Feral Hogs Cause Billions of Dollars in Damage Annually

Feral hogs cause more than $3.4 billion in damage annually across the U.S., according to USDA. With a population of more than 9 million spread across 35 states, wild hogs wreak havoc on farms and ranches.

"You can see exactly where they're rooting up the pasture, going for stuff in the ground -- grubworms and such," Noble Research Institute ranch manager Curtis Larson says. The signs of feral hogs are usually the same wherever they are present: extensive digging or rooting, muddy wallows, bark rubbed off trees and hoof prints. But, they're usually only seen at night, when they're most active.

"We have had to really step up our management of the hogs so they don't get out of control," says Mississippi cattlewoman Rylie Melancon, adding that it's harder because not all ranchers do the same. She says it's worth the effort not only to prevent damage to land, crops, fencing and equipment, but also to mitigate the spread of disease to domesticated livestock.

FROM DOMESTIC ROOTS TO WILD MENACE

Today's feral hog populations are mostly descendants of domesticated swine. According to the Noble Research Institute, all feral hogs in the U.S. up until the 1930s were from domestic stock. After that, Russian wild boars were imported for sport hunting. Some escaped and bred with hogs already roaming wild. Their genetics remain in some populations today, sometimes showing up in longer snouts and legs, heavy shoulders, coarse, bristly coats and a leaner, more angular build than their domestic ancestors.

It's estimated a single feral hog can cause $500 worth of damage to fields and pastures -- and potentially more depending on the crop. Larson says extensive damage to a pasture can take up to a year to recover, affecting producers' livelihoods.

Melancon says hogs mostly cause damage on her family ranch when they plant grass for hay or pasture, and the soil is freshly tilled.

"Hogs will really tear up the ground. When we are making hay or clipping pastures, there may be a spot with less grass and the ground is very rough, or we might hit a hog root," she says. "We have to bring a box blade or grader out to smooth the area."

Damage is also possible to equipment. If the land isn't repaired, rooting can contribute to erosion, hinder forage establishment and create opportunities for invasive plants to spread.

DISEASE RISK ADDS TO FARMERS' CONCERNS

Wallowing by feral hogs and fecal contamination can also degrade water quality and create opportunities for disease transmission.

"The cows are drinking out of the same ponds as the pigs," Melancon says. "We have a concern with brucellosis and leptospirosis being passed to cows from the wild hogs. If we would see abortions due to one of those, that would really affect our bottom line."

These diseases can also be passed to humans.

"It makes it even more important for us to vaccinate (cattle) against those diseases," she says.

Pseudorabies is also prevalent in feral hog populations. The U.S. eradicated the disease in commercial swine herds in 2004. New cases in Iowa and Texas this spring are believed to have been caused by transmission from feral hogs.

Wild pigs are also attracted to livestock feed areas, creating additional opportunities for contact and disease transmission. In several cases, Noble ranch managers have added guardian dogs to deter feral hogs.

TRAPPING, TEAMWORK IMPROVE CONTROL

Controlling feral hog populations is difficult because they reproduce rapidly. Sows have a gestation period of just under four months and can produce litters of up to 10 piglets.

Many farmers and ranchers use hunting as a way to reduce hog numbers, but Derick Warren, research services associate at Noble, warns that shooting them for control may get rid of one animal but scare and scatter the others.

"Then they become your neighbor's problem for a while," he says. He recommends working with neighbors to control the population.

Warren prefers trapping to shooting individual hogs. Remote trapping systems use cameras to send a live feed to a rancher's smartphone, allowing the rancher to wait until the entire group of hogs enters before dropping the gate.

"Our most successful way of controlling the hogs is with the trap," Melancon says. The key is patience. She says they bait the area for several days, allowing the hogs to become comfortable entering the trap before attempting to capture them. The hogs can then be euthanized.

No one way of controlling feral hogs is perfect for all operations. The Noble staff suggests reaching out to the USDA Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) office about the National Feral Swine Damage Management Program, which helps with monitoring and control in the states dealing with the worst problems.

USDA recently announced $35 million for partnerships to combat feral swine, part of a $105-million investment extending the Feral Swine Eradication and Control Pilot Program for another five years. The money finances projects to help with eradication efforts, land restoration and trapping training events in 14 states.

Still, Melancon says control is difficult when neighboring landowners aren't participating.

"We try to keep them under control the best we can, but lately, the problem has been getting worse because not a lot of people are trying to get rid of them," Melancon adds. "They aren't just tearing up our land; it's affecting our cattle and our livelihood."

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-- Noble Research Institute: https://www.noble.org/…

-- Feral Swine Management, USDA APHIS: https://www.aphis.usda.gov/…

-- Jennifer Carrico can be reached at jennifer.carrico@dtn.com

-- Follow Jennifer on social platform X @JennCattleGal

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