One of the men standing around the caged wild boar, the youngest of the lot, wanted the boar to turn around. So he picked up a garden hoe, poked it through the wire to get the beast to turn its head.

I couldn’t follow the action that ensued. The pig slung its head so fast none of us could follow the action, the hoe went flying out of the cage, narrowly missed one fellow and clanged to the ground some dozen feet away somewhat bent!

The animal reacted so fast we all jumped back – no one actually seeing what had happened. One minute the hoe had touched the animal and the next split second the hoe was skidding across the ground 10 feet away!

We were all thinking his speed at rejecting being poked with a hoe is just how quickly he would take off a few fingers had we reached instead in the cage with a hand!

Donnie Robinson has trapped 113 wild hogs in less than a year. He has 213 in less than two years. He usually keeps them in an enclosure separate from the trap until they can be put down and processed. This hog is estimated to have weighed 300 pounds and he tore his way out of the trap and escaped.

“He headed east toward another trap site I have and that is where I caught him again in the trap there,” Robinson said.

The crew made a video of the exchange from the trap to the holding cage – a loud, and eventful scene as steel doors crashed and Donnie had a close call that could have cost him several fingers.

This hog is solid red, even though wild hogs can be any color. Unlike the collard peccary of Texas and other western states, wild hogs of many Southern states came from domestic hogs that escaped to the wild or were abandoned by early Americans. The hogs have evolved and scattered across the land. They have developed tusks, very long noses and are known to be quite wild and vicious.

Wild hogs are often hunted with dogs. When cornered they can do considerable damage to dogs. Typically they are bayed and if wanted for their pork, they are shot or some get plenty of action by approaching a bayed hog with a knife! The hog is “stuck” in the throat and the meat is very good if the hog is young and in good condition.

Land is quite heavily damaged by wild hogs where they exist and are not controlled. They “root” the land with their snouts to find small mammals, seeds, tubers and roots. By reputation they are said to “eat anything,” so they are considered a serious pest to pastures and many kinds of agriculture.

The Mississippi Department of Wildlife, Fisheries and Parks a few years ago changed regulations to allow night hunting of them on private properties. They are considered a “nuisance” animal. Hog hunting is not for everyone, but if you like excitement and want to help control them, join the next hunt you are invited to attend.