Pigs--Wild Pigs

Pigs—Wild pigs

December 28, 2009

Pigs are not native to America, although they have been here longer than most of our ancestors. The Spanish brought them on their ships. In the Southeast escapes were rampant. Anyway, they have been running wild for perhaps, hundreds of years. They are a prolific group. Florida farmers and ranchers have been fighting them for as long as they have tried to co-exist on the same land. They destroy crops in their rutting rituals. After a few hundred years, where the wild hogs were ahead in the game, they are now loosing ground. Like so many other critters and plants, their habitat is being developed.

When we lived in South Florida, there was a road about five miles south of our house where on any given day, one could see one, two or groups of pigs digging along the side of the road. They are rather a shy bunch. If the cars stayed on a steady pace, the pigs would continue to nosh. If the cars slowed down, the pigs would head for the deep woods a few feet away. We were still seeing the pigs on the road in South Florida five years ago when we moved to north central. But, they have slowly disappeared. Can’t imagine where they have gone.

In our abode here in north central Florida, despite the fact that we are verrrrry rural, we had never seen a wild pig. I know they exist. I have seen evidence of their diggings, but I had never seen one.

Driving along County Road 326 East we could see in the distance a strange clump. It looked like someone dropped several large garbage bags in a pile along the side of the road. As we drew neigh, we discovered the “pile” was moving. We slowed the care down to discover a herd of pigs (at least I think one must have to call them a “herd”)—three adults and at least twenty young pigs all around the same age—maybe a couple of months old. They were munching happily and seemingly without fear. I asked Steve to turn around so that we could get a better look. He did. When we got back to the pigs chowing down and pulled onto the grass, they melted into the woods behind the barbed wire fence and vanished from our sight. They were cute and could hardly seem destructive. Browns and blacks with a few with a bit of white. There are pig hunters out there. Watch out little guys.

I always enjoy nature as it exists. I am not a hunter; nor am I anti-hunting. But, they were fun to watch.