Synopses & Reviews
Year of the Pig is a personal journal of one avid hunter's pursuit of wild pigs in eleven American states that have significant populations--Alabama, Florida, Georgia, Tennessee, Louisiana, Texas, Oklahoma, Arkansas, Missouri, California, and Hawaii. Tying his mission to the Chinese calendar's
"Year of the Pig" (2007), Mark J. Hainds journeyed from longleaf stand, cypress swamp, privet hedge, and oak/hickory forest to titi, saw palmetto, valley oaks, and blue palms, using a range of legal weapons--black-powder rifle, bow and arrow, hand knife, high-powered rifle--and various methods to stalk and kill his crafty quarry. Known for their intelligence and almost human "street smarts," feral hogs are challenging prey, often thwarting less-experienced hunters.
Non-native to the Western Hemisphere, European pigs originally arrived to the southeast with De Soto's Spanish entrada, to the California coast aboard Russian fishing trawlers, and to the Hawaiian Archipelago on the outriggers of South Pacific islanders. In all these virgin habitats they have wrecked havoc to some degree or another, and, in many places, are considered pests, primarily because of their omnivorous eating and rooting habits that destroy fragile native species and agricultural cropland. Despite their phenomenal reproductive rates--one sow may produce three litters of 10-12 piglets each year--the author discovers that some ecosystems have, over time, stabilized the invader and, with good population management and hunting limits, a proper balance may be maintained.
Attractive to hunters and adventure readers for its sheer entertainment, Year of the Pig will also be valuable to farmers, land managers, and environmentalists for its broad information and perspective on the topic. "Local foodies" will appreciate the directions on preparation and cooking of feral pork. So few books currently exist on hog hunting that it is believed this book will satisfy a burgeoning market as wild pig populations spread and become accepted hunt quarry in all 50 states.
Mark J. Hainds is Senior Research Associate with Auburn University and Research Coordinator for the Longleaf Alliance located at the Solon Dixon Forestry Center in Andalusia, AL. He travels widely giving presentations on various aspects of forestry and has published several technical papers, most notably, "Distribution of Native Legumes in Frequently Burned Longleaf Pine--Wiregrass Ecosystems" (American Journal of Botany: 86(11): 1606-1614, 1999). Hainds is a dedicated hunter and outdoorsman, from childhood.
Review
"This book will resonate with its readers. It is well thought-out and interesting from cover to cover." --Kevin McKinstry, Westervelt Wildlife Services
Review
"For those who love to read or tell hunting stories, this book is filled to the brim. I've never encountered anyone with more fervor for eliminating feral pigs from the landscape than the author. Mark Hainds's perserverance and disregard for personal safety (never would I crawl through a thicket looking for a wounded hog) will endear him to his readers. Yet this book well illustrates the scourge of feral pigs, the difficulty in managing a herd, and the devastation they have on agricultural and wildlife habitat." --David Rainer, Outdoor Writer and Public Information Manager, Alabama Department of Conservation and Natural Resources
Review
"A very enjoyable read, with some very good information on feral pigs woven in. Should be particularly well-received by the hunting and outdoor public." --Frank Boyd, Certified Wildlife Biologist, State Director, Alabama USDA
Review
andquot;Feral pigs threaten vast portions of U.S. ecosystems, so Hainds, a forester, did good by spending 2007 hog-hunting in 11 states. Haindsandrsquo; anecdotes, titled by a tree of each different ecosystem, wield dry humor and the admirable values of a farmerandrsquo;s son to critique the current state of hunting. His sympathetic intelligence suffuses this seriously funny nonfiction.andquot;--Sierra Club
Review
andquot;Hainds is an avid (obsessed?) outdoorsman who has written this fun book of hunting tales featuring wild hogs as the quarry. While I have read many of the classic hunting stories, from Archibald Rutledge to Tom Kelly, I'm unaware of any that feature the hog. Thus, this book is a welcome addition to the genre. However, what is really special about the book is how the author weaves some serious current environmental concerns and ecological ideas, as well as discussions of hunters' ethics, into his descriptions of the chase. . . . With any luck, the enjoyable nature of these hunting stories will carry the more important messages of correct hunting behaviors and environmental awareness farther into the thicket than it has already penetrated.andquot;--Mobile Press-Register
Review
andquot;Year of the Pig provides an enjoyable and educational read to hunters and invasivores alike, filled with riveting accounts and useful tips on pursuing and preparing feral pigs.andquot;--Invasivore.org
Synopsis
Year of the Pig is a personal journal of one avid hunter's pursuit of wild pigs in eleven American states during the Chinese calendar's andquot;Year of the Pigandquot; (2007).
Synopsis
Year of the Pig is a personal account of one avid hunter's pursuit of wild pigs in eleven American states. Mark Hainds tied his mission to the Chinese calendar's Year of the Pig in 2007 and journeyed through longleaf forests, cypress swamps, and wiliwili forests in search of his prey. He used a range of weapons--black-powder rifle, bow and arrow, knife, and high-powered rifle--and various methods to stalk his quarry through titi, saw palmetto, privet hedge, and blue palms.
Introduced pig populations have wreaked havoc on ecosystems the world over.and#160; Non-native to the Western Hemisphere, pigs originally arrived in the southeast with De Soto's entrada and in the Hawaiian Archipelago on the outriggers of South Pacific islanders. In America feral hogs are considered pests and invaders because of their omnivorous diet and rooting habits that destroy both fragile native species and agricultural cropland.
Appealing to hunters and adventure readers for its sheer entertainment, Year of the Pig will also be valuable to farmers, land managers, and environmentalists for its broad information and perspective on the topic.
About the Author
Normal0falsefalsefalseEN-USX-NONEX-NONEMicrosoftInternetExplorer4Mark J. Hainds is a research associate with Auburn University and research coordinator for the Longleaf Alliance located at the Solon Dixon Forestry Center in Andalusia, Alabama. He travels widely giving presentations on various aspects of forestry and has published several technical papers, most notably, andquot;Distribution of Native Legumes in Frequently Burned Longleaf Pine--Wiregrass Ecosystemsandquot; in the American Journal of Botany.
Table of Contents
Normal0falsefalsefalseMicrosoftInternetExplorer4Contents
Normal0falsefalsefalseEN-USX-NONEX-NONEMicrosoftInternetExplorer4Foreword by Steven Ditchkoff
Foreword by Mark Bailey
Acknowledgmentsand#160;
Prologueand#160;and#160;
1. Longleaf
2. Titiand#160;and#160;and#160;and#160;
3. Over Baitand#160;and#160;and#160;and#160;and#160;
4. Privetand#160;and#160;
5. Oak/Hickoryand#160;and#160;
6. Ironwood
7. Death in the Wiliwiliand#160;and#160;and#160;and#160;
8. Beaver Pondand#160;and#160;and#160;
9. Hill Countryand#160;
10. Blue Palmand#160;and#160;and#160;
11. Chufasand#160;
12. Collateral Damageand#160;
13. Old Growthand#160;
14. Ozarks
15. A Long Walkand#160;and#160;
16. Food Plotand#160;and#160;and#160;and#160;
17. Slash Pineand#160;and#160;and#160;
18. Saw Palmetto
19. Dog Fenneland#160;and#160;and#160;
20. Valley Oaksand#160;and#160;
21. Inside the Fenceand#160;and#160;and#160;
22. Bahia Grassand#160;and#160;
23. Peanuts
24. Eating the Pigand#160;and#160;and#160;and#160;
Conclusionand#160;
Epilogueand#160;and#160;and#160;
Further Readingand#160;and#160;
Illustrations follow page 000
and#160;