Am I unlucky or does TV lie???

So I'm watching sons of guns and its the episode Hogzilla I think. Anyway they're building a hog killing 458. When they go to talk to their client he talks about numerous 500-650# hogs... I don't even think I've heard of one that big... What's the deal? Hog big do they legit get?

There are pigs that big and bigger out there, but they are rare. What you saw is typical tv "reality" sensationalizing.

I agree. It seems like as long as there is just a little bit of truth, or chance of truth about a statement it will "fly".

Probably about 20 years ago I saw a hog that went about 600 lbs. We were riding night hunting when this thing crossed the road about 75 yards from us. My buddies and I all looked at each other with that "did I just see that look". Well we never even got a shot off.

Biggest one I ever killed was just shy of 400 pounds. Had a buddy that said his son killed one some years ago in riverbottom area around the Navasota River that was over 600 pounds, but I always doubted that claim.

Naw, not unlucky, you're just really good at population control. Need to let a few of them 'pass' (you know, give 'em another year or two) so they have an opportunity grow into their full potential! JK. I've never seen one that big either. Never know tho, but again, might just 'Hollywood' talking (kinda like politicians).

I'm fairly certain that pigs that grow to monster proportions are bred with big breed domesticated pigs. Some domesticated pigs are so big they look like short-legged cows.

I was thinking about this over the weekend. Last spring my father killed a 235 lb. boar (EDIT: by scale - we weigh all of our pigs too), which I thought was fairly close to as big as they get in my neck of the woods. Last Friday I found his lower jaw near where we left his hide and gutpile and recognized it because one of his cutters was broken when we cleaned him. His third molars were just starting to emerge when he died, which I think ages him at twenty months or slightly less. Maybe it's just that the boars we've killed out there have all been young and unwise and there are some real monsters in the woods that just know how to not get shot.

In any event, my eyes still glaze over when I hear someone say "500-650 lb. hogs". I can believe 350-400, but rare. There are apparently some really big suckers in North Carolina, though.

a lot of TV is bs

Fixed it for ya

Biggest hog off our place was 235 lbs. Yes we weight them all. Ive seen a lot of "300" pound hogs that never saw a scale that were not as big as the 175 and 200 lb. hogs we have shot and weighed.

Not saying there are no big hogs and they don't exist, but the ones you see pictures of like Hogzilla etc. always come back to having some domestic in them and the vast majority of the ferals are stories about hogs that never saw a scale. The big hog contest in south Texas is routinely won by a hog around or less than 300 lbs. that should tell you something. Sure there is the needle in a haystack 400 pounder but its far from an everyday occurrence.

I can believe it .... if they cut the hogs and have a steady supply of protein/carb for them
to get fat on

the biggest domesticated pig was over 1100 lbs, raised in China, he was so fat he just laid there and ate

Knew an older gentleman in Oklahoma, back in the 40's his folk had the holding farm for local shipping of hogs. Point being, they received hogs from farmers in a 30 mile radius, held the hogs until special train could be sent to pick the hogs up and deliver them to the slaughter pens. Their facility was about 3 miles from the side/off track and everything had to be timed to move the hogs by herding them, similar to a cattle drive.

He said they always lost some hogs due to natural causes, such as heat and stress, but some would escape. He claimed there were hogs in the area over 500 pounds that had turned feral, just like large longhorn bulls in south Texas and along the Rio Grande. Spent their entire life avoiding humans. These animals have survived by being "cunning" and avoiding all areas or situations where they could be captured. In other words, these animals do not hang out at the rest stops and city parks looking for handouts.

to start with TV is for entertainment not education. My son was recently watching an "educational" animal show and they made the comment about a North American whitetail buck. He was obviously a mule deer even my 12 year old knew it and he's never seen a live mule deer!

Secondly I hear all the time that a big hog has to have domestic in him. The fact is 99% of all feral hogs are of domestic descent. Some may not be as far removed from livestock as others. A lot of the Hogzilla stories are high fenced old domestic boars period.

All that said we kill a few{2-3} over 300 each year and every few years a 400 pounder. In 21 years we've killed 3 that broke 500 and two of those were weighed on certified scales. They were very obviously as feral as they get. For the record 520{very old 8+} in 1996, 553{approx.5 yrs was robbing protein feeders} in 2007 and 500+{very old} in 2012.

The funny thing is that a 235 lb. boar LOOKS like an enormous animal. When my cousin, my father and I walked up to the aforementioned boar dead on the ground, my cousin went apes__t. "Holy (blank), man!! That sucker must weigh 300 lbs! I've never SEEN a pig that big before! Oh WOW, man!" - and that reaction, in which your inner redneck is completely unfettered and allowed to run rampant, is how I think stories about 500 lb. pigs get started.

How much do you think this pig weighs?

For reference, I'm 6'5" and weigh about 270 lbs. I'm about a foot away from her.

If I was a betting man, which im not. I would say your north of 270 and the hog is south.

Ive killed pigs that would go 275 and maybe push 300. Ive seen over 300-350lb pigs but like he said over 400 is really rare. I doubt russian pigs could get much bigger than that but feral domestics definately can. I raised pigs for 12 years and if you put good food to them they will keep growing.

This made me laugh very much. I actually call anything between 270 and 282 "about 270". Easier that way. Over 282, without limitation, is "about 275".

The sow weighed in at 187 lbs. A 187 lb. sow still looks like a pretty big critter.

I'm a firm believer in the 500+ lb hogs. Saw one several years back off a wheatfield in Seymour. Looked like a big sow with piglets (they were easily 800 yds out). Got my binoculars up and saw the "piglets" had piglets.

No BS, this pig was the size of a VW. Was never able to get a shot off, soon as I got off the 4 wheeler to try to get in closer, they took off across the Brazos.

They are out there, but they didnt get big by being dumb.

Glad you got a chuckle, not trying to be mean at all, but out of the folks I know over 6-4 there are very few that tip the scales at 270 and you didn't appear to be a bean pole kinda feller

The first pig I ever killed was a massive boar. It was so large it took the two of us to barely get him on the tail gate, and this was when I was in college and fit. Our scale went to 250 lbs, and it bottomed it out when we got his rear end off the tail gate. His front shoulders were still on the tail gate and we didn't even lift anymore after that. He was so large he waddled into the feeder before I shot him. Several of the older hunters on our place said that was the biggest pig they had ever seen. I've killed a few 200+ lb pigs confirmed by weight, and this pig was definitely 400+. Never even weighed another one 300+ pig since. Several 220- 250 lbs, but nothing over 300. So the 300 lb + pigs are not nearly as common.

No disrespect to the op, but in my opinion this is why people don't/shouldn't believe the stories.

About 800 yards estimating 500+ pounds and even determining the sex all off of a 4 wheeler with probably hand held binos. Little far fetched for me. But I love a good story as much as the next guy and have a few of my own. Had 2 bass jump into my boat while bow fishing, that is how it happened but without proof the GW wouldn't have believed me either.

Funny how people often aren't able to do a good job estimating the weight of pigs they have in their hands, but would proclaim a pig to be 500+ lbs and the size of the VW when nearly a half mile distant.



Nope. They got that big by eating. Not all big pigs are smart, LOL.

Hahaha sounds like you guys must really know your stuff... It's truly an honor to even be on the same forum of such exceptional Weight Determining Experts.

Any other tips and pointers you Pro's have for us Over Exaggerating Rookies would be greatly appreciated!

I know dang well I couldn't even come close to guessing the weight or gender of a pig at 800 yards, much less the 800 yard guestimate.

We weigh all ours that how I know how much they weigh. Most people don't weight theirs that's why I don't believe most of the outlandish claims.

Yeah, you're totally right... Definitely silly of me to think it was a Sow that was with piglets.

I forgot about all the big boars in north Texas that are always running around with those Mongolian Midget Hogs.

That's what I'm saying... The hog in this pic is 160lbs (biggest ive ever shot) I couldn't even imagine one 3x this size!!

good rule

You have a pic of a hog in your sigline that is a blatant case of forced perspective and you want me to believe that you saw a hog the size of a VW?

Anyone claiming to have killed or even seen a truly wild hog much over 400lbs has not seen nor killed many hogs, but would like the rest of the world to think they have. I've killed many a hog weighing 400+lbs until we found a scale, many times they barely weighed 300lbs.

True wild hogs just don't get that big, sorry to poop on your cornflakes, but they don't.

Those 10 foot internet western diamondbacks are horse hooey as well by the way.


Chupa

I personally have killed and weighed a 414 pound boar in 1999 and a 358 pounder last September.
They were both weighed on a pair of old cotton scales that are close.

When I first saw the 414 pounder, I thought the neighbors black angus bull had got into my pasture - he was that big.

I shot the 358 pounder at night with a 6.8x43 with a Pulsar N750 on top.

You can believe what ever you want to believe, I was there and have witnesses.
I've also seen some of Guess's pigs and he ain't lieing either.

Re-read what I wrote. I didn't say 400 lb'rs don't exist. I said vw proportioned "Wild" hogs don't exist, nor does 600-700lb'rs. That is not to say that 500-600 lb hogs haven't been killed in the "Wild", but those were NOT "Wild/Feral" hogs, but loosed domesticated breeds. Genetically very different. Ask Glenn Guess that, even he will tell you that. 300 lbs for a true Wild hog is ENORMOUS!

What everyone here on crack is proposing is if I killed a world record Gorilla and then somebody else saying "I killed/saw King Kong."

Btw, I think shooting gorillas is illegal, so if you see one, don't shoot it.


Chupa

In 20+ years of pig hunting myself and guiding tons of pig hunters and doing pig control all over Texas I have weighed 3 pigs over 400 pounds that were 100% wild. A 200 pound pig is a really big pig. I think pigs are like bears being the most over exaggerated, guessed, or estimated weights. Put them on a good scale and I think a lot of times you will be surprised. The 400 pounders we shot I took and weighed 2 at a local feed store with certified scales and the other on a fertilizer scale.
I have seen several pigs killed over 400 and the largest being 994 pounds dressed that I did not guide or shoot. They were all raised in a pen, or they were a mixed bred hog (domestic x wild cross done on purpose) , or were a domestic hog turned loose.
I get aggravated with TV they make it seem like there are hogs everywhere in Texas and 500 pounders running everywhere. TV makes it sound like you can come to Texas and shoot them by the truck loads all the time, or that you can just walk right up on them It can make my job tough.

They get pretty darn big.... on a farm and they kill um with a 22...

Feral is a domestic hog that has gone wild.

WRONG, feral is the descendant of a domestic hog gone wild. It takes several generations of breeding in the wild to take on feral characteristics or 2 generations of out-crossing to exhibit 100% feral Characteristics even then there will be some domestic colored or have abnormally large ears.

And while we are at it FORGET "russians" they don't exist in the wild in the states unless they have been released from captivity recently.There are just too many ferals of domestic descent for there to be much European influence. In reality there are many strains of European hogs, So called Russians are nothing more than a European hog that was brought in from Russia, they are really just Europeans nothing more nothing less.

The only Rushin' hog I've ever seen was rushin' down the same dang trail I was on! It died!

I've shot a bunch of pigs in the last 20 years. Maybe a couple were approaching 300, I doubt I've gotten any that are bigger.



The biggest pig I recall recently was the one killed outside of Brownwood in 2011

http://www.brownwoodtx.com/news/local/ar...er-comment-area

I remember the story, but I also remember there being something in there about him weighing it in front of witnesses, but no mention in this article.

We have won the Los Cazadores hog contest 3 times and have yet to have one that weighed much over 300 with the guts out. We won it this year with one that weighed 275. I would hate to see a 500 pound wild hog
http://loscazadores.net/main/high-fence/high-hog/index.1.html

From the Wiki...and we all KNOW the interwebs is always korrekt...
According to dictionary definitions[1] a feral animal is one that has itself escaped from a domestic or captive status and is living more or less as a wild animal, or one that is descended from such animals.

So, if a domestic pig escapes, it's feral.
If it was released, it's just a pig.
But if it's been wild for a couple of generations, it's wild boar?

They are all still just pigs.

Luckily today we can depend on DNA to give us the exact pedigree

There are 3 different major strains of wild pigs in Texas.
Feral which I think Vern1 hit the nail on the head According to dictionary definitions[1] a feral animal is one that has itself escaped from a domestic or captive status and is living more or less as a wild animal, or one that is descended from such animals.
Then there is more of a eurasian strain which a lot of people call Russians same thing to me.
Then there is the cross of the 2 strains above.
The feral strain from my experience get larger, weigh more, and are more colorful etc… they show more of the domestic traits.
The eurasian strain (most people call russian)
from wiki
Common wild boar Sus scrofa scrofa: The most common and most widespread subspecies, its original distribution ranges from France to European Russia. It has been introduced in Sweden, Norway, the US and Canada.
I also own a taxidermy shop and the sculls of these animals are much different they are different species of pigs. The Eurasian strain is more of a solid color black, grey, reddish tinge to the tips of their hair, split ends, whitish or grayish tinge to them. Their babies are striped until about 6 months of age. I have caught and raised them and watched the stripes disappear. These pigs do not have spots or multiple colors on them as adults.

In the same way that a Chihuahua and a Wolf are still just dogs. Both dogs, both very different.

Did you know that snakes and fish theoretically have no size limits? Literally they can grow forever as long as they have the food and space to grow. Why are there no 60 foot anacondas? No 40 foot Great Whites? Because their environments WON'T sustain specimens of that size. Same with feral/wild hogs. Domestic hogs don't have to compete for resources to the extent that wild/feral hogs do and thusly can get much much bigger than their feral kin.

Once again, there are no VW proportioned feral/hogs out there.


Chupa

I wonder if anyone has had a hogzilla mounted and where did the mold come from? I love to see a full or half-body mount of one of these giants.

BassPro in Grapevine, in the men's bathroom hangs a big picture of a
1194 lb (IIRC) pig/hog/hawg/russssssian boar harvested in the swamp of Mongolia

they do get bigger than 500 lbs in the wild

It's common in Romania to have wild boar that get to 600 lbs. or more, but I think that's a characteristic of the subspecies there and wild pigs, where they are native, seem to generally follow Bergmann's rule.

I don't think that means that a feral pig in Texas has the capacity to get as big as a Manchurian boar any more than a little Shiraz moose has the capcity to reach the size of those giants in Alaska and Western Canada.

Dunno Chupa this one was close to a VW LOL!

Nice Hog guess!!!

those naysayers obviously hadn't hunted hogs in west , north west of Texas

I've seen some very big hogs in Haskell ... they get fat on wheat fields then bath in that cool stream or river

Try quoting wiki in court when by their definition when someone shoots a "feral" cow, horse or for that matter registered duroc.

I'm simply saying there is a BIG difference in a released or escaped domestic and a hog of domestic/feral descent. Big difference and you and most other logical thinking people know exactly what I mean.

If someone wants to kill a release or escapee domestic and claim it's a wild boar, I don't give a rats behind. However in my opinion it's only a feral hog if it is born wild, regardless of it's heritage otherwise.

We've killed a few hogs in Central Texas. I bought my first night vision scope in 1984, when the hogs first appeared in our part of the world. After many years of trying to keep the hogs off of our country, we started the guide service in 2009...and that's when we started counting how many hogs we killed.

Since 2009, we've taken pictures of about 1000 dead hogs per year. (I'm sure that a lot more met their demise) In that time, I've only seen 3 hogs that cleared 400 lbs. I'm not saying that they're not out there...but I will go on record saying that I think there are a lot more hogs in Texas that are below 150 lbs. than there are above 150!

Just my 2 cents.....flame away.

that is a fact. WE hunt 300+ days a year and have killed a few thousand hogs, The really big hogs are getting far a few between. In the beginning{21 years ago} we killed many really big hogs. In the last 2 years I have seen a decline in mature hogs for sure. Technology is helping guys that can't find a hog in a hog pen find hogs that would normally go undetected.
Another thing I've noticed just this year, is how many hogs will lay still and let you walk right on by. I have seen this in heavily pressured areas in the past and suspected that many more than what we knew about did this. Since I started using THERMAL in the day time. I've seen many hogs including the young stick tight to brush and let us walk by. They are changing with the tactics! So am I!

It takes mature hogs with good genetics and ample food sources to get big. Helps if they are smart! Shore do love the dumb ones though!

LMAO! Yep! But everybody shoots the BIG ones! I always tell my clients..."Shoot the little ones first...the big ones are easier to hit when they start running!".....But NO!!! Everybody aims at the big one first...the little ones get a kitchen pass!

I usually try to shoot the one that keeps it's head high and alert. If I'm lucky and it's the leader the others are often confused for a lack of better words. I shoot'em all big and small! The weeones do eat better!

And just who are the "Nay sayers"?

I don't know how to be any more clear as to what I'm saying. Glen understands what I'm saying and so far appears to be the only one. Are there 400+lb hogs in the wild? Yes, absolutely. Are they truly "Wild"? Some are, some aren't. Are the 500+lbers wild? Nope! Hogzilla was NOT a wild/feral hog.

I can't be any more concise than that. I'll try and learn some smaller words for future use.

Chupa

I concur completely.


Chupa

now wait just a minute chupa, in 21 years we have killed 3 over 500, documented two of them. 100% feral not released or even resembling domestic, But they are rare! two were very old and one learned to rob protein feeders. However you have to remember we hunt 300+ days a year on land that is in most cases off limits to the average guy. Of course we know hogs roam and they are not fences in, but they had opportunity to get old and big.
I have a 100% feral hog that I cut out of his mothers belly. He may break 600 now, Tried to weigh him he didn't like the trailer. I sold his brother 3 years ago at 425, he was easily 50 pounds lighter than porky. The potential is there, however as stated rare. All I can say guys is that if you kill a big one, 300+ document it take pics, video and such on certified scales. Nearly stops and feed stores have them.

Glen, I'm aware of your hog you have penned at your house, he's at the end of all your videos. And although he is infact technically a wild/feral hog, he does not have to compete for resources as a feral hog living in the wild would. So that example would/is skewed at best.

I could POSSIBLY concede that under exceptionally rare and extraordinary circumstances that there MIGHT be a handful of 500lb free ranging, wild/feral, hogs sprinkled about the continent. I could also POSSIBLY concede that bigfoot,nessie, little green men and leprachauns MIGHT exist as well. Just because you haven't seen IT, doesn't mean it doesn't exist. I've never seen God, but I believe he exists.


Chupa

Ah , but you and I both have seen evidence of his existence. I believe as well.

Just to be clear Glen, I don't disagree with you lightly. In fact quite the opposite. The fact that you merely say "I'm not so sure" gives me pause to rethink my beliefs on this topic. That is how much I respect your views on this topic. But I still believe that truly wild specimens much above 400lbs are rarer than hens teeth, and definitely not a once a week occurrence on internet chat boards.

Chupa

I would imagine that any of the hog buyers who buy wild hogs for slaughter could shed some light on numbers and weights of wild hogs.

I appreciate that Chupa.

WIKI...LOL...it WAS good for a laugh wasn't it?

There is lots of scientific stuff out there and quite a few accounts of big pigs.

I really don't care much one way or another but still like to discuss it you guys.
I always try to look at all the info and learn as I go....

That being said, I would be Honored to hunt with any of you.

A wild boar above 400lbs is gona be rare... now a wild barr above 400lbs... plenty of them