When his dog Cruiser alerted him with barking, Seago, a man accustomed to wildlife encounters, never anticipated an 820-pound animal on his front lawn. Typically, his dog’s barks signal deer or raccoons, so initially, Seago didn’t think much of it. But his perception changed when his daughter’s screams pierced the air.
Just 5 yards from his porch stood a feral hog, sporting tusk-like teeth measuring about 6 inches. Concerned for his dog and family’s safety, Seago dashed inside for his .38 caliber revolver. It took three shots to bring down the hog. The next day, he weighed the animal at Brooks Peanut Company, astounded to discover it tipped the scales at a whopping 820 pounds.
While familiar with wild hogs in the area, Seago had never encountered one of such magnitude (SEE PHOTO). These animals, with few natural predators, proliferate quickly and wreak havoc on indigenous plants, devastating the natural ecosystem. According to the U.S. Department of Agriculture, their annual agricultural damage amounts to $800 million.
Seago plans to preserve the hog’s head and shoulders at his taxidermy shop, opting to discard the rest due to safety concerns. Reflecting on his decision to shoot the hog, Seago expressed no remorse, believing it could have endangered his family. “I didn’t hesitate to take it down,” he asserted. “I’d do it again without a second thought.”