No I am not kidding and it does not rate up there with dog fighting. Illegal in most states because hunting with dogs, period, is banned in most states for game animals and for good reasons. Those good reasons being that the average joe does not understand the undertaking of training a hunting or bay dog and in most cases it would lead to a cruel end for the animals involved and that for most game animals dogs are not needed or warranted. FERAL HOGS are a different matter. Feral hogs can and do kill and attack people, pets, etc. they tear up land, are destructive, and considered an invasive species. Now with that said if the dogs were being used to attack and or kill the hogs I would be against it but that is not so.
Feral hogs are not killed or fought by the dogs. In the sport of Hog Catching, which is regulated I might add and has it's own associations for titling of the dogs. I imagine some abuse the concept of hog catching and hog hunting - but these are not the norm any more than it is the norm or acceptable to the general owners of these dogs than it is for people to abuse and neglect or illegally release their herps/HOTs/Inverts etc etc
Hog catching is not intended as a blood sport in any way shape or form though I will say I do not think any and everybody involved with this sport or these dogs abides by rules or a sense of morals. But that can be said in any field with any animal.