Yes, hogs DO get that big, though this is obviously a domestic hog gone wild, rather than a true wild boar, since real wild hogs do not have floppy ears. Nonetheless, feral domesticated hogs can be just as dangerous. This one is probably a "barrow", a male hog that's been neutered, since these will get a lot bigger and heavier than an intact boar, and I noticed that this hog does not have tusks. Barrows do not grow tusks, which is one of the reasons that most male hogs are "fixed", that and the meat is much more edible. I used to hunt wild hogs with dogs(this is what Catahoula Leopard Dogs were specifically bred to hunt and CATCH, so if you happen to drive up in someone's yard and they have a Catahoula, think about that before you decide to get out of your car) and a knife. I've killed hogs myself that weighed over 500 pounds, and we didn't think too much about it. I don't know whether to call that kid incredibly brave or incredibly stupid for going after this thing with a PISTOL and no dogs, since dogs can at least keep it distracted and buy you a few second to get to a tree if the thing charges(and they usually DO)! I'm surprised a pistol even hurt it, since I've seen high-powered rifle bullets just flatten out against that layer of gristle just under the skin, which literally acts like bullet-proof armor!
At least this kid's family is going to eat the hog, and not bury it to try to keep its real weight from being discovered so that they can make outrageous claims, like the guy who shot "Hogzilla" did. 800 pounds is not the least bit unusually for a domesticated boar hog, and "Hogzilla" probably was also a domesticated hog that had escaped and gone wild. It's hard to even imagine what 500 pounds of sausage would look like, though. Maybe they'll do what most hog hunters do when the freezer get filled up, and donate it to homeless charities and such.
pitbulllady
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