Comments on: “It Looked Like A Werewolf!”

By: alchemical

alchemical — Thu, 30 Oct 2008 01:58:31 +0000

I’ve never heard of a wild population of boars in Massachusetts or New Hampshire and I lived in Maine for over 18 years. Truly news to me!

Very surprising, and a bit unsettling as well. What a formidable animal.

By: archer1945

archer1945 — Thu, 30 Oct 2008 00:01:26 +0000

The only complaint I have about the article is there is a difference between a wild boar and a feral pig. A feral pig is a domestic pig that has escaped and turned wild.

Have to agree with Mr Hall’s comment about rather running into a 500lb bear in the forest than a wild boar. A bear will usually want to get away from you as fast as you want to get away from it. A wild boar will just as likely decide you remind him of someone he really doesn’t like and immediately come after you.

cryptidsrus: Don’t know about burgers but some of the best tasting pork I’ve ever had came from a nice little Russian some friends took on an archery hunt many years ago. In fact they got several on that hunt and then had a pig roast for members of the archery range.

By: Dolouren

Dolouren — Wed, 29 Oct 2008 23:45:31 +0000

Hi!
The image of that werewolf is remindin’ me of the creature from the Gabel film.Is there some news about that film anyway?

By: mystery_man

mystery_man — Wed, 29 Oct 2008 22:56:49 +0000

I wouldn’t doubt if the populations of wild boars had spread out to different areas in the Northeast.

It actually wouldn’t surprise me very much at all as they are extremely hardy, adaptable, and tenacious animals. In Japan in recent years, their population has exploded and you can find them all over the place, on every island except Hokkaido. Since there are no natural predators here to control them in Japan, and a lack of effective management, they have become somewhat of a problem in some areas. They can be very bold, and have been known to fearlessly venture into towns to root through garbage and even walk right on down the avenues and streets. It is true that they are very aggressive, and will often attack if they feel threatened rather than flee. Attacks on humans in Japan are fairly common, and they have been known to cause train crashes as well by venturing onto the tracks and refusing to move. If the variety supposedly branching into Massachusetts is even half as bold as the ones here in Japan, then I imagine sightings will increase before too long.

Also, like the article says, they can cause a lot of damage to crops, as well as understory herbs, by rooting around looking for food. This can also lead to a higher incidence of increased land erosion. It is important to keep an eye on the situation, especially if the ecosystem there is not prepared to deal with them.

If a breeding population is established in Massachusetts, I do hope they are prepared and have some plan for how to manage the animals if they start to become very numerous. Wild boars can really become a nuisance if the population skyrockets.

By: NHbigfoot

NHbigfoot — Wed, 29 Oct 2008 21:48:10 +0000

Wow very interesting! Alot of wierd stuff goes on in mass. I never knew there were wild boars in new hampshire. Guess bears and bigfoot won’t be the only thing I’ll be looking for in the woods!

By: sschaper

sschaper — Wed, 29 Oct 2008 21:31:50 +0000

What I know of hogs – we never had any, my father and grandfather dislike them, they can’t rear up on their hind legs.

If they -could-, I could see them giving rise to legends. Especially if there were wolves howling in the area, possibly trying to catch the boar. If wolves do that. Wild boars are -nasty-. Like the man in the account, I’d rather face a bear or a wolf than one of those.

By: mam

mam — Wed, 29 Oct 2008 18:45:13 +0000

I was teaching field biology in N. Pa in spring in the 1970s. We were studying birds and mammals on islands in Pymatuning Lake. I would drop students off on different islands and then return to get them. One morning 2 students were standing in chest deep water in the lake. I asked what was wrong and they said a giant boar had chased them into the water. Wild boars were almost unheard of in PA 30 years ago. Both students were trained biologists, however, so I tended to believe them. I went onto the island and found pig tracks from at least 2 animals. We searched for the animals for 2 days but could not find them on the small (1/2 mi square) island. Turns out a truck was transporting wild boars that winter and had turned over. Several wandered off. The lake was frozen and they got on the islands. When the ice melted they were stranded there. The animals were later removed by the game department. Just because something isn’t supposed to be there doesn’t mean it isn’t.

By: cryptidsrus

cryptidsrus — Wed, 29 Oct 2008 17:59:49 +0000

Surprising find, all right. Poor critter.

Not surpised officials say it is “escaped.” They always say that.

Not to be insensitive, but I bet it WOULD make good burgers.

By: gkingdano

gkingdano — Wed, 29 Oct 2008 13:59:21 +0000

With feral hogs and boars in ALL the states surrounding Mass., there is surely a wild population in the state. The state must not have been recording their wildlife populations very well.

I am sure if one was to investigate the distribution of feral hogs correctly they would find that they are in EVERY state, even Hawaii.

Being from the northern European forest they can take the cold of Mass.

By: size 13

size 13 — Wed, 29 Oct 2008 12:50:14 +0000

I’d say 160 to 170 lbs. Now that it is known of what this animal is,it is no longer a cryptid.Often there are good explainations as to what cryptids are when once discovered, as say this animal. A darn good “Werewolf”story until it was killed.I doubt the driver wanted to pull over to see this “Thing”after they hit it.Would you pull over?”You shoulda seen the size of that wolf I hit on the way over”.
Thanks, good story.