Dept. of Conservation sees major increase in elimination of feral hogs - krcgtv.com

The Missouri Dept. of Conservation had nearly 3,000 more feral hogs killed in 2018 than the year before. (Missouri Dept. of Conservation)

JEFFERSON CITY — 

Conservationists made huge strides in 2018 to decreasing the impact of a pest to Missouri agriculture.

The Missouri Department of Conservation reported 9,365 feral hogs were eliminated from the state’s landscape by MDC in 2018, a major increase from the 6,561 feral hogs removed in 2017.

Conservation agents stated a key to ridding the state of these animals is the process of elimination: trapping a sounder of hogs instead of killing them one by one.

“We’ve been very strategic in our efforts, focusing on removal of whole groups of feral hogs at a time, before moving onto another area,” said Mark McLain, MDC’s feral hog elimination team leader, in a release. “This strategic approach is important because if we leave even a few feral hogs behind in an area, they can reproduce quickly and put us back where we started.”

MDC and partners have implemented a new strategy to feral hog elimination, dividing the areas where feral hogs are present into elimination areas 1 through 6. Trapping is currently ongoing in each zone. Zone one, near the Harry S. Truman Reservoir and Stockton Lake, is benefiting from a significantly reduced population of feral hogs. The goal continues to be complete elimination of feral hogs from Missouri.

Mark McLain, MDC’s feral hog elimination team leader, said MDC is partnering with many agricultural and conservation groups, as well as hundreds of private landowners, that are all committed to eliminating feral hogs from Missouri. Landowners and the public are a crucial element of this effort, especially since most land in Missouri is privately owned.

"With one sounder of hogs capable of damaging 10-25 acres in a single night, feral hogs impact the productivity and profitability of Missouri farmers and ranchers,” said Gary Marshall, chairman of agriculture coalition for Missouri Farmers Care. “The success of MDC and partners reducing hog numbers, especially around the Warsaw area, has provided relief to landowners. We look forward to continued collaboration leading to additional hog population reductions in 2019."

McLain said it’s important that the public understand why feral hogs must be eliminated.

“Feral hogs are a destructive, invasive species that don’t belong here; they’re not a native species,” McLain said. “They out-compete native wildlife for habitat and food. For example, places with a lot of feral hogs will see their wild turkey and deer populations diminish.”

McLain said feral hogs are known to carry diseases that could possibly spread to humans, pets, and livestock. He hopes the message that hunting is not an effective method for eliminating feral hog populations is starting to be better understood across Missouri.

“For over 20 years, unregulated hunting of feral hogs was allowed in Missouri, during which time our feral hog population expanded from a few counties to over 30 counties,” he said.

In 2017, MDC, the Corps of Engineers, and the LAD Foundation established regulations against feral hog hunting on lands owned and managed by these three organizations. Other agencies have passed regulations similar to MDC’s to eliminate hog hunting on land they own.

“A persistent piece of this story is continued illegal releases of feral hogs, which establishes populations and further spreads the problem,” McLain said. “This is illegal and when caught, those who release feral hogs face hefty fines. Landowners who’ve experienced feral hogs on their land have learned that hunting feral hogs, especially with dogs, pushes them onto neighboring property, which causes problems for their neighbors.

When neighboring landowners try to control feral hogs through hunting, the hogs simply travel back and forth between the properties, escaping and causing more damage. Trapping with no hunting interference is the best method to eliminate them. Landowners can seek help from MDC and USDA such as technical advice, on-site visits, loaning equipment and training.

Feral hogs are not wildlife and are a serious threat to fish, forests and wildlife as well as agricultural resources. Feral hogs damage property, agriculture, and natural resources by their aggressive rooting of soil in addition to their trampling and consumption of crops as part of their daily search for food.

Feral hogs have expanded their range in the U.S. from 17 to 38 states over the past 30 years. Their populations grow rapidly because feral hogs can breed any time of year and produce two litters of one to seven piglets every 12 to 15 months. Feral hogs are also known to carry diseases such as swine brucellosis, pseudorabies, trichinosis and leptospirosis, which are a threat to Missouri agriculture and human health.

Trap them, then kill. As many as 65 hogs in a sounder

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