I got these pictures one day while up in Kula Maui - two trucks stopped at Morihara Store and I grabbed my camera and took a bunch of pictures. It was a weekend - that's when a lot of the local pig hunters take their dogs out in the country to "bring home the bacon". These dogs look tired - it's not easy to run down a large boar like this, and hold it until the boys come with their guns. Check out the tusks!
Conservation efforts are underway to remove a large part of the pig population in Maui County. Read what the Nature Conservancy has to say about this.
On Maui you can find wild and feral pigs in most of the countryside - and especially up in the forests. They are BAD NEWS on the ecosystem, with their rooting and foraging which disturbs the ground and native plants. Don't cry for this little piggie. Locals are doing a good thing by reducing the pig population, and "living off the land".
The truly wild pigs are all black like this. The males have the big tusks, which make nice trophies. Feral pigs are those which have resulted from cross breeding wild pigs with domestic pigs, and they come in all colors including white and red, and spotted. I think the meat is a little tastier than the purely wild ones.
The dogs are crucial for pig hunting here. A good pig dog is very important. The dogs get the scent of a pig and chase it, sometimes for miles. When they get it cornered, one or 2 dogs will grab onto the ears and hold on. Another dog will bark and bark so the hunters can find them. It's a risky business for the mutts, but they love the action. Some dogs get seriously hurt and some get killed by the mean old boars. Those tusks can be sharp!
These hunters were showing off their catches, by strapping them onto the trucks. Some guys like to strap them to the hood and drive home... I don't get it. It's a lot easier to just dress the kill on the spot and pack the quarters out... leave all the "junk" behind in the forest. But that doesn't impress the chicks I guess!
Aloha from Maui - Georgina M. Hunter R(S) - your MAUI Realtor
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EMAIL ~ 808 283-0635
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