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Comment by throwarayes | Hacker News Reader

Reply all had a great podcast on the wild boar problem in the US south, jumping off the “30-50 wild hogs” tweet

https://gimletmedia.com/shows/reply-all/n8hw3d

I feel bad for guy who tweeted as someone from East Texas. Main reasons I want to go into hunting is to the keep wild boar population in check, or at least slow their growth.

I'm from Central texas, own 50 acres in the hill country and own several ar-15's. This guy is delusional, no one is shooting 30-50 hogs on their property. I only read the first few paragraphs but so far the conversation is ridiculous.

The sharpest shooters can get a few as they scatter, they are damn smart and very capable.

They fly in helicopters and can shoot that many in a day. Its usually very large areas (thousands of acres) with a surrounding game fence. Since the hogs have no natural predators they have to be removed somehow and this is one common route. Vastly different scenario then a small 50 acre place.

According to what I've read, hunting hogs from helicopters has made the problem worse. It's had the effect of scattering them across a wider area.

Unless you can guarantee you'll kill all the hogs that scatter due to the helicopter--not just the ones you see!--then it's likely counterproductive.

Positive argument for the deployment of full auto weaponry and possibly mines and other mass murder hardware.

That is not a good idea. Innocent people will die when forgotten mines go off in a decade, and full auto weaponry is probably overkill. I can't imagine your aim is going to get any better when you're firing in full auto, unless you're far closer than you want to be.

Plus there are far easier solutions. Poisoned corn does about the same thing as mines, but with less risk (assuming you put up signs) and cost. Both are probably still bad ideas, though, because of the effect on other wildlife.

"forgotten" mines? Perish the thought. I'm thinking traps. like command detonated "kill the acre" measures.

I don't like poisoned bait for broadly similar reasons; I'd like more targeted slaughter. It's not easy to get a big gang that close together.

Don't encourage them

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