appreciated


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## erik

hogs have come up a few times on here try searching for hogs in old post


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## buckeyebowman

I don't know that any place in Ohio has a "substantial" population of feral hogs, and thank God for that! My BIL has deer hunted in SE Ohio for decades and never seen a single one.


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## ostbucks98

Like addressed every year. There is some pockets of population and as far as public zaleski is your best bet. Dont have expectations of seeing any. 

As for the populations on private land everyone is very tight lipped and its a well kept secret. There is some good populations in very select areas. I have a buddy who killed two to three a week back in august running dogs. They weighed from 70 pounds to 150 pounds. If the state finds em they try to eliminate em. So hush hush for a lot of people and that is cause for a serious debate.


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## beaver

Before it was well known that hogs were getting a population down here, we killed 20+ a year in Zaleski. Then the word got out, and people came from all over Ohio to take a shot at some pigs. That pretty well pushed them all out to private lands around, which either refuses to let anyone hunt, or leases/guides on the land.

You can still get on some around zaleski, as well as southern galia, and the Wayne national Ironton area. However, don't expect much. Even when we were killing enough to keep us after them, we would hunt an average of 10 to 20 days before actually getting a shot. They're not anywhere near as easy to kill as deer are.


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## Pharen52

beaver said:


> Before it was well known that hogs were getting a population down here, we killed 20+ a year in Zaleski. Then the word got out, and people came from all over Ohio to take a shot at some pigs. That pretty well pushed them all out to private lands around, which either refuses to let anyone hunt, or leases/guides on the land.
> 
> You can still get on some around zaleski, as well as southern galia, and the Wayne national Ironton area. However, don't expect much. Even when we were killing enough to keep us after them, we would hunt an average of 10 to 20 days before actually getting a shot. They're not anywhere near as easy to kill as deer are.


Thats basically what I was wondering was if I drive down from columbus will I have a reasonable enough chance of finding some


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## ostbucks98

I would say not reasonable but there is a chance


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## beaver

I'd say 80% chance of seeing nothing, and a 20% chance of seeing a hog.... maybe. 

That's if you put some miles on your boots. However, even if it's just a long scenic walk in the hills of southern Ohio, it's better than sitting on the couch or at work all day. Good luck.


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## Pharen52

Sit in a deer stand or hike for hogs? Now I think I'll go deer stand


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## beaver

Yea you have to do some hiking most likely if you want any chance. They do most of their moving around at night and hole up most of the day. They'll hold to cover like a rabbit and sometimes they'll wait until you're just a few feet away before busting. It will scare the crap out of you sometimes. Lol


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## bdawg

Saw evidence of a wild hog rooting around at the public hunting area I was a this week! First time ever! I'm guessing it was bedding down in the swamp down the hill from where I was hunting. I doubt there were more than one or two there. This area is more in central ohio.


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## Weekender#1

I know someone who has shot 6 hogs this year alone. They are coming into his bait piles at night, he has many trail cam photos of them coming in. Bait them with corn and just work a place. Gallia County is as close I will get.


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## ostbucks98

Dnr caught 33 in live traps last week here in VC. At that rate their gonna be drying up.


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## beaver

As long as you have those high fence ranches, they won't be drying up.


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## ironman172

Vinton is your best bet....that's where it all started 35 + years ago


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## TomC

I don't get it, these things cause all kinds of trouble and yet people know where they are at and don't say anthing to anyone? What up with that? Is it just me or do these individuals want the feral hog population to bloom?


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## Weekender#1

From what I hear the locals want the feral hog populations to bloom a bit more. I mean those are hunting camps down in the area. Then the land owners can hunt year round, same deal, pile of corn, blind, any flipping weapon you want to use, other then it is more of a night hunt. Not that any one is doing anything illegal on the hunts but a chance to hunt big game legally all year around.
Hogs are nearly a native species or may be, Indians used to have hogs run wild and they harvested them as needed. The very early pioneers(1600-1700ad) had first trouble with the tribes by them shooting hogs and the Indians claimed they were theirs. Then the Indians took the cattle from the fields of the settlers, which caused bloodshed as you can imagine.
Hog's have spots in the woods where they roll in the mud and root around, they have to eat too. Damage the environment, drive by a horse farm look at the corral, frick'en acres of mud. When it rains which animal causes the most run off of nasty water. Rooting around in the woods is a pretty lame condemnation, turkeys cause more damage with the rooting they do.
Why are we down on Wild Hogs as a group, but we each love and want to cuddle with the new black bear and bobcat entering our state from else ware. I know they are native too.
Why the hate on Native species?
Rename them "pretty boy's".


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## beaver

Weekender, you have obviously never actually been anywhere there is an established hog population if you honestly think that turkeys are more destructive.


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## Rabbeye

I would like to see a picture of a wild hog that shows proof it was shot in Ohio . Sounds like a few are being killed and I'm surprised there aren't a few pictures floating around.


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## Saugeye Tom

Weekender#1 said:


> From what I hear the locals want the feral hog populations to bloom a bit more. I mean those are hunting camps down in the area. Then the land owners can hunt year round, same deal, pile of corn, blind, any flipping weapon you want to use, other then it is more of a night hunt. Not that any one is doing anything illegal on the hunts but a chance to hunt big game legally all year around.
> Hogs are nearly a native species or may be, Indians used to have hogs run wild and they harvested them as needed. The very early pioneers(1600-1700ad) had first trouble with the tribes by them shooting hogs and the Indians claimed they were theirs. Then the Indians took the cattle from the fields of the settlers, which caused bloodshed as you can imagine.
> Hog's have spots in the woods where they roll in the mud and root around, they have to eat too. Damage the environment, drive by a horse farm look at the corral, frick'en acres of mud. When it rains which animal causes the most run off of nasty water. Rooting around in the woods is a pretty lame condemnation, turkeys cause more damage with the rooting they do.
> Why are we down on Wild Hogs as a group, but we each love and want to cuddle with the new black bear and bobcat entering our state from else ware. I know they are native too.
> Why the hate on Native species?
> Rename them "pretty boy's".


Ask the people in Texas if they want more hogs....


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## Weekender#1

No I do not live hog infested ground, heck I live in the city limits. But we have family friends that have purchased 50 acres+/- years ago for deer and turkey hunting way down in Southern Ohio. They love hunting in all forms. With the hogs this hunter has shot, 6 this year. I have seen photos from his trail cam of a pack of around 20 coming into his corn pile. My son and him have sat out all night hog hunting more than once, when they go down in the summer they hunt every night in the blind . Maybe if you are a school teacher or plumber you do not want them running around your yard, but if you are a hunter just ........
The people I know in Texas love the hog hunting they have.
The Ohio hunters would have given me pictures but they know I would have posted them here and the guys hunting grounds would be overrun. At one sitting just before gun season like 15-20 hogs were at his bait pile. When his shooting stopped he had killed 3 the largest being around 160lbs. The deer camp this year ate nothing but pulled pork.HIs land is nearly surrounded by public land.
So if you want to hunt the ohio hogs, I would say find a promising spot, ask Saugeye Tom where he is seeing all the destruction, start a bait pile, feed them for a month or two and go hunting. If you think you are going to walk up on them in the woods mid day, good luck to ya. But if you are serious, get serious, read, poke around. Get some of those Texas magazines on the hog hunting as it is quite popular in that state. I can not figure out why Saugeye tom would say that, he must be a fisherman not a hunter. That is OK. Ask some farmers about deer here in Ohio and they will go off saying how destructive they are here also.


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## beaver

Im a hunter, and I don't farm. I've killed a few hogs myself and seen/participated in the killing of quite a few. I've also seen the damage they can do. As a hunter, yes they are fun to shoot. As a reasonable and fairly intelligent human being, as well as a responsible conservationist, they need to be eradicated. They are NOT a native species and they ARE an INVASIVE species. Crop damage aside, they are detrimental to the ecosystem. 

I guess if I lived in the city and considered hunting a weekend hobby, I might have a different outlook. However, I dont. I live outside the city limits, and spend the majority of my time in the outdoors. I consider hunting to be a lifestyle choice that comes with a responsibility to be a steward to the land and it's inhabitants.


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## bobk

I have a fair amount of land in south east ohio(near vinton county). As much as I like to eat pig I don't want those baby bulldozers on my land. Turkey don't come close to what pigs will do to the land.

I'm a die hard hunter too and not a school teacher.


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## ostbucks98

Wish people had this much desire to eradicate coyotes


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## bobk

ostbucks98 said:


> Wish people had this much desire to eradicate coyotes


 Working on it.


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## beaver

Coyotes are a native species tat don't do any real damage. They are part of the ecosystem. Most of the damage coyotes do is perception based on fear and hearsay.


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## supercanoe

Coyotes are not a native species to Ohio.


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## Pharen52

Yeah coyotes moved east as farming cleared out the woods

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## beaver

I stand corrected. Still, nowhere near as destructive as wild hogs.


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## 9Left

lo!!! what???? coyotes?are NOT native to the u.s. lol!!!!


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## Weekender#1

Hey guys lets see a picture of the damage a hog does, is it different from what I see in the barnyards. Wild hogs are so far off the road no one wants to walk back to an area that they happened upon while on a deer drive. Sure there maybe a guy or two with a hog problem in the state, but have they asked for help to get rid of the beasts, heck it is hard pressed to get a county out of the guys, if they were concerned they would say on CR 8 I saw hogs last night or something like that, nooo. Just barking to bark, me to, guys proudly show pictures of dead hogs to buddies but ask not to say anything, that's ok but just saying.
And no I am not a hog hunter but enjoy the diverse wildlife that can be found in the countryside. There were hogs living in the woods before anyone stumbled across 5 acres of heaven that were quickly cleared of trees and wildlife so we can have a nice lawn.
Beaver please inform me on the damage that a hog does to the ecosystem other than Poo and P outside. A mud hole, give me a break, unsightly yes, a scar on the earth, na. Me living up near LK Erie, what percentage of the silt entering the lake and/or Ohio River would you think is from hogs, domestic and wild, think it is over 1/1000 of a percent, really doubt it.
I wish I could be alive when the Timber Wolf returns to Ohio, it will but I do not have the time left, my grandson maybe.


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## Pharen52

Ok just to clarify there is no native wild pigs in the Americas. Any population has originated from domestic stock brought by settlers. As far as damage goes, if left unchecked their population will explode and out compete any native species.

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## Pharen52

For someone to think you can have a stable population of wild pigs without a major negative impact on native species is simply false. As with any invasive species they will quickly go over the carrying capacity of the ecosystem for them as well as, other species within their niche.

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## beaver

I'll give you the dumbed down version (because I'm just a hillbilly) but a quick Google search will tell you what you need to know. This isn't anything new. 

The ecosystem only has so much space and food. Hogs eat a lot, they breed a lot, and they're bullies when it comes to space. They have no real natural predators (sure a coyote can snatch a piglet if he can get past the sow, but that's it.) And they eat everything. 

It's kind of like taking a family of three on a budget, and then forcing 6 more teenage boys who have anger management issues into their household without giving them any more space, food, or money.


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## Guest

Escaped pigs were first introduced in the 1500's by the Spanish. In the southeast United states and Mexico etc.. Definitely not native... Along with horses. Years and years following escaped free range pigs led to the establishment of wild populations. In the 1900's Eurasian/ Russian wild boar were introduced into the US. And are continually introduced through escaping from game- proof fences...


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## Guest

They say range expansion over last 20 years is mostly due to illegal relocation


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## beaver

Yep. People bring pigs from Southern states up here to sell to game farms illegally. They bring a truck load , and then release whatever the game farm doesn't want before they go back so not to risk getting caught on the way back.


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## ostbucks98

My buddy took this picture saturday morning just down the road from the house.


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## Weekender#1

Really the most detrimental invasive species to hit this continent would be European settlers. We all have to agree on that. Talk about destroying the land.
I thought those desert pigs were native, peccary or something like that, must be a sub-species that you have never heard of. 
So OSTBuck are you scared now that a pig was sighted down the road from your home ?
And Pharen yes, what about the Zebra Mussel that would destroy Lake Erie and all bodies of fresh water in North America. Where are we on that.
Like in the creek bottom I hunt, a pair of red fox moved in, they are a joy to watch from my stand. But the other hunter hunts squirrels also and wants them dead at all costs so they do not eat the squirrels.


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## Pharen52

Weekender#1 said:


> Really the most detrimental invasive species to hit this continent would be European settlers. We all have to agree on that. Talk about destroying the land.
> I thought those desert pigs were native, peccary or something like that, must be a sub-species that you have never heard of.
> So OSTBuck are you scared now that a pig was sighted down the road from your home ?
> And Pharen yes, what about the Zebra Mussel that would destroy Lake Erie and all bodies of fresh water in North America. Where are we on that.
> Like in the creek bottom I hunt, a pair of red fox moved in, they are a joy to watch from my stand. But the other hunter hunts squirrels also and wants them dead at all costs so they do not eat the squirrels.


Are you trying to say zebra mussels aren't a problem? Not to get off topic of the thread but zebra mussels can and have dramatically changed bodies of water. You need to understand with something like a zebra mussel the problems start at the microorganism level and domino effect up. Also, not to speak for someone else but I know if there was a hog down the street from my house the hunter in me would be excited but it would raise serious concern and killing it would be a priority.

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## ostbucks98

We have killed probably 20 or so over the last decade.


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## Weekender#1

Pharen what I am saying is Zebra Mussels are not the problem that we were told they would be by now. Water intakes plug up, how do they fix it dump some chemical, with a long name down the intake, another step down the toxic trail. Ask the kids of Flint how that tastes. When a change does not benefit humans we draw up conclusions on how we are going to destroy it, but we can not. We all admit that we have had hogs running wild from the days of unsettled land, I have not heard of any land or city being overrun with hogs. But I have heard that on deer. In a few years the state will be selling licenses for hog hunting, then the hated hog will go from destroy at all costs, to a managed resource of Ohio.


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## reo

Weekender#1 said:


> Pharen what I am saying is Zebra Mussels are not the problem that we were told they would be by now. Water intakes plug up, how do they fix it dump some chemical, with a long name down the intake, another step down the toxic trail. Ask the kids of Flint how that tastes. When a change does not benefit humans we draw up conclusions on how we are going to destroy it, but we can not. We all admit that we have had hogs running wild from the days of unsettled land, *I have not heard of any land or city being overrun with hogs*. But I have heard that on deer. In a few years the state will be selling licenses for hog hunting, then the hated hog will go from destroy at all costs, to a managed resource of Ohio.


http://wildpiginfo.msstate.edu/damage-caused-by-pigs.html


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## beaver




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## bdawg

I love what the zebra mussels have done to the redeared sunfish population on the Portage Lakes! However, if I owned land on the lakes with a basement footer drain that drained into the lake, I would be very worried about it clogging with mussels!

A few pigs for a huntable population is not a problem. I would love to hunt for them. A few dozen pigs can destroy a farmers field in a short amount of time. With no natural predators to control them, they are a problem. They will invade residential areas once the population has maxed out in the rural areas just like deer have. It's all about finding food sources to them.


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## buckeyebowman

Weekender#1 said:


> Really the most detrimental invasive species to hit this continent would be European settlers. We all have to agree on that. Talk about destroying the land.
> I thought those desert pigs were native, peccary or something like that, must be a sub-species that you have never heard of.
> So OSTBuck are you scared now that a pig was sighted down the road from your home ?
> And Pharen yes, what about the Zebra Mussel that would destroy Lake Erie and all bodies of fresh water in North America. Where are we on that.
> Like in the creek bottom I hunt, a pair of red fox moved in, they are a joy to watch from my stand. But the other hunter hunts squirrels also and wants them dead at all costs so they do not eat the squirrels.


So, when are you moving back home to keep from screwing up the ecosystem here?

And Javelina, aka Peccary, are native to the desert southwest, and ARE NOT pigs! In fact, they are rodents, and have no genetic relationship to pigs whatsoever. Check it out.

Also, as time has gone on, it might turn out that zebra mussels may not be the problem they were first thought to be. But when you're messing with the entire base of biotic fauna in Lake Erie, if you're not concerned about that you're either asleep or dead!

As far as Flint's water supply goes, they don't get their water from Lake Erie. In fact, there's been quite the kerfuffle over the Flint water supply. Latest is they are once again getting their water from Detroit, whose water supply is from Lake Huron and the Detroit River.

EDIT: Heck, the way you talk, we should welcome big head and silver carp into Lake Erie! Who cares what happens to the walleye, perch and smallies?


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## Weekender#1

Well do I have to go looking to see how much you enjoy Steelhead fishing, a invasive species also but pretty enough. I do not think the big head carp will be as much of a problem, as most yell the sky is falling. We love pheasants here also.


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## TimSr

This 10' x 25' rooting was taken last April 2015 when I was hunting in Zaleski. I've taken a weekend trip the last 3 years, to hunt hogs. I've not seen any, but have seen plenty of sign each time. They are hard to hunt, and hard to find, but I will get one eventually. Making a trip down this weekend.

All these shots are on public hunting land.









































This trail cam shot was taken in 2012 by the USDA Biologist working in Zaleski.


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