The Beasts Come Back

We've been having problems with wild hogs tearing up our yards for years, but there are certain times when they really go crazy and make a big mess no matter how close we watch them. We (us and a friends of ours) set up about five hog traps around the yard and have caught probably around 20 in the past 2 months, not including the ones that we shot. As of now, we keep seven medium size pigs in a pen and plan to butcher them in late fall or winter.

Last night, they tore up around the two ponds but the worst was at the bass pond where the lotus grows and it was heartbreaking! Good thing we have abundant of them (lotus, that is).

The hogs tore up one corner

and an area next to it on right.

That bare spot used to be covered with lotus plants.

I immediately checked if the pickerel reed

(with purple blooms) are spared from the hog rage

and fortunately they are.

Fallen stems and leaves of lotus.

The hogs ate up the roots.

And left some lotus leaves about 5ft/1.5m away

from the crime scene.

One of the culprits is caught in a trap,

but this is only a little one, but real mean.

We need to get the big ones that we have

been seeing around the property.

Let the hog war rolls!