EAST TEXAS HOG DOGGERS FORUM

http://news.tn.gov/node/8308

I know there are several members from Tennessee on here, so anyone who will please follow the link above and send an e-mail or letter asking to remove/change the current wild hog regulations and allow hunting with dogs in the entire state.

For those of you who don't know the regulations recently changed in TN and it is now only legal to hunt hogs with dogs in a couple counties and each landowner is only allowed ten people to hunt hogs on their property. For more info browse the website above.

http://www.tn.gov/twra/feralhog.html

This is the link to the current hog hunting regulations.

This is a copy of the e-mail I sent. It may not be perfect, but at least I am trying to do my part. Mike, I hope you don't mind me including a couple links to this site.


There is no doubt that the spread of feral pigs is becoming a major concern for most of America. In order to control this spreading pandemic we as hunters, farmers, and landowners should be allowed to use any method we deem necessary to control this nuisance. Recently legislature has been passed which strictly limits our ability to attempt to eliminate this problem. The two major downfalls to the new laws is that it limits the number of people landowners may allow to hunt on his/her own property and the new laws only allows the use of dogs as a method to control feral pigs in only four counties.

   Traps are an effective method of aiding in the control of pig populations. However, traps must be checked/baited nearly every day.  From my experience this method can be very expensive. Normally I average one or more bags of corn per pig caught in a trap. That is as much as $12 or more for each bag of corn depending upon the current local supply. Also the materials  to build a trap can cost over $300. Then if you factor in that the trap must be checked almost daily then you will see that this method can be extremely costly, thus limiting its effectiveness. How can the farmers and landowners whose crops and livelihoods are being destroyed by feral pigs afford to effectively trap the pigs on their property?

   Trapping alone is not effective due to the fact that the pigs will quickly become "trap shy" and will not enter the trap. Thus these "trap shy" pigs will be left to reproduce.

   Many of the officials and those involved in the development of this legislature claim that hog doggers will catch and spread these populations to other areas and this is one of the reasons it is currently not allowed (except the four counties). Although I cannot say that this has never happened this option should not be taken away from us hunters, farmers, and landowners due to the mistakes and ignorance of a few. This is a poor excuse because several populations have been started by other types of hunters other than those who use dogs. Also the use of dogs is among the top methods of controlling a feral pig population and many professionals claim it is necessary to successfully control any feral pig population.

The links below are from a well known site with proof that the use of dogs is not only effective, but also needed for the control of any feral pig population.

The first is a link to discussion of a three month hog hunting tournament (which allowed any means of hunting) in which a team using dogs eradicated more feral pigs than all other teams including a helicopter team. 

http://www.easttexashogdoggers.com/forum/index.php?topic=43425.0

The next link is the forum in which the members of the site post their total number of feral pigs caught. Many of the members catch 100+ feral pigs per year using dogs alone.

http://www.easttexashogdoggers.com/forum/index.php?board=34.0

My suggestion is that the use of dogs should be allowed as a means of aiding in the control of the feral pig population in the entire state of Tennessee.

Can't stand it when the state trys to tell a man what he can or how he can on his own land ! Burns my ass and I don't live there. Last spring I was at a deer show in Chattanooga. I. Spoke with several wildlife officers at the show and they said it was gonna get bad down there. Good luck with it !

Feel free to send an e-mail too even if you are not from TN. Every voice will help.

The officer told me that the state felt that hog hunters not just doggers, although that's how it was meant, created more of a problem by wanting to have pigs to hunt. He said if its illegal to do it, then hunters won't protect it as a resource. In short if it has no value to us we won't keep it goin.  I will send the email.

Thanks smarlowe. Although this may be true for some hunters, it isn't true for all. They should not judge all hunters by the action of a select few.

This is the E-Mail I recived from twra to the letter I sent.

Mr. Taylor,
 
My name is Chuck Yoest. I'm the wild hog coordinator for the Tennessee Wildlife Resources Agency. I'm responding to your email regarding the removal of hogs by use of dogs.
 
Thank you very much for your email. We are always interested in hearing from the public regarding our management programs.

Wild hogs present a challenge like no other. Fortunately, we have many other states to learn from. Other states (i.e. Texas) have shown that sport hunting of wild hogs is not an effective control method. Simply put, we believe that it will be a mistake to do what has failed in the past.
 
There is a lot at stake here. I'm a farmer and this subject is very near and dear to me. I'm also an avid sportsmen. I have viewed this management approach from every angle and it’s our best option. It will be counterproductive to do what has already failed in other states. Kansas is one of the only states that has made progress in regards to wild hogs. Therefore, we are mimicking their approach as much as possible.

This isn't an attack on dog hunting. This is an attack on a non native species that creates more destruction than it creates recreational opportunities.

I agree that hog dog hunting can be useful in a controlled setting (i.e. high fence hunting preserve), but it’s not practical as a statewide approach to eliminate wild hogs. The TWRA believes that prohibiting illegal transportation and translocation of wild hogs along with increased trapping efforts will control wild hogs.
 
The experimental area that you referred to is just that. It is in place to show us whether or not hog dog hunting is an effective control method in TN. Your correct that it could change, but that is true for all regulations. However, if hog dog hunting eliminates populations within the experimental area, then it only adds to your argument. Therefore, I suggest you give these changes some time to play out and reconsider them once we have results from our experimental area.
 
Again, thank you for your comments. Believe me, they are important to us and effect our decision making.
 


Chuck Yoest
 
Big Game Coordinator
 
Tennessee Wildlife Resources Agency
 
P.O. Box 40747
 
Nashville, TN 37204
 
Office (615) 781-6615

http://tennesseehunters.net/
Here is a link to a real good site that keeps up with and is fighting for Tn sportsman and women.
Cumberland co. Might be on to something here. Check it out in the politics section on the forum.

KS to TN........ ??? I still find it hard to believe that someone with a degree in wildlife biology, which I'm guessing Mr. Yoest has, can find any reason to compare a plan that worked in KS to what might work in TN. Maybe I need to be enlightened on that, since I've hunted hogs in TN for over 30 years. I find this to be extremely hard to believe when he says that this isn't an attack on dog hunting. I truly believe that he would have a much different outlook on this if he came to East TN and went hog hunting with dogs for one season....heck it wouldn't take that long....just a couple of trips would do it, he could then experience that attitudes that the TWRA and the Forest Service have toward dog hunters. I think that's just what it might take for these folks to understand just what's going on here.......dang, I do have a good idea now and then. So why don't y'all just invite Mr. Yeost to come on a hunt where no TWRA or Forest Service personnel know him and witness first hand what we have for years now.