Deer vs Pigs Ques

Do feral pigs have any effect on deer populations or habits?

Scouted out couple areas for upcoming season and saw a lot of pig sign all over both areas. I've seen some pig sign every year but this was just astounding to me. There's deer sign there too, but seems to me it's a lot less than what I've been seeing the past several years. What looked like acres of farm field grubbed up. Never saw any wallows in the area before, found several puddle-places in the fields that were turned into wallows, and one conservation pond with wallows all around it.

Yes hog activity and especially a lot of hog activity will mess with deer numbers and sightings. If your hunting feeders, penning them with hog panels is a good option, the hogs will make such a presence that the deer wont use it as much.

I have seen conflict between deer and hogs at a feeder, but otherwise deer and hog seem to do quite well out in the open, away from an artificial, concentrated feeding resource. Numerous times I have shot pigs within 50 yards of deer, the deer and hogs simply going about their own business, no problem.

Is there an effect on the deer population? Given that the hog population is growing and the deer population is growing, I would say that hogs are not negatively impacting the deer population at this point.

As for their habits, deer don't seem to particularly like hogs and may avoid the hogs, but that doesn't seem to stop deer from being in a given area. Despite the one or two pics floating around of a hog with a tiny dead fawn in its mouth (cause of death of the fawn being unknown), there is no real indication that hogs actively or consistently prey upon deer, harass, or chase deer any farther than immediately away from a feeder.

While deer will often not want to be where hogs are right now, as soon as the hogs go, the deer return. I have seen this over feeders numerous times as well. Deer are at the feeder. A sounder comes in and the deer run off. The sounder leaves and the deer return.

On my game camera, I am seeing more deer this year than last year and several legal 13+" bucks (I usually only see 1 or 2 at my place). I am also seeing hogs regularly.

Pigs compete with deer for food. So as the hog population increases, it would decrease the carrying capacity for deer.

Yes they do.

They root up plants that deer eat as well, killing that food source for the future.

The do damage to landscape that causes erosion.....bad for all animals that feed on plants and browse.

They contaminate water sources......bad for all animals because they can't live without water.

Deer would rather not be in areas they frequent because of the noise and smell they produce.

Yes the deer return but the hogs have eaten all the corn. Generally if you have hogs you won't have as many deer.

Hogs will drive deer away. Kill every hog you can.