4 ms·

There are 1.4 billion cars out there causing climate impact, and we're freaking out on wild pigs

unearth3d 5y ago
Well article does speak of continual disturbance of 36000km2 to 100000+. I see their damage here NZ, at scales where it makes growing pasture and animals difficult.
- kokanator 5y ago
  This is easily solved by providing hunting opportunities. Simple effective and people will pay for the privilege. Or if you are not against spending money, a bounty will solve it even faster. ( if this is truly and issue to be concerned with )
  - majormajor 5y ago
    According to this, the hunters in the US can't keep up: https://www.popsci.com/feral-pig-problem/ https://www.popsci.com/feral-pig-problem/ > To wipe out a population, you need to shoot 60 to 80 percent a year, says Mayer, but recreational hunting can only cut their numbers by about a quarter. These aren't anti-hunting liberal states, either. But apparently that's only made it worse, historically: > But even when state officials encouraged sport hunting for the explicit purpose of curbing the tidal wave of pigs, it’s backfired. Hunters love to shoot them so they transport the animals to new areas. Even when the new hunting spots are fenced properties, the swine are notoriously good at digging their way out and escaping. See also this older article: https://www.smithsonianmag.com/science-nature/a-plague-of-pigs-in-texas-73769069/ https://www.smithsonianmag.com/science-nature/a-plague-of-pi... > And yet wild hogs were barely more than a curiosity in the Lone Star State until the 1980s. It’s only since then that the population has exploded, and not entirely because of the animals’ intelligence, adaptability and fertility. Hunters found them challenging prey, so wild hog populations were nurtured on ranches that sold hunting leases; some captured hogs were released in other parts of the state. Game ranchers set out feed to attract deer, but wild hogs pilfered it, growing more fecund. Finally, improved animal husbandry reduced disease among domestic pigs, thereby reducing the incidence among wild hogs.
  - post_break 5y ago
    They do that here in texas. Actual automatic machine guns, helicopters, huge traps that can catch 40 at a time. They are still blowing up in numbers. They breed too fast and too often. It's a real problem even with no bag limit.
  - Y_Y 5y ago
    What if we promised to pay for every hog tail that someone brought in?
    - throwawaysea 5y ago
      https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Perverse_incentive#The_original_cobra_effect https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Perverse_incentive#The_origina...
      - kokanator 5y ago
        There are currently bounty programs in the US for coyotes [0]. They have worked for several species including invasive species [1]. Great link though. Very interesting historical events. [0]https://wildlife.utah.gov/predator-control-program.html https://wildlife.utah.gov/predator-control-program.html [1]https://www.grandviewoutdoors.com/coyote/cash-for-coyotes-do-bounties-work https://www.grandviewoutdoors.com/coyote/cash-for-coyotes-do...

Well article does speak of continual disturbance of 36000km2 to 100000+. I see their damage here NZ, at scales where it makes growing pasture and animals difficult.

kokanator 5y ago
This is easily solved by providing hunting opportunities. Simple effective and people will pay for the privilege. Or if you are not against spending money, a bounty will solve it even faster. ( if this is truly and issue to be concerned with )
- majormajor 5y ago
  According to this, the hunters in the US can't keep up: https://www.popsci.com/feral-pig-problem/ https://www.popsci.com/feral-pig-problem/ > To wipe out a population, you need to shoot 60 to 80 percent a year, says Mayer, but recreational hunting can only cut their numbers by about a quarter. These aren't anti-hunting liberal states, either. But apparently that's only made it worse, historically: > But even when state officials encouraged sport hunting for the explicit purpose of curbing the tidal wave of pigs, it’s backfired. Hunters love to shoot them so they transport the animals to new areas. Even when the new hunting spots are fenced properties, the swine are notoriously good at digging their way out and escaping. See also this older article: https://www.smithsonianmag.com/science-nature/a-plague-of-pigs-in-texas-73769069/ https://www.smithsonianmag.com/science-nature/a-plague-of-pi... > And yet wild hogs were barely more than a curiosity in the Lone Star State until the 1980s. It’s only since then that the population has exploded, and not entirely because of the animals’ intelligence, adaptability and fertility. Hunters found them challenging prey, so wild hog populations were nurtured on ranches that sold hunting leases; some captured hogs were released in other parts of the state. Game ranchers set out feed to attract deer, but wild hogs pilfered it, growing more fecund. Finally, improved animal husbandry reduced disease among domestic pigs, thereby reducing the incidence among wild hogs.
- post_break 5y ago
  They do that here in texas. Actual automatic machine guns, helicopters, huge traps that can catch 40 at a time. They are still blowing up in numbers. They breed too fast and too often. It's a real problem even with no bag limit.
- Y_Y 5y ago
  What if we promised to pay for every hog tail that someone brought in?
  - throwawaysea 5y ago
    https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Perverse_incentive#The_original_cobra_effect https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Perverse_incentive#The_origina...
    - kokanator 5y ago
      There are currently bounty programs in the US for coyotes [0]. They have worked for several species including invasive species [1]. Great link though. Very interesting historical events. [0]https://wildlife.utah.gov/predator-control-program.html https://wildlife.utah.gov/predator-control-program.html [1]https://www.grandviewoutdoors.com/coyote/cash-for-coyotes-do-bounties-work https://www.grandviewoutdoors.com/coyote/cash-for-coyotes-do...