Management of Feral Hogs

The geographic distribution of wild pigs has expanded since the 1980s, resulting in
economic and ecological effects. According to Beasley et al. (2018), more than 35 states had
reported invasive feral hogs’ populations by 2016. The scope and frequency of damage by feral
hogs have rapidly expanded, resulting in billions of dollars in losses every year. One of the
biggest ecological effects is in the potential disease risks caused by feral hogs. They easily
introduce and disseminate both foreign and local animal diseases. The proliferation of wild pigs
in the United States, therefore, calls for intervention.
Feral Hog Biology

Reproduction
Feral hogs reproduce twice every year when resources are abundant. Sows’ reproductive
age is about six to nine months depending on the type of environmental factors available. There
are three to eighteen piglets per litter whereby young sows contribute to 25 percent of
reproductive effort within a population in a certain locality. According to Hernández et al.
(2018), parturition peaks due to water availability and food abundance, in which case the ability
to thrive in human-altered landscapes is a contributing factor. The availability of crops is a
highly contributing factor to reproductive success. The fact that sows leverage crops presents an
inherent risk to local farming and landscapes in general. Feral hogs seek farrowing nests in
which to give birth and later on nurture their piglets.
Mortality
According to Beasley et al., (2018), there is a 15 percent mortality rate for piglets during
the first three months after birth and as high as 48 percent during the first year. This figure is due

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to resource availability and competitiveness that leaves piglets vulnerable to predators and
disease. In this case, more piglets demonstrated a higher level of survivability during the
agricultural season especially as a result of snowless winters. Some of the predators include
black bears, jaguars, bobcats, and coyotes. Wild pigs have poor vision and majorly communicate
through smell and hearing signals. They have a strong sense of smell that helps them locate
human beings within a distance of at least 800 meters. Wild pigs have increased scanning
behavior and vigilance at trapsites, bait piles and wallows.
Preferred Habitat
Wild pigs prefer habitats with dense but low vegetation and avoid locations with minimal
vegetation cover. McLure et al. (2015) note that feral hogs’ mobility and adaptability helps them
utilize resources in ecologically sensitive areas. Despite their preference for dense vegetation
cover, feral hogs feed further away from their preferred habitats during nighttime, mostly in
search of water and canopy shading. In most cases, wild pigs opt for unutilised farm lads as an
excellent shelter since these are beneficial to their populations.
The Three Management Priorities

To effectively manage the invasion of wild pigs in the Brunswick area, wild life service
managers would need to understand three primary elements in ecology and management of feral
hogs: biology, damages, and control. According to McLure et al., (2015), the effective
management for wildlife relies on a comprehensive understanding of the ecology and biology of
the species. This scope entails the diet, productivity patterns, behavior, and other factors that
contribute to their existence as a distinct type of mammals. Given these factors, it would be
possible to implement safe contraceptives to control populations, as well as toxicants.

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Furthermore, an understanding of sensory functions would help develop effective
deterrents for invasive wild pigs. In the United States, invasive wild pigs are a crossbreed
between wild boar and free ranging domestic pigs. It would also be possible to develop effective
control strategies with a solid understanding of population parameters such as cause-specific
mortality and sex-specific survival.
The second aspect of management of wild pigs is involved in documenting damages to
identify the level of funding required to remediate, reduce and prevent negative effects
associated with damage. A sound basis for determining undiscovered damages, development of
strategies towards invasion management of wild pigs, and informing policy development is also
a crucial factor for building capacity for managing wild pigs in the Brunswick area. According to
USDA Wildlife Services, (2010), feral hogs disrupt aquatic and terrestrial habitats by foraging.
This leads to the destruction of micro fauna and small habits. While studies about the level of
alteration in the ecosystem are limited, the physical evidence from uprooted vegetation resulting
in negative effects in soil properties is an indication of the need to understand the damage
element.
The third priority area in the effective management of wild pigs is understanding the
control options available. Based on the ecology and biology of wild pigs include fencing, lethal
removal, and diversional feeding. According to Beasley et al. (2018), lethal control options are
the most effective methods and mostly involve trapping of invasive wild pigs. However, trapping
efficiency is still low and managers need to understand the best times of the year for optimal
trapping, the number of trap, and improvement in trap design. One of the challenges in setting
attractants and baits is the consumption by non-target species.
Conclusion

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The rapid increase in the distribution and size of feral hogs in the United States
necessitates adaptive and strategies backed by solid ecological research. Although there is a
growing awareness of the destructive effects of invasive feral hogs on local ecosystems, there is
limited research on certain key areas of the species ecology to support effective management.
Lack of sufficient knowledge is a disadvantage to efforts for the reduction of damage and the
development of sustainable management strategies. In this case, understanding the biology,
ecology, damage and control measures is paramount to building effective wild pig management.

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References

Beasley, J. C., Ditchkoff, S. S., Mayer, J. J., Smith, M. D., & Vercauteren, K. C. (2018).
Research priorities for managing invasive wild pigs in North America. The Journal of
Wildlife Management, 82(4), 674-681.
Hernández, F. A., Parker, B. M., Pylant, C. L., Smyser, T. J., Piaggio, A. J., Lance, S. L., … &
Wisely, S. M. (2018). Invasion ecology of wild pigs (Sus scrofa) in Florida, USA: the
role of humans in the expansion and colonization of an invasive wild ungulate. Biological
Invasions, 20(7), 1865-1880.
McClure, M. L., Burdett, C. L., Farnsworth, M. L., Lutman, M. W., Theobald, D. M., Riggs, P.
D., … & Miller, R. S. (2015). Modeling and mapping the probability of occurrence of
invasive wild pigs across the contiguous United States. PloS one, 10(8).
USDA Wild Services. (2010). Feral Hog Biology, Impacts and Eradication Techniques . New
Mexico: USDA Wild Services.