Hi Karen
Sorry not have noticed sooner that you hadn’t had a reply. The hogs may have returned in the meantime but they may have gone to hibernate. The males here disappeared in the early part of September. They tend to hibernate earlier than the females and also return from hibernation earlier. Unlike the females, they don’t have the responsibility of raising hoglets. But, most of the females from here have disappeared as well, now.
I know it is always easy to fear the worst, but there are many other reasons why hogs might choose not to visit for a while. Females may be on ‘hoglet duties’, someone else may have started feeding them, their route may have been blocked somewhere along the line, etc. I would keep putting food and water out, though, because sometimes hoglets appear late into November or even early December, after their Mum’s have already disappeared to hibernate.
Hibernation is a dangerous time for hogs, so now we have the long wait, and hope that all our prickly friends return safe and sound next year.
Good luck to you and the hogs.
