Mama and Babies

[Chuck S]

I have a question about hog hunting ethics. If you were to come across a mama hog with babies, would you shoot and try to kill as many as possible or pass her up until the babies are weaned?

I ran across this last week. We came across a nice 100 pound mama with about 6 little ones. My thought is to shoot the mama, and then shot gun the rest. They will eventually come back to her I think. That is kind of the plan for this weekend. I bought corn and strawberry jello mix today to set out a tube and camera later.

 

[FrankT]

I don't because there is no meat on the babies, I wait till they get 40-60lbs, never try to kill the sows as they are my breeding stock...then again I eat what I kill here. If you are eradicating you kill the sow then the piglets, I don't think there are ethics in play except a humane quick kill for hogs.

 

[TEXASLAWMAN]

Depends if your hunting to eradicate them off your property or if your hunting like frank for meat. For me I shoot them all.

 

[Wassman]

I take a note from Metallica, Kill 'Em All.

More corn for the native species.

 

[hdfireman]

I hunt to eradicate so they all get deleted.

 

[Chuck S]

I'm going to kill them all, but I was wondering what other peoples did.

 

[rgilbert]

FYI I have never seen the babies return to a dead sow. Guess can chime in on this. From what I've heard and seen, if they find any food source other than the sow they will survive.

 

[hdfireman]

They will return. I shot a sow and watched 2 10 lb piglets return to suckle her.