Sorry guys - I cant help myself..I have to ask.
Ok Ken, what is the real Hogzilla story? The TV report made it seem that you stretched the (hog) truth on the size of Hogzilla.
Gator
'gator, you beat me to it. I know it's off topic, but was wondering the same thing.
How about it, Ken?
I have really been waiting on that question to come up. Let me tell you what I know to be fact.
First of all we did not raise that hog. Several years ago we had a farmer upstream (Alapaha River) that let loose a lot of feral hogs. They made their way downstream (the hogs, not the farmers)where they found a good source a feed in the high protein (38%) fish pellets around the edges of our ponds. Well it did not take long until their numbers exploded forcing us to open a hog hunting plantation.
Second of all the hog was real, and he was HUGE! The only time I saw him was about two weeks prior to his being killed. I was checking out a few ponds on the back side of the property when something caught the corner of my eye. The really sad thing about it was the condition that the poor fellow was in. I was probably about 100 yards away from him, but he did not even give a moment's notice. His hair had fallen out in places, his tusks had grown back into his jaw, and his testicles literally drug the ground (sorry for the visual boys). I can not say anything about weight or length because I was not present at that time, but he was the largest pig I have ever seen.
Third it is kinda the job of TV shows to instill doubt and mystery. Like I said above I truly do not know about the size and weight, but I was there when he was unearthed (yuck) and even though he had been dead and buried for 6 months, he still made an impressive sight lying in the ground.
Last but not by far least, his tusks measured 18 1/2 inches in an almost complete circle. In fact, the tusks set the Safari Club International record. He was also 1-2 years older than the normal feral hog.
Oh yeh, nothing on the photo was altered. Ken did good just to get the digital camera turned on. Electronics are not his specialty, so trust me when I tell you the photo was not doctored.
Deb
Who else caught the National Geographic special that was all about Hogzilla. It was a big hog, but he turned out to be not quite as big as originally estimated, still a monster hog though. It really makes me wonder though whether or not that hog was helping himself to that special blend of high protien fish pellets in order to reach that size.
Ken (Deb?),
I appreciate you being willing to put yourself out here on this topic. Thanks for your reply.
Gator
Good article about Hogzilla in latest GEORGIA SPORTSMAN. Seems a fair piece, not pro or anti Ken. If anybody wants a copy e-mail me and I will Fax you it.
Bill
Bill, I'd love to read that article. Fax is 563/288-1526 or you could scan and e-mail if ya want.
Thanks
Matt
Matt coming your way, Bruce good link, more info but much of the same
Thought someone might be interested...
We received our "jaw mount" of Hogzilla today. Looks like Bruce could have made a pretty penny working on this one!
Deb
Looks like a minature woolly mammoth,
That is not a very nice thing to say about Ken
! Just kidding!
With that being the top jaw only in the photo, imagine the entire creature. He was very impressive, but I will be glad when the "Legend of Hogzilla" fades. I named the little bugger, then had to build a replica out of chicken wire, newspaper, spray paint, and rope "hair". My days with Hogzilla are numbered.
Deb
Looks like he needs a DIL composite on #24 and a quad III and IV scale and root plane. Otherwise, no significant findings.
Actually to give credit where it is due I was speaking on the phone with a potential customer from Columbus, Ga. on the day I saw the hog. As I was telling him about the beast he said, "Sounds like the Godzilla of hogs." I wish like heck I had written down his name to give him credit for the original idea. I just ran with what he had said.
Deb
By the way it is not double duty! Some days I feel like I am doing 6 things at once, but we have all been there.
Bruce, what about the severe overbite?
Hair on the chest? Sorry but that has not happened (Lord knows I hope it won't). As for the cow manure I have never physically stepped in any, but I do feel as though I have waded through alot lately...
Deb