Not even Photoshop. Look at the picture. The guy is standing in what looks like a ditch. That plus it seems the photographer may be standing on even higher ground. Kind of an optical illusion like the old fishing pictures with the giant fish (normal fish near the camera) and the fisherman (standing some distance away).
Hairy Houdini
Posted: Thu Jul 29, 2004 | 11:25 AM
That technique would be called Forced Perspective...however, I've attended the Tioga County, Pa, County Fair (Aug.9-14 this year, plug-plug) and I've seen some mighty big hogs. Yes, in the stalls and at the snack bars, wise-acres...
Random badger
Posted: Thu Jul 29, 2004 | 11:24 PM
The picture is obviously a perspective trick with the guy being out of focus whilst the hog is in perfect focus. How he has managed to fool so many people is beyond me! Maybe its redneck country.
frontline
Posted: Sat Jul 31, 2004 | 04:33 AM
I agree with all of you. It's either photoshopped or it's a matter of forced perspective. The other thing that bothers me is that any hunter worth his salt who brought down an animal of that size would at least have the head mounted. His excuse that the head would be too big to mount on the wall is complete garbage. Bears that are shot are regularly brought to taxidermists. It's a hoax. Redneck country indeed.
Heres a slighty different pic at the guys web site.
Hairy Houdini
Posted: Mon Aug 02, 2004 | 01:37 PM
While I agree that the first pic may have been forced perspective, I also think it could be real...Again, living here in rural Pa, I've seen some mighty big piggies...I'm no hog expert, but I understand that pigs born in Feb., will grow at a normal rate to 300lbs or so by November...that's about 30lbs/month...given that rate, it is conceivable that a hog could grow to 900lbs+ in less than three years...of course, you have to factor in the normal limitations of pigs physyonomy, but we do see giantism in most animals, now and then... I plan to attend the local County Fair in 2 weeks- I'll see if I can post some pics and info of some very large piggies, unless the hogzilla deal has proven to be a hoax by then...what a hobby, eh?
Tony
Posted: Mon Aug 02, 2004 | 11:14 PM
It's not a prespective It's shoppped. look at the shadows of the hog and the guy. One is directly behind the guy and the other is to the left of the hog. Now unless he is on a nother planet with two suns the picture is a fake!!!!!!
Elizabeth
Posted: Wed Aug 04, 2004 | 02:50 PM
Just to let all of you know, I have been hog hunting and killed a 615 lb. hog myself, yes me, a female!!!!
MY BROTHER WAS VISITING DOWN AT RIVER OAK HIMSELF AND WITNESSED WHAT I WOULD GUESS TO BE HOGZILLA. No, he did not get to see it fully, it was about 30 mins. PAST dusk, however, when he got home and told me the story, this would be my guess. My brother is not afraid of anything, and he said what he heard and what little he got to see, "He wanted no part of being within 1/2 mile of that creature, unless it was dead!!!!".
He was at River Oak last summer. Keep in mind, it surely grew a little more in the past year!!!!!!!
Wayne
Posted: Wed Aug 04, 2004 | 05:39 PM
This is an authentic picture. The shadow on the left that Tony mentioned is from the crane, not the hog or the hunter. The ditch is for burying the hog, so yes, there is a slight perspective problem, but the man pictured is not a short man either.
ken
Posted: Fri Aug 06, 2004 | 11:19 AM
A 1000 lb hog is not that unusual in domestic pigs. Any county fair that has a large hog contest will have them over 1000 lbs. Most farmers just do not let them get that big. I'm not saying this is the real thing but it shouldn't be thrown out as being impossible.
Ken
Steve
Posted: Fri Aug 06, 2004 | 11:59 AM
This picture doesn't appear to be a hoax, but the hunters appear to have over estimated the weight. There was a wild hog much longer and fatter than this one that was shot near Apalachicola, FL in 2002 or 2003. There has been a picture of it in at least one regional sportsman's newspaper. It was slightly over 1000 lbs. and it was actually weighed. However, it didn't make the national news. I have seen several other hogs that have required a front-end loader to move. These were easily 700+ lbs. One was hit by a truck near my house. My best guess is that the hog in the photo weighs about 600 to 800 lbs. Many of the people writing into this forum have no idea what they are talking about. Many of them have probably never seen a wild hog in the swamps of South Georgia or North Florida. These animals grow VERY large and can easily destroy hundreds of acres of forest. I have awaken many mornings to the sound of them chomping on the snails in the marsh near the house.
Lauralee
Posted: Fri Aug 06, 2004 | 04:51 PM
Okay. I live in Tifton, about 30 to 45 minutes from Alapaha. My boyfriend hunts and fishes there all the time. The picture is totally real. But here's what I heard, which sounds a lot more realistic than someone killing the hog. Hollyoak had the hog penned up and was feeding him and then he died. He had no choice but to bury him so that's what they did. Right before they buried him, they took the picture.
Think about it anyway. Who hunts with a gun that would stop that hog? My boyfriend has killed hogs before. Nothing comparing to the size of "Hogzilla" or whatever, but I know he's shot hogs a lot smaller. On more than one occasion he's had to shoot them more than once.
Poohba
Posted: Sun Nov 14, 2004 | 11:23 AM
Now what in tarnation is this? Giant hog, my ass!! I've shot honkey donkies twice the size of that thar hog. Them donkies is vicious, me thinks. Grabbing all over the place, this way and that!!
swoopaloop
Posted: Mon Nov 15, 2004 | 02:44 PM
I agree with poohba
David
Posted: Tue Nov 16, 2004 | 03:20 PM
Easy to fake with Photoshop. trust me..Ive been working in the field for almost 10 years. Easy enough to do in a couple hours.
Eli
Posted: Tue Nov 16, 2004 | 03:25 PM
Its all about perspective too. How far is this guy actually standing behind the hog? If he's 2-3 feet behind it, then it could be an optical illusion. Hey! Is that Bigfoot behind him in the bushes?
OldManHogMaster
Posted: Tue Nov 16, 2004 | 03:58 PM
Argg, me've seen many hogs in meh day. The Hog don't reason, it's kill or be killed when you're looking at that hairy old beast in the eye. I spent 2 weeks in the filthy belly of a Hog bigger than this'en. Luckily i chewed my way out since my limbs were digesting first.
OldManHogMaster
Posted: Tue Nov 16, 2004 | 04:03 PM
Hogs have are omnivores, and they have voracious apetites. Also, Hogs are fairly intelligent creatures. A Hog in the wild can get HUGE. Alot of hunters like to use spears on them to kill them. I used to live on a pig farm in IL. You would be amazed at the strength and determination of pigs. I saw a rut an entire yard one night when it had escaped from its pin. The whole yard was destroyed in a matter of hours. Then it rained and the yard turned into a huge swamp. My bro's were out hunting one time and got chased by a pack of wild boars one day when hunting.(here in IL!) If a domesticated pig gets out of it's cage and into the local ecosytem it can survive very easily.
Gotta B Joking
Posted: Tue Nov 16, 2004 | 07:41 PM
WHO CARES!? You guys are looking way to into this, it is a freaking hog, not a profession. Now please for your own good being shut up about the stupid pig, real or fake, and get back to yours so called lives!
Gary
Posted: Mon Nov 22, 2004 | 06:06 PM
It's very possible. Often animals roam the woods for years unseen. Many of the Hog plantations in South Georgia are supplied food and candy by companies who can't sell the product because of many different reasons and donate the product to the farms and plantations rather than throw it in the dumpster. These hogs feed on this food. Many hogs will feed in the presents of people others will not and only feed at night and some are as timid as squirrels. Larger, smarter, older pigs often are solitary animals also, Pigs like people will over eat and grow to abnormal sizes. Who would think a human can grow to a size of over 1000 lbs but it happens all the time. Pigs commonly grow to over 500 lbs so why is so unlikely that one could grow to 1000lbs.