Feral pigs have been a big topic of discussion lately in Pennsylvania. Some people want to rid our Wild Boar reserve in Pennsylvania because the fear of hogs getting loose and becoming a nuisance. These people who think hogs are escaping any one of the 26 hunting preserves in Pennsylvania are wrong.
There are over 6 million hogs that roam the US, with a majority living in the south, but lately they’ve creeped up north into the state. We’re not the problem, and using us as the scapegoat will impact businesses and communities around us.
We charge $600-900 for a change at some of the best boar hunting in the U.S. For an another $110, we butcher the hog for those to take home. So we’re looking at anywhere between $1,300 to over $2,000 for a pair of hunters. This money gets taxed, and it goes back into the community to buy groceries and equipment. Although the hunters stay with us at our lodge, there’s no reason why those who travel here wouldn’t spend money in the county or state when making the trip to and from our ranch. This includes gas stations, restaurants, and even gun shops for those who need ammo and equipment for the trip.
In a sense, it’s tourism.
Boar hunting in Pennsylvania brings in millions of dollars each year to parts of the state that could use the extra shot-in-the-arm.
To take this away don’t only hurt ranchers, but hunters and non-hunters too.