Well, wild hogs, feral pigs, boar… whatever you want to call them… they’re still getting a lot of heat in several states, as officials scurry to curtail or control these prolific critters.  Sport hunting seems to be going strong and growing (check out the number of hog hunts on hunting TV and video these days), and it’s easy to see that hog hunting is still growing in popularity.  That’s a mixed blessing for the states with feral hog “problems”.

First of all, according to this article from New Jersey.com website, hunters get a little credit in helping New Jersey Fish and Wildlife authorities cut into the feral pig population.  The hunts were authorized this past deer season, and according to the harvest reports, officials think the hunters may have trimmed the population by as much as half… although they admit they really have no idea how many pigs there really are. 

In New Jersey, the feral hogs were mostly localized in a small area of the state.  In such a situation, hunting pressure can certainly make a dent in the populations.  The State suggests that their hunters and trappers will continue working to eradicate the remaining animals.

Some states, however, apparently think that sport hunters are more likely to be part of the problem than to be the solution.  Colorado took a proactive approach by passing legislation that prohibits selling hunts or making money off of the feral hogs in that state.  In other words, while sport hunters can kill hogs, it’s illegal to sell guided hunts or charge tresspass fees. 

Well, after reading this on Oregon Live, it looks like that state is considering the same approach.  Plans already in action include Oregon House Bill 2221, which will make it illegal to sell hunts for feral hogs.  This is a page out of Colorado’s play book, and I think it’s a pro-active response to the spread of these animals.  It’s no secret that some people are trapping and relocating feral hogs in order to create huntable populations on private (and sometimes public) land.  This bill will take away the profit incentive for this kind of behavior.

Most states include some kind of prohibition on releasing feral hogs into the wild, yet this continues to be an issue.  Kansas passed such a law last year, and according to this article, Kansas officials believe their efforts to control and reduce the hog populations are paying off.  Again, there are no solid estimates of the number of hogs in the state, but specific areas, such as Ft Riley, appear to have seen a significant reduction, or even total eradication of the nuisance animals. 

Efforts are still underway in Kansas to make sport hunting for feral pigs illegal in the state, since some officials believe that individuals are still releasing hogs into the wild, despite current laws that prohibit this practice.  The only solution, in their minds, is to put a complete stop to hog hunting… a fairly draconian approach, and one for which we can thank the unscrupulous and selfish folks who continue to trap and transplant hogs for their own purposes.

I’ve said it several times, and I stand by it… I still think we need some more research into the real environmental impacts of feral hogs.  I’m sure there are issues in some places, but I honestly believe that they are not completely incompatible in certain habitats.

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