ALLEGHENY TOWNSHIP — A farmer who also runs a guided hunting business says he’s lost hundreds of thousands of dollars worth of trophy-size boar and deer after someone vandalized the farm’s fenced-in hunting areas.

Larry Lint, who owns The Pig Farm on Foxburg Road, said holes were cut in the farm’s fences sometime overnight between New Year’s Eve and New Year’s Day.

Lint said he noticed the holes on New Year’s Day, when he visited the 80-acre hunting area with clients. Lint said four holes were cut in the farm’s pig paddock and two holes were cut in the deer paddock.

The vandalism resulted in the escape of about 70 farm-raised whitetail deer and about 150 wild boars.

Lint said he’s recovered four deer and about 75 of the smaller boar, and he believes that, given enough time, he could recapture most or all of the animals.

But he’s been told by state and federal wildlife officials that the animals now will be euthanized on sight.

Lint said he notified Pennsylvania State Police and the Pennsylvania Department of Agriculture about the vandalism, and subsequently the Pennsylvania Game Commission and the USDA’s office of Wildlife Services became involved.

“If I had five or six months, I could catch them all back,” he said. “But they (wildlife officials) won’t give me five or six months. They’re going to kill them because they don’t want it to affect the deer herd.”

Lint said he continues to try and recapture the escaped animals. He has set up a trap near the farm to capture the escaped boar. He believes the deer, which routinely return to the farm’s feeding area, will be easier to catch.

Lint said the vandalism and subsequent animal escapes have caused him to cancel multiple clients’ hunts, but he has been able to hold some outings as animals are recaptured.

Lint said he’s at a loss as to guessing who might have cut his fences and released the animals.

“All I can figure is it’s an anti-hunter; or someone that’s really jealous or trying to ruin my life; or kids not thinking about what they’re doing,” he said.

Lint said the lost animals amount to more than $200,000 in retail value for the business, which also sells animals for meat and raises crops like hay, soybeans and corn. He said it takes as many as four years to raise a trophy-size boar or deer that the farm promises its clients.

“We put every penny we’ve made from this business back into it for the last 10 years,” he said. “How are you going to pay your bills when your animals are gone? It’s the scariest thing in the world.”

He has owned the farm since 1999.

The state police did not respond for comments, and the game commission was not available for comment.