It’s man vs. hog in Missouri

Missouri is going to the hogs.

In the midst of a feral hog population boom, the Missouri Department of Conservation is trying to raise awareness about the problems wild hogs are causing in the state. Though 400 hogs have been killed since January 1, the MDC’s Rex Martensen believes that’s just a stop-gap solution and not the long-term answer: 

At some point, we need to have more serious funding for hog eradication, but with the economic downturn that probably won’t happen any time soon. In the meantime, we are working on making the public aware of why feral hogs are bad and why we need to get rid of them. We don’t want to be a hog hunting state like Texas or Arkansas.

State superiority aside, feral hogs can be a real nuisance. They root for food, tearing up forest land or crops in the process. They are omnivorous, driving away (or eating) smaller mammals and destroying bird nests while looking for everything from acorns to reptiles. They can also weigh up to 500 pounds and are aggressive. Combine that with four tusks and poor eyesight and you’ve got an angrier, hairier Mr. Magoo. 

The Riverfront Times has the top five shocking facts about Missouri’s war against feral hogs — including that hogs are hunted from helicopters and that this isn’t a new issue in the state. The Department of Conservation’s instructions for hunters appear fairly straightforward:

The Conservation Department asks that all hunters who encounter a feral hog shoot it on sight. Doing so will reduce the feral hog population and keep the spread of this destructive pest in check.

We recommend that if you encounter Wild Hogs 2, you run as fast as is humanly possible from the theater.

[Image via Flickr: hello turkey toe]