The Largest Wild Hog Ever Caught in Florida

Wild hogs in the United States are invasive, destroying crops and endangering animals and humans. They have been a problem since the 16th century when European settlers imported domesticated pigs bred from Eurasian boars. Escaped farm stock became feral, but the wild hog population truly exploded with the introduction of Eurasian and Russian wild boars for sporting purposes in the 1990s. Escaped animals merged with the existing wild hog population. In many states, they are labeled vermin, and hunting restrictions are sometimes lifted. This article will discuss wild hogs and the most enormous wild hog ever caught in Florida.

Wild Hogs in Florida

Some reports conclude that Florida has the country’s third largest problem with wild hogs, though others rank Florida fifth. All 67 of Florida’s counties have wild hog populations, with 1,194 sightings reported through 2023. Florida is home to nearly 500,000 wild and feral hogs. The problem is so bad that there are few restrictions on hunting wild hogs on private property. With the landowner’s permission, these hogs can be hunted regardless of the time of year, hunting license status, or weapon. The use of poison is outlawed, and tracking on Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC) land is regulated by hunting season and licensing restrictions.

Average Size of a Wild Hog

Wild boars are distinguished from feral hogs by their longer legs, snouts, and larger heads. They vary in size from feral pigs due to nutrition limitations during growth—humans have typically fed hogs larger than average. Additionally, male hogs are more significant than females. Though there have been reports of hogs exceeding 1,000 pounds, these were feral pigs rather than wild boars. Adult wild boars average total lengths of 50 to 75 inches, and they weigh 75 to 250 pounds.

Largest Wild Hog Ever Caught

The most enormous recorded wild hog caught in the U.S. was nicknamed “Hogzilla.” It was killed in Alapaha, Georgia, by Chris Griffin. Many people doubted the veracity of the grainy photograph online. Eventually, National Geographic investigated the story, exhuming and weighing the pig’s body. Though the pig had decayed somewhat, it still weighed over 800 pounds. Measurements of the animal’s tusks yielded a North American record for a boar—over 18 inches long. Testing revealed that the hog did have wild boar DNA.

Largest Wild Hog Ever Caught in Florida

Weiser Weight and Tusk Record Book

One organization currently tracks national records for wild hogs. The Weiser Weight and Tusk (WWT) Trophy Wild Boar Record Book has recorded scores since 2005, with categories for boars and barrows (castrated boars). Records will also indicate whether the animal was hunted in a fenced enclosure or the wild.

The score for a boar is calculated by totaling its weight, tusk circumference, and the length of the combined tusks multiplied by 50 (W+C+(Tx50)). A ‘T’ after the score means that much of the value comprises tusk measurements, while a ‘W’ means that most of the score consists of the weight.

Methodology

This article will consider WWT Free-Range Wild Boars in the weight class. Hogs hunted in enclosures come from domesticated stock, feeding on grain throughout part of their lives. “Barrs” or barrows will not be considered because castration indicates a history of domestication.

The Largest Wild Hog Ever Caught in Florida

On September 10, 2005, Tiffany Smith took down a free-range wild boar that scored 636.75W in the WWT scoring system. Smith has the distinction of being the first hunter to have a boar score over 600 points. The next highest-scoring boar, at 614.50W, was killed in December of 2005 by Todd Prevatt.

Florida Runner-up

On August 27, 2004, Larry Earley shot a giant hog. His neighbor had been complaining about hogs raiding the grain meant for feeding his cattle for some time. Earley saw the hog, and when he approached it, it charged him. After retrieving his handgun from his truck, he shot it twice as it charged him again, killing it. The scales he had access to (500 lbs.) were too small to weigh the hog, so he took it to be processed, allowing the butcher to estimate its size. The processor estimated it to be between 1,100 and 1,200 pounds.

The photos indicate a feral pig that began as a domesticated animal. Domesticated pigs can grow larger than wild boars—especially those that feed on grain. Also, the weight was estimated, and the results were not reported to a record-keeping agency. For this reason, the record held by Tiffany Smith will stand as the official one.

The photo featured at the top of this post is © Chase D'animulls/Shutterstock.com