FLORIDA WILD HOGS

By  Mike Miller April 13, 2025

Wild hogs are present in all 67 Florida counties. They are descendants of pigs brought to Florida by Spanish explorers in the 1500s.

These animals destroy crops, wetlands and other habitats by constantly rooting up the soil while searching for food.

Florida Wild Hog

Wild hogs can weigh more than 150 pounds and measure 5 to 6 feet in length. They also prey on native wildlife and compete with native species for food.

They gobble up young ground nesting birds, turtles, reptiles, and mammals such as young calves. Mature hogs have elongated canine teeth that come to resemble tusks.  These tusks help them in grubbing soil and killing prey.

The estimated population of wild hogs in the state of Florida is over 500,000. This figure comes from various sources, including wildlife management reports and studies.

Florida Wild Hog in Swamp

These sources consistently note that Florida has one of the largest populations of wild hogs in the United States, second only to Texas.

Female hogs (sows) can begin having babies when they are only six months old, and can have four to twelve piglets per litter, two litters per year.

These sows can be fertile for 6 to 8 years.  Do the math and you will see why the wild hog population is difficult to reduce and control.

Florida Wild Hog with Visible Tusk

“One day, while passin’ along the bottoms, I seen such a sight of hogs as I never did see. Thar they stood and squirmed, with their bristles up and steam a risin’ out o’ their bodies and their eyes a flashin’ and teeth a champin’, a mass of bilin’ mad hogs a screamin’ and a shakin’ themselves with rage.”

“What was the causin’ of all this commotion I was not long in seein’. Thar, in the middle of the hogs, was a big cypress stump about five feet high, and in the center of the stump stood a big gray wolf, as gaunt and hungry lookin’ a critter as ever I seed.”

“He was handsomely treed, and was not in a very pleasin’ fix, as he was beginnin’ to find out. All about him raged a mass of oneasy hair, fiery eyes, frothin’ mouths and gleamin’ teeth.”

“Poor critter! Thar he stood; his tail tucked clost atween his legs and his feet all gathered into the exact center of the stump, and Jerusalem! wasn’t he a sick lookin’ wolf!

“Right clost about the stump and rarin’ up ag’inst it was a crowd of some of the biggest and most onprincipled old sows I ever sot eyes onto. Every half minit one of these big old she fellows would rair up, get her forefeet on top of the stump at one end or ‘tother of the wolf, her jaws comin’ together like a flax brake.”

“The wolf would turn round to watch that partikerlar sow, when one on ‘tother side of the stump would make a plunge for his tail; and so they kep’ the poor, cowardly, cornered critter whirlin’ round an’ round, humpin’ up his back, haulin’ in his feet and tail, and in every possible way reducin’ his general average.”

“Almost every instant thar was a charge made on him from some quarter and sometimes three or four directions at oncet. Jewhittaker! wasn’t it hurryin’ times with him then!

When he had a moment to rest and gaze about, all he saw was them two acres of open mouths, restless bristles and fiery eyes.

His long red tongue hung out of his open jaws, and as he moved his head from side to side he seemed to have the poorest conceit of his smartness of any wolf I ever seed.”

“I determined to try an experiment on that wolf. I raised my gun and fired into the air. At the report the critter forgot himself. He bounded from the stump with the crack of the gun, but he never tetched ground.

Half a dozen open mouths reached up for him and there was jest one sharp yell; then for a rod around was seen flyin’ strips of wolf skin, legs and hair; for half a minit thar was heerd a crunchin of bones, and then them old sows began a lickin’ their chops, rairin’ up onto that thar stump and prospectin’ about for more wolf.“

“ ‘Bout that time I concluded the neighborhood was likely to prove unhealthy, so I got up and peeled it for the nearest clearin’s.”