'Pig and pussy hunt' - take your helicopter

[Flying Lawyer]

Telegraph reportAustralian animal lovers condemn cat and wild boar cull
Sydney 19/12/2003

Australian animal lovers are outraged at an Outback town's plan to hold a Christmas "pig and pussy hunt", in which wild boar and feral cats will be trapped, shot, knifed, dynamited or run over.

Up to 100 hunters from all over Australia are converging on the gold mining town of Pine Creek, in the Northern Territory, to take part in the hunt, which starts at dawn on Boxing Day.

Organisers say the aim is to wipe out as many wild pigs and cats as possible. Both species are blamed for killing millions of Australian native animals a year, including endangered mammals, lizards, snakes and birds.

"We don't care how they kill them as long as we get rid of them," said organiser Rod Haines, a hunter who runs Pine Creek's Lazy Lizard caravan park.

"You can shoot them from a helicopter, run them over on the road, get them with a bow and arrow or chuck a stick of dynamite at them."

He said the last option was not recommended, after hunters strapped a stick of dynamite to a wild pig a few years ago and lit the fuse. The creature promptly bolted under their car and blew itself, and the vehicle, to pieces.

There are an estimated 2.5 million pigs in the Northern Territory, with the larger males renowned for their ferocity and razor-sharp tusks.

Most hunters will go after them at night with packs of "pig dogs", normally bull mastiffs or pit bull terriers equipped with rubber body armour.

"Anything that steps off the veranda is fair game," Mr Haines said. "You can knock off a neighbour's cat if it's not been locked up at night, as it should be. I'm not a cruel man but these animals are wiping out our native wildlife. We are just giving Mother Nature a helping hand."

Full report (http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/main.jhtml?xml=/news/2003/12/19/wcat19.xml&sSheet=/news/2003/12/19/ixworld.html)

ABC News Online Shooters gather for Pig and Pussy hunt.

The organiser of an annual feral animal hunt in the Northern Territory says it is attracting interest nationwide.

Rod Haines from Pine Creek, 200 kilometres south of Darwin, says this year's Pig and Pussy hunt has a $700 prize for the biggest boar.
He says the hunt starts on Boxing Day with the weigh-in on New Year's Day.

Mr Haines says the event is becoming very popular. "We've created a lot of interest from the east coast mainly," he said. "There's a lot of north Queensland hunters coming over this year. A few people left from Melbourne two days ago to head up for it that were up here for the August hunt. I hear there's a few coming from WA. So we're pretty well getting it Australia-wide now."

(BTW, interesting how two news organs report the same story with a very different spin.)

[pigboat]

Damn, I'd better keep me bloody boat away from Oz on the 26th.

[RDRickster]

I see that the "hick-a-saurus-rex" is not an extinct animal after all! :D Still, I know plenty of folks that have an usual amount of animosity against felines. If I were in the area at the time, I'm sure the red kneck inside me would beg to be released (if for only one day). I think it's absolutely hilarious, and it's probably a great deal of fun (in a seriously disturbed and twisted way).

[John Eacott]

As the reports mention, it's an annual event, and every now & then the animal libbers get a tad het up about it all. The Territory being what it is, they don't get very far with their whinges and whines ;)

Nationally we have major problems with feral cats, they run rampant through areas "locked up" to many forms of human access (dreaded 4WD's, etc) and are responsible, along with the fox, for the near extinction of a number of native species. A lot of local shire councils now require domestic cats to be registered & be locked up at night.

Just outside Melbourne, areas which were alive with Lyrebirds are now bereft of the species. They have been wiped out locally by foxes, which live in the gorse & brambles that are everywhere since Parks Victoria banned 4WD and recreational access some 10-12 years ago.

Having said all that, I wonder who will be out there pig shooting from a Robbo in the Top End :ok:

[diethelm]

I met my first wife at a pig and pussy hunt........

[rjsquirrel]

What a coincidence, diethelm, so do I!

[SASless]

Ere Now? I's been lied to by the American NRA....they said all the guns have been confiscated in OZ! Said only pellet guns were legal....and then only so long as you did not have the gun in the same square mile as the pellets occupied. What gives?

:confused:

[John Eacott]

That was Oz. We're talking about the Territory, where they don't have speed limits, either :ok:

[OFBSLF]

Ere Now? I's been lied to by the American NRA....they said all the guns have been confiscated in OZ! Said only pellet guns were legal....and then only so long as you did not have the gun in the same square mile as the pellets occupied. What gives? NRA never said that. They did say that the OZ government spent several hundred million $Aus buying back semi-auto handguns and rifles. There are still lots of other guns left in OZ. Some of them even legal ;)

[Thomas coupling]

Sounds like someones sex life:uhoh:

[Check 6]

When guns are outlawed, only outlaws will have guns.

;)

[Red Wine]

The Territory with no highway speed limit....result, 2.5 times the national road deaths / 1000 vehicles.

You can still register handguns, some limited automatic rifles and shotguns in the territory and the deaths by firearms in the Territory has remained static, whereas the rest of the country has declined after the buyback scheme commenced.

Suicide [by firearms...total] is down, so is domestic violence, child deaths by accidental discharge and homicide.

Bet the NRA did'nt tell you that.....or they twisted it!!!

But I would, shoot, drown and run over as many felines as I possibly could....good on them.

[B Sousa]

Im not going to split atoms anytime soon, but a "Pig and Pussy Hunt"?? Hell, I was a Marine once and that was called Weekend Liberty......
Remember Boys and Girls. a 2 at 10, is a 10 at 2 or at least drink her up to a 4, have some pride.

[WLM]

Red Wine
The major cause of fatal road accidents in the NT, relates to International visitors, unable to handle the extra speed and road conditions. As a result, most of our major tourist spot access are speed limited. This is not really fair as your typical local NT driver is not a hoon, and can drive. I have seen worse frustrated driving behaviour in other parts of OZ, and I rather stay with the NT rules.
You should see Asia........:oh:
As to firearms, we did not have much of a problem compared to other states. And yes, we can still have handguns, if we belong to a club, or as employment purposes. Our NT lunatic population is almost non existant...:cool:
Feral pigs: you should see the damage done to National Parks and Stations. Nobody wants to pay the costs of eradication, so if people are willing to participate in this event at their cost, the more the better.:ok:

[Red Wine]

Sorry Mate, thats not totally correct.

Single vehicle roll overs are the biggest killer....caused by speed.

I'm a lot closer to the action than you think, and my facts are facts!!!!

The statistics that I have [Official Government] don't seem to single out any national or international grouping....but from the Casualty Department of both YPAS and YPDN Hospitals, it would seem the Black fella, then local White Fella and then a sprinkling of others rate in that order.

You hit the rough at 180 kph mate and your history....no matter where you come from.

[Steve76]

Those who have lived in the NT like WLM and myself, know only too well the massive ecological impact these introduced species have on the native wildlife and fauna. Both of us have trudged around with the scientists and seen first had the erosion from the buffallo, pig and the destruction caused by the cat.

Shooting ferals is a service to the continent. Blow the lot of them away as far as I am concerned and do the same to the rabbits and opposums.....eh Timo!! Roll on those lazy sunday avos again.... :)

It is not cruel or vicious- but instead an environmental service. Every 22 slug I have buried in the head of a rabbit, possum and cat has been an investment for the future enjoyment of national parks and wildlife for my children. If I could've caught them and used a club to save ammo that would've been even better.

If you are a European or North American, you will probably never understand completely. The odd Canadian knows the issues as they deal with the Moose in eastern canada.

As for the driving......well what do you expect when you put northern hemisphere drivers on the wrong side of the road? :hmm:

[WLM]

Well said Steve76...We're not going to win points with the RSPCA are we.......:D
Red Wine, no offence intended and I take your point about some members of our society... I think driving under the influence might be a participating culprit as well. However, I still prefer the NT rules to the rest of OZ.. :}

[RDRickster]

If there is so much destruction by a large population of varmints, why won't your government invest in some kind of eradication or population control? Seems to me that birth control for the species (capture & release or other method) would help reduce numbers. We've done it in the U.S. with certain species with pretty good results (they basically breed themselves out of existance because they are shooting blanks).

Oh, suggestion is NOT intended to get rid of the annual festivities. I just wish I knew about this earlier... I could have planned a vacation around it! :D

[SASless]

Rickster....some governments are not as apt to intervene in people's lives like the US Federal Government. The major problem in Oz as I understand it....besides the women wanting to stand at the bar nowadays...is all the "imported" species that have no natural predators. Guam has almost lost all of the birds due to snakes showing up in freight shipments....New Zealand has its problems as well...as does Hawaii. Even the USA is beginning to have problems....Fire Ants, Killer Bees, mussels, aquatic plants, Kudzu.....the list goes on.

The hunt as described must be a giggle....stalking the dangerous wild pussy...doing in the cornered Opossum...participating in the Barbied Boar.....hunting the wily enviromentalist!:ok:

[sycamore]

We should have one around Dover- Hunt the oppressed Asylum -Seeker!:eek:

[B Sousa]

On a more serious note, if Pigs are such a problem, I cant imagine why folks down there do not offer "Guided Hunts" Its big money in the States. I would love to come down and get a couple. Just bought a brand new .17wmr Ruger with Scope and would love to see how it works at a couple hundred yards.
Nothing better than a Pig on the Barbie......(Im sure someone will cap on that last line)

[Av8r]

I know we are digressing, but:

The worst environmental problem the Northern territory faces is the slow march of the introduced Cane Toad into Kakadu National Park.
Cane toads themselves were a biological control introduced into Queensland in 1935 against beetle grubs that were affecting sugar cane crops. The toads did not control the grubs, but have since flourished and extended their range throughout much of Queensland and the Northern Territory. The fauna think they are a local frog, eat them and die from the poison. (Each cane toad can easily kill a croc.)
The Australian government have effectively done nothing about it. :mad:
If our overseas PPrune friends want to see the World Heritage Listed Kakadu National Park as featured on Croc Dundee, I suggest you start packing. It won’t be around much longer.

http://www.abc.net.au/science/news/stories/s262763.htm

[RDRickster]

Hank,

You probably don't get outside the USA much. If you were surrounded by a plague of <whatever>, then you'd be happy to see the pests removed by any means. This festival seems to make an event out of it. Why are fishing tournaments any different or considered more "humane?" To each his own... personally, I find it hilarious (I'm one sick mutha).

Actually, you don't have to go outside the U.S. to see similar activities. There is a town in Ohio that does the annual "turkey drop." Yes, sports fans, that's right... they fly a large living turkey up to about a 1000' inside a Cessna and then they toss it out the door! Tukey's don't have the kind of wings that will allow them to glide, and when they are on the ground they only fly about 20-50' anyway.

What do you think happens to their wings when launched out the door at 100 knots? Since you aren't a tree-hugg'in vegetarian, I wonder if you ever seen how cows are slaughtered? Now that is a site! I guess the packaging makes you a gentleman and puts you above the rest of us Neanderthals.

R2

[wish2bflying]

Guided hunts, helicopter shoots - we have both, quite an industry in it. Pick up any shooting magazine in Australia and you'll find pig, deer, cat, goat, water buffalo shooting trip stories. One a year or so ago told the tale of some shooters invited to a farm to help with a "bit of a cat problem", and ended up running out of ammo before they were finished, and not because they missed too often!

Farmers regularly invite shooters to their properties and offer a bounty for pigs or whatever they are having a problem with.

This is a very good thing for the aviation industry in Australia as well, because we have such a large landmass that the best way to get to the more remote places is often by air.

Perhaps this or next year the "pig and pussy hunt" could be combined with a fly-in and cover both communities!

[Happy Landing !]

Our wonderful:( British Government ought to take a leaf out of the OZ book regarding hunting. The B-Lair croneys take notice of the tree hugging - animal rights groups, who incidently gave them a large donation last year (funny that :confused: ) in order to facilitate a ban on hunting foxes with hounds in the UK.

Just look what will happen a few years down the line if it went ahead!

[Vfrpilotpb]

B Sousa,

Isn't that calibre just a might small for pigs or boars?

Peter R-B

[OZBUSDRIVER]

Donkeys were the best. Just line up on the cross and..AH whats the use trying to explain it. U all reckon its just a substitute for having small d**ks:E

Hank Bobinson The biggest problem with western community in general is that it is so far removed and sanitised from the food chain that it realy hasn't got any idea what is involved in keeping us alive. Mind you the UK have done a bang up job feeding cows and sheep some choice offal over the years and now U get to reap the rewards.

[Aussie Mate]

Gee Mate...Stone the Bloody Crows.

Last count we musta shot 100 Grand of them Buffs, and another 55 K of them grunters, and they still are as thick as the Greenies down south.

They are both as bad for the country as each udder up here, but just arn't smart enough to understand that.

Get rid of all the stuff that those dills from the Uk and Afganistan brought with em.
But not to quickly as its great for my bank, keeps the kids happy and the woman from nagging me to much.

Selective breeding is the way to go....and I know just where to start.

[B Sousa]

VFRPilotPB Writes:"B Sousa,

Isn't that calibre just a might small for pigs or boars?

Peter R-B"

Its a new thing thats come onto the market. Yes .17wmr is very small and Pigs are not to be made angry for sure. The bullet is small and the case is similar to a 22 Magnum. The dam thing comes out at 2550 fps. Sweet little gun.... I have done Wild Pigs with 223 Military and good shots work OK. Im sure a backup would be required, but its similar to fishing for Sharks on light tackle. Challenging, with a good prize for the dinner table.
One would think this thread is on a hunting forum.......

[diethelm]

Now if it is sport you want, it is too bad we cannot arm the animals and let Darwin sort out the winner..........

[B Sousa]

Diethelm brings up a good Point. I have heard mention that many folks are alive today as its illegal to kill them.....
Im sure many folks have a long laundry list should their personal Physicians give them some bad news.

[Lu Zuckerman]

In Iran the shepherds bring their sheep to market in the larger towns and cities. The sheep are herded by a group of “sheep dogs.” When the shepherds return to their farms they have no more use for the dogs so they cull out those that they don’t want and they cut the pads on their paws so they cant walk. These dogs eventually breed and soon there are hundreds of them in large packs. They are not vicious and they usually forage in the Jubes (open sewers). Many of the Americans would adopt one or more of these dogs and feed them. The dogs would park themselves outside of the apartment buildings where their benefactors lived.

The Iranians being Moslem feel that dogs are unclean and periodically the police would come around and shoot the dogs.


:E :E :{

[OFBSLF]

hunting the wily enviromentalistReminds me of my favorite vegetarian recipe. First, catch a vegetarian...

[John Eacott]

Mr S,

Great link, I don't think I'll get too much serious work done this morning...................

:ok: :ok:

[ShyTorque]

My father and his colleagues were subjected to the incessant noise caused by such a desert dog pup that had been adopted by an Officer in Aden in WWII. The officer initially had kept it in his own block but was told to get rid of it because it howled all night long. He then tied in in the stairwell of the airmens' accommodation.

Unfortunately it suffered a tragic accident. A fire extinguisher fell on it from the top floor in the middle of the night. :suspect:

[Hughesy]

Mr Selfish, excellent! :}
All this talk about hunting has made me decide to go bush for a few days and hunt some Sika deer after xmas.

[Aussie Mate]

You white fella’s are all the same.

Dem Rabbits and Camels and Buff’s didn’t come from here mate….you musta brought em?
And Birth Control?...great idea mate….in your case mate I would make it retrospective.

[Travelling Toolbox]

Hank Bobinson

Hey Hank buddy,

How do you make a feral cat bark?

Poor a gallon of benzine on it and light and it goes WOOF!:E

[I'm gone!]

Gday all,

If you miss the great "pig and pussy hunt' the West side of Cape York has an absolute abundance of big porkers all year round.

Fly to Cairns then Shrike or TurboCommander your way to Inkerman Station or there abouts and blast away!

Nothing smaller than 308 or 30-06 should be carried in my opinion, it is normally an all close range, shoot like sh!t affair. Lever actions are great for when they come running out of the grass straigt at you!

Cheers,
Merry Xmas,
I'm gone!

[the wizard of auz]

I find that my .222 with a well placed shot will do the job on most occasions, but when the range streches a bit I pull out the .300WM and if it gets hit it stays hit.
all the wingers want to get out of the city and have a real look at what some of the introduced species are getting up to. (they should be made to watch a moggy toy with a small animal for an hour or so before it kills it). I was out the nullabour the other day and whilst cleaning out a holding paddock that I had put sheep into the day before, noticed a lot of dead ones lying around. after closer inspection it became apparant tha a pack of wild dogs had been into the mob and killed about thirty odd and left another thirty with a range of wounds that required the sheep to be put down. thingd like lips torn off, muscles in the hip and back area being torn out completely, large gapping stomach wounds with intestines hanging out, Ect. not one single sheep had been eaten. this is mainly a result of bleeding heart city folk dumping dogs that the dont want instead of shooting them. (its seen very regularly out in the areas I work in. us bush folk will destroy an animal rather than dumping it)
I shot Camels, Donkeys, Kangaroos, horses, wild cattle, buffs for a living for quite a number of years, (and actually paid for my pilots licence by doing it)and shot Cats, Foxes, Wild dogs (not Dingoes) and all other forms on nasties, just coz they were there.
And I will continue to do so even though I dont shoot for a living any longer.
I go on a pig and pussy hunt most friday nights at the local. always looking for one and ending up with the other.
:}

[OZBUSDRIVER]

WIZ You must have been involved with the BTEC campaign.

[the wizard of auz]

Ok, I'll bite......... the what campaign?
Is that the one about cows and lungs, or a shot from undercover?

[Red Wine]

Obviously you didn’t get up to the Top End in the 80's - 90's.

It was a Government Campaign to rid Brucellosis from the country. The disease was spread by introduced wild critters, mainly Buffs....there were many 100,000's of them shot from a swarm of helicopters, normally with a 7.62 SLR [Ex Aussie Military standard issue]
Pigs and camels were also targeted, but can't recall if they spread that disease or something else.....

BTEC = Brucellosis ??????? Eradication Campaign [If I remember correctly].

Merry Xmas.

[the wizard of auz]

I was guessing that was what it meant but wasn't sure.(hence the comment about cows and lungs).
I did manage to do a bit of the eradication program in the pilbara in the late 80s and early 90s.
we used govt issued 7.62x39s. old L1A1 SLRs. great for shooting hot brass down the pilots shirt neck and realy creating some cheek twiching gyroscopic manouvers. :E

I think the T part was TB.

[Red Wine]

You had better duck if that was you who put a couple of holes in my tail boom???

[the wizard of auz]

Wasn't me!!!, I only managed the hot brass bit. you better duck if you were the pilot that tried to rub me off on a gum tree when it all got a bit exciting. ;) all in the name of making a dollar I spose. :}

[SASless]

Now fellas I ain't making this up....current bunch of SLF (Self Loading Freight) I haul around do the hawg hunt thing using knives. They turn loose a couple of Pitbulls to divert the Hawg's attention...then they dart in and do the poor ol' critter with the knife.

When invited to join the affair...I asked them to modify the Table of Organization and Equipment (TO & E). I opined I would like to see one man assigned a shotgun with an extended magazine....for use on the dawgs if they should bite me instead of the hawg. My pax are a manly bunch...:ok:

[t'aint natural]

Take special care when shooting anything from an R22.
Some years ago Robinson lost a lawsuit brought by a shooter after the recoil knocked the fuel tap off. (Presumably he was a southpaw). Robinson was held (from memory) to be 20 percent to blame.

[RobboRider]

t'aint natural

Do you have any recollection of why the courts decided that Robinson was 20% to blame?

I guess probably because there wasn't a sign on the tap saying "Don't turn this tap off in flight with a rifle"

[Steve76]

The tap should always be zip-tied ON anyway.....
Dogs and knife are standard fare in NZ. I used to carry a single barrel shotgun with a slug as backup. Oz is the only place I know of that they use a rifle most of the time.

[RDRickster]

So, how much "pussy" did we bag on the 26th? :}
Any Rotorhead win the $700 prize? :ok:

[CoodaShooda]

BTEC - Brucellosis and Tuberculosis Eradication Campaign - targetted cattle and buffalo. Bit of a bother at the time but we've ended up with a herd that is marketable anywhere/any time. :ok:

The numbers of horses, donkeys and pigs in the bush are well beyond any reasonable level of control. We'd need the US's annual defence budget to make a significant dent in them. Ditto cane toads. :{

Latest from the Hunt is 60 pigs to date totalling 1800kg, with the largest at 108kg. This is down on last year's winner at 119kg but there's still a few days to go and they've seen one possibly weighing in at 130kg. (Mind you, the hunters are also trying their luck with the barramundi and you know how fishermen tend to exaggerate.)
The barra are only little 'uns at around 750mm to 1 metre in length.

No cats brought in yet but quite a few cane toads have met their maker. Largest toad weighed in at 1kg.

Is it possible the toads are seeing to the cats? :eek: :ok:

[Near Miss]

Wizard, doesn't the L1A1 fire a NATO 7.62 x 54? And the Type 54 or AK47 etc fire the 7.62 x 39? The reason being we could use their ammo, but they could not use ours.

As for shoting feral pigs and cats, bring it on. I grew up in the country and when it was dry (ie most of the time), the roos, pigs and goats used to do huge amounts of damage to crops. And if we were to pay any money to the bank that year :( we had to protect the wheat etc. Where do the city folk think their bread etc comes from? (I had cousins (from ML) that wouldn't believe me when I told them milk came from cow!! :hmm: )

What should also be done is get rid of the cane toad. While we are at it, fish out the carp from our rivers. The problem isn't going to fix itself now is it?

PS for pigs use a .22 if you want to practice you shooting skill (you have to hit them exactly in the right spot) or if you just want to knock them over regardless of where you hit them, use a 6.5!

[Lu Zuckerman]

Use a 22 Magnum rifle. It has a muzzle velocity of 2200 feet per second and at the point of impact it exerts over 60,000 PSI of hydrostatic pressure. That can severely damage even a large pig.

It can blow the back end off of a cat and just imagine what it can
do to a cane toad.

:E :E

[belly tank]

We use a .308 with 150gn at 3000fps or .270 with 130gn 3400fps for porkers

seems to do the trick, however if you want more grunt try the remington 7mm ultra magnum with 190gn projectile at 3500fps

maybe a bit heavy for cats but good for goats and pigs!

[RobboRider]

Best weapon for a cane toad is a 5 iron!

:E


But like all creatures they adapt quickly.
http://helipics.homestead.com/files/froggolf.jpg

[Red Wine]

Most professional [Government] shooters use the SLR 7.62 ex military rifle.

Originally from the Belgium FN, it was modified to become the L1A1 SLR, using the 7.62 x 51 Standard NATO Ammunition and a 20 round magazine.

Its muzzle velocity is specified as 2700 - 2800 ft/sec....

There were a handful of the basic version modified to become the L2A1 AR [Automatic Rifle] which had a full automatic function with a 30 round magazine.

Its stopping power is renowned, however the much smaller 5.56 calibre [Current NATO Standard] causes more damage, due to it fragmenting after impact.

From memory, the Soviet AK47 uses the 7.62 x 39 round.

Nice topic!!!

[RDRickster]

The high velocity of the NATO 5.56 mm causes the most damage (using military M4, M16, etc). The spin and speed of the bullet can be devestating. Once saw a round enter the elbow area, tumble along the bones, and enter the body cavity of a bad guy. KIA from being hit in the arm by a single round!!! It doesn't always happen that way, but it can.

However, the 5.56 mm round doesn't have any stopping power. In contrast, the 7.62 mm round can penetrate through walls, engine chasis, and other areas the 5.56 mm round can't get to. Very useful to have!

Uhhh... not sure how either relates to shooting toads, but I suppose you can give the pigs trouble! :ok:

[Savoia]

.
Looks like wild boar may be on the menu for some heli crews Stateside:

KTEN.com - Property Owners May Be Able to Shoot Feral Hogs From Helicopter (http://www.kten.com/Global/story.asp?S=14390529)

Sav

ps: I have a few wild boar recipies if anyone's interested.

[Epiphany]

God help us. An American on foot with a gun is scary enough but now they can try to shoot moving things from the air as well.

I think you mean 'Sanglier' Savoia ;)

[Savoia]

I think you mean 'Sanglier'

Oui mon ami, à la française but .. in Italian .. "Cinghiale".

My father used to make the most delicious dish from these beasts!

Sav

[Epiphany]

The best I've tasted are from the forests of La Corse where they live on chestnuts - sublime.

[ascj]

Why use a big gun? Because we can i suppose, what else are you going to do when you run out of 22 shells!:E
to settle a small argument about the toads, a 22 will lift a toad a couple of foot if shoot in the water but a 270 will out do a 30 30 and 308 interestingly enough.
So im told anyway:}:ok:

[Savoia]

.
Herewith my Dad's Cinghiale dish:

"Italian sweet-and-sour and sweet-and-pungent recipes tend to be quite old, deriving from the aristocratic Middle Eastern custom of using sugar as a sort of "sweet salt," which the Crusaders discovered and brought home with them.

They're no longer as popular as they once were, tastes have changed, and now Italians prefer more savory dishes but they still offer a delightful change of pace. The recipe will serve 4."

Prep Time: 30 mins
Cook Time: 3 hrs

Ingredients:

1 kg of wild boar
1 rib of celery, chopped
1 1/2 ounces (45 g) sultana raisins, plumped in warm water
2 cloves
4/5 cup (200 ml) red wine vinegar
4 onions, peeled, and two of which chopped
3 carrots, peeled and chopped
1/2 pound apples (sweet)
1/4 pound (100 g) dried prunes, plumped in warm water
A bay leaf
2 cloves of garlic, peeled and crushed
1 tablespoon pine nuts
1 ounce (30 g) bitter baking chocolate, shaved
2 tablespoons sugar
2 sprigs of thyme
1/4 pound (100 g) lean prosciutto, cut in a single thick slice and diced
1 pint (500 ml) dry white wine
1/2 pint (250ml) of Calvados
Salt and pepper to taste
Butcher's twine

Preparation:

Combine the two chopped onions, the chopped carrot and celery, the bay leaf, the thyme, the garlic, the cloves, half the vinegar, and the wine in a pot and bring the mixture to a boil. Let it cool, transfer it to a bowl, and marinate the meat in it for 24 hours.

Drain the meat and discard the chopped vegetables. Filter the marinade.

Tie the meat with the twine so it keeps its shape. Heat the olive oil in a pot and brown the meat in it, together with the prosciutto seasoning all with salt and pepper. Sprinkle the filtered marinade over the meat and simmer until it has evaporated; add cold water to cover and simmer, covered, for another 2 1/2 hours.

When the time is up drain the meat, untie it, slice it, and put it in a bowl. Filter the pan drippings and set them aside.

While the meat is cooking, prepare the sweet and sour, timing things so you will have the pan drippings when you need them: finely slice the remaining onion. Put the sugar, onion, and 1 tablespoon of water in a small pot and cook gently until the sugar has dissolved. Add the chocolate shavings and stir gently until they have melted. Add the vinegar and continue to cook until the liquid's volume is reduced by half.

Add the pan drippings from the boar, as well as the raisins, prunes, apples, and pine nuts. Mix well, and spoon the sauce over the boar. Serve at once.

One of the main variations my Dad introduced to this dish was the substitution of apples instead of cherries and the addition of Calvados (which he never used to measure!). I think he also added a small amount of cinnamon.


https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/__dRpfF8qlVM/TZyMs-jP5CI/AAAAAAAAClo/rvLNGgljvP8/Wild%20Boar.png

[Rotorgoat8]

I certainly hope we're going to get some good videos posted of the event! Can't wait!

[Savoia]

.
RG8: No footage (yet) of the event reported in post #59 but here's something for you to be going on with:

YouTube - Pig Shooting from the Chopper

Sav

[Savoia]

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Rotorgoat, good news. There may be no videos yet but you can now rent a ringside seat!

Helicopter hunting seats for sale!


The House gave final approval Tuesday to a measure that would allow ranchers to rent out seats on helicopters used to hunt feral hogs and coyotes on their property.

The House accepted Senate changes to the bill on a 141-1 vote. The measure now heads to Gov. Rick Perry for his signature.

The Senate added an amendment that gave more authority to Texas Parks and Wildlife to prevent those deemed unsuitable as gunners to shoot the animals, said the bill’s author, Rep. Sid Miller, R-Stephenville.

Miller has said the feral hog and coyote populations in Texas are large and destructive. An estimated 1.5 million feral hogs have caused about $400 million in damage to crops, property and fences per year.

Helicopter hog hunt measure goes to Perry | Texas Legislature News - News for Dallas, Texas - The Dallas Morning News (http://www.dallasnews.com/news/politics/texas-legislature/headlines/20110517-helicopter-hog-hunt-measure-goes-to-perry.ece)

[Dan Reno]

Here's another Helo job that is a lot of fun!

HELI-HOG'N on Vimeo

Great Visuals & Music !

Apache & Cobra drivers take notice !

[Savoia]

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Nice shooting! :ok:

[Savoia]

Thursday, September 1, 2011

New Texas state law House Bill 716 or the "Pork Chopper" bill, takes effect today

by Pat Gray

As one person referred to shooting a feral hog from a helicopter: “This is a hunters' trifecta!” Hunting, hogs and a helicopter—all at one time. Texas is the only state in the U.S. that will allow any wild animal to be killed from a helicopter. That animal is the feral hog, sometimes referred to by Texas land owners as the “400-lb rat.”

Texas House Bill 716, Section 43-102 takes effect on Sept. 1, 2011. It is the authorizing document for a Texas Parks and Wildlife Department (TPWD)-administered program. The actual name of the bill is the Texas Hog Depredation Act, but is fondly referred to by Texans as the “Pork Chopper” bill. TPWD has had an aerial shooting authorization in effect prior to HB 716, but it was somewhat convoluted and placed the cost of depredation directly on the land owner. Many could not afford the price. This new bill relieves the private owner of the cost, which basically will transfer to the shooters or hunters, who will be paying for the privilege of shooting from a helicopter.

https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/-anySGlodSps/TmDv4F1T-CI/AAAAAAAAEv4/G4fB3JtJB1E/heli%252520hog%252520hunting.jpg
"Heli Hog" hunting on the rise in the US

Why such drastic action by state lawmakers? There’s a simple answer. These wild porkers are taking over the state’s agricultural land and are even moving into the outskirts of some urban areas. We’re talking millions of hogs here, not just a few thousand. Less than 10 years ago the estimate of the Texas feral hog population was 2.2 million and today it is over 4 million and climbing rapidly. Texans can brag that they have over half the feral hog population of the U.S. within state borders.

In Texas, feral hogs cause more than $400 million in damages to crops, fences, irrigation ditches, livestock, wildlife, golf courses and even yards each year. They carry a number of diseases, some of which are transferable to humans and livestock. Hog brucellosis, pseudo-rabies, tuberculosis, trichinosis, hog cholera, anthrax, tularemia, six varieties of stomach worms, Lyme disease—and of course fleas, ticks and lice—are all part of the package. And they almost breed exponentially.

Enter the helicopter. Of all the methods tried for control such as no season, no limit hunting, trapping and snaring, the helicopter and aerial shooting have proven to deliver the best results. As an example, ground hunting usually produces a kill of six to eight per hour or, at best, 60 hogs a day. Helicopter shooting, on a good day, could produce 30 per hour. Even with those statistics, aerial shooting for the past 12 months has resulted in an estimated kill of only 70,000 hogs, a drop in the bucket, so far. The new regulations should elevate that number.

The word is getting out to the hunting community nationwide and there appears to be no limit to the number of hunters just waiting to get their first “Pork Chopper.” Helicopter operators are reporting inquiries from every state including Alaska and Hawaii. One such operator, Vertex Heliservices of Houston—already an experienced aerial hunting company—has established a social media marketing program along with a traditional program aimed specifically at safety and training for the average hog hunter who is stepping into a new and unfamiliar world of shooting from a moving aerial vehicle at a moving target.

Rotor & Wing Magazine :: Hog Hunting Means Money to Texas Operators (http://www.aviationtoday.com/rw/personalcorporate/personalac/74207.html)

[Heli-News]

Death from Above: Helicopter Hog Hunting

Biloxi, Mississippi – (AmmoLand.com) - The SOTG boys are back from another adventure and ready to report in on the trip. Paul and Jarrad spent a few days with Captain Mike Morgan and his crew at Vertex Aviation Group, the leading aerial hog depredation service it the Republic of Texas.

"If a hundred rats came into your house would you kill them one at a time in a humane fashion, or would you kill every last one as quickly as you could?" a Texas farmer asked a person who was critical of the most effective varmint elimination technique. "These feral hogs are like 200 pound rats and they've invaded my farm, my home."

Estimates by the Texas Department of Parks and Wildlife had the number of feral hogs at 1.5 million in 1990. The most recent estimates show an increase to nearly 3.2 million.

https://fbcdn-sphotos-c-a.akamaihd.net/hphotos-ak-ash3/p480x480/946486_620712887939998_1050575408_n.jpg

Death from Above: Helicopter Hog Hunting on SOTG Radio (http://www.ammoland.com/2013/08/death-from-above-helicopter-hog-hunting-on-sotg-radio/#axzz2bvbI6EpM)

SOTG | Death from Above; Helicopter Hog Hunting in Texas - Student Of The Gun Blog (http://www.studentofthegun.com/sotg-blog/entry/death-from-above-helicopter-hog-hunting-in-texas.html)

[Savoia]

The 'Hog Hunt' still seems to be going strong in Texas!

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