Free ranging livestock may come to an end.

[RHRanch]

Enemies foreign and domestic.

Yes, because pig hunting would be so beneficial in comparison to practicing tactical manuvers or drills. And who here doesn't want to fund a war on "damage control" for the bad behavior of irresponsible people. Sure, let the military hunt the pigs if the fines for the farmers who did this pay for it.

 

[chickened]

The military is like firemen you pay for them to be there when you need them, they have guns and can shoot I see no problem with it... if it is as big a problem as they portray it. Europe seems to deal with them OK.

Farmers are beginning to realize they can make more money raising animals for hunting than food... cannot blame them after what some have done to them in regards to animal rights and environmental laws taking the prpofit out of farming and traditional animal husbandry.

Yes, because pig hunting would be so beneficial in comparison to practicing tactical manuvers or drills. And who here doesn't want to fund a war on "damage control" for the bad behavior of irresponsible people. Sure, let the military hunt the pigs if the fines for the farmers who did this pay for it.

 

[dainerra]

and donate the meat to feed the less-fortunate

 

[chickened]

exactly... and that would upset the major pushers of the bill... pork producers... I see why they are behind it. I have never heard of anyone getting sick from proper care and cooking of wild hog and it taste better and is better for you than store pork.

What Punkadoodle suggested seems the best course.

and donate the meat to feed the less-fortunate

 

[RHRanch]

Yeah, I am sure that major pork producers are quaking in their boots "Oh no, what will happen if the military starts shooting
trichinosis infected wild hogs and then the meat is in competiton with our cheap mass produced efficiently shipped product?!???"

I also forgot that one of the reasons I support military funding is to clean up the messes of irresponsible people so concerned about thier own profits that they wrecklessly endangered the proifits of other farmers, the enviorment and my tax dollar. Did they care about what it might cost me when they released pigs? Nope. And now it's unfair to tell them that they cannot keep doing this? I am sure they have had plenty of warning about this and they just continued to do what they wanted for fast profits. Now they won't get to do it anymore and I am somehow supposed to feel sorry for them and be outraged that they have lost thier rights to destroy the enviorment and damage the property and profits of others? Yeah, right.

 

[Capvin]

Living in Florida where the feral pig population is hugh and destructive I am certain that this is not a free range issue and it is also one problem that I can not see the military getting involved in no matter what happens. Here in Central Florida we can shoot a feral hog at any time. Most of the time the hogs are butchered and either eaten by the hunter or given to various food banks. When I first moved to my present house I was visited by several wild pigs who made a big mess of my lawn. Their names were Dave, Barbara...oh, forgot, not those types of pigs. In any event I spent a couple of nights watching from my second floor deck and eventually they came back and I shot 6 of them. The next night I shot two more and I have never had a problem since. I called a wild game butcher in Okeechobee who came that same day and picked up the hogs, butchered them and packaged the meat. Most of the meat was made into sausage which was quite good. It all was frozen and over a period of a month or so was given away to various people who were very happy to get it. I had no trouble finding families who wanted the meat and even though it did personally cost me a lot of money I enjoyed getting rid of the problem and enjoyed giving the meat away to people who appreciated it.

 

[RHRanch]

Living in Florida where the feral pig population is hugh and destructive I am certain that this is not a free range issue and it is also one problem that I can not see the military getting involved in no matter what happens. Here in Central Florida we can shoot a feral hog at any time. Most of the time the hogs are butchered and either eaten by the hunter or given to various food banks. When I first moved to my present house I was visited by several wild pigs who made a big mess of my lawn. Their names were Dave, Barbara...oh, forgot, not those types of pigs. In any event I spent a couple of nights watching from my second floor deck and eventually they came back and I shot 6 of them. The next night I shot two more and I have never had a problem since. I called a wild game butcher in Okeechobee who came that same day and picked up the hogs, butchered them and packaged the meat. Most of the meat was made into sausage which was quite good. It all was frozen and over a period of a month or so was given away to various people who were very happy to get it. I had no trouble finding families who wanted the meat and even though it did personally cost me a lot of money I enjoyed getting rid of the problem and enjoyed giving the meat away to people who appreciated it.

Capvin, Florida has also been overrun by many destructive invasive species, has it not? Exotic reptiles, invasive fish, giant rats I seem to recall... ?

 

[punk-a-doodle]

Some points to consider:
DNR is in direct competition with the game/hunting facilities. DNR receives money from people hunting on DNR managed land (this includes private land under a DNR agreement). On many private game ranches, hunting licenses (DNR money) are not required.

MI senators who support the DNR hog ban have largely cited industry protection reasons, not environmental protections. The MI commercial pork industry strongly supports this ban:
http://www.mipork.org/

Pseudorabies is one reason cited by the industry for not wanting feral pigs around (the cite I am about to link contrasts with other reports that 20 percent or less of feral hogs are infected/carriers). I can see why it would be a concern given what conditions leave animals open to infection:
http://myfwc.com/wildlifehabitats/health-disease/pseudorabies/#vaccine
It says that stress from overcrowding and poor nutrition can increase exposure rates.
More on Industry concerns:
http://www.mlive.com/news/kalamazoo/index.ssf/2011/09/authorities_look_for_help_to_c.html

Killing fenced, contained pigs will not help the issue, and that is just one area the ban oversteps on. The vague language and lack of scientific distinguishing characteristics is yet another concern:
http://www.michigan.gov/documents/dnr/MDNR_DECLARATORY_RULING_2011-12-13_FINAL_371200_7.pdf

http://www.michiganfarmbureau.com/farmnews/transform.php?xml=20070430/cover.xml

According to the recommendation from the Natural Resources Commission and the Agriculture Commission, the MDA and DNR should "pursue the following recommendations:

• Ban all recreational shooting of swine behind fences;

• depopulate swine from all Michigan privately owned cervid ranches, game ranches, wild game breeding facilities and other enclosed ranches;

Total hippie tree-hugged here who hates canned hunts....but, I appreciate fairness and solutions that work for the environment regardless of my personal feelings. I don't see this ban as helping the environment. Solid management, regulation, monetary incentives, and working with people will help with the feral hogs. Having farmers send in photos so an unqualified official can tell them if their fenced in hog is "feral" or not..I'm definitely skeptical.

 

[dainerra]

personally, as a hunter, I find game ranches disgusting and would have no problem with them all being banned tomorrow.

 

[rebelcowboysnb]

I have no more problem with canned hunts than I do with people stocking a private pond to fish in.