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USDA Report: Wild Pigs are Taking Over the US


Claire.

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USDA Report: Wild Pigs are Taking Over the US

Wild pigs were first introduced to the southern United States in the 1500s to provide early settlers and explorers with something to eat, and the Eurasian or Russian wild boar was brought over in the 1900s for sport hunting. Fast forward to 2017, and millions of feral pigs are wreaking havoc in dozens of states.

Escaped domestic pigs, descendants of wild boar and hybrids of both make up the more than 5 million wild swine that are costing an estimated $1.5 billion a year. The sum comes from the damage they cause as well as the need to control them.

Gail Keirn, a public affairs specialist at the USDA-APHIS-WS National Wildlife Research Center, said: “Feral swine cause major damage to property, agriculture (crops and livestock), native species and ecosystems, and cultural and historic resources. This invasive species also threatens the health of people, wildlife, pets, and other domestic animals. As feral swine populations continue to expand across the country, these damages, costs, and risks will only keep rising.”

Wild pigs breed rapidly and seem able to adapt to any climate. They eat just about anything while lacking natural predators.

Read more: redOrbit and PLOS

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Funny.

By the title, I was getting the whole 'Orwell's Animal Farm' thing going on there.

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  • 3 weeks later...

Here's a bit of an update on this:

_______________________________________________________________________

Texas Approves Pesticide Targeting Wild Pigs
But hunters and conservationists are concerned that other animals will be exposed to the toxin

Earlier this week, Sid Miller, the Texas Agriculture Commissioner, changed the Texas Administrative Code to allow for the limited use of poison lures to keep wild hogs in check. The move comes as Texans (and folks around the country) have grown increasingly frustrated with rapidly growing and rampant feral pig populations.

Writing for Gizmodo earlier this month, Ryan F. Mandelbaum reports that feral hogs annually cost the U.S. $1.5 billion. Lacking any natural predators in much of the country, the invasive pigs run roughshod on crops across parts of 39 states, particularly in the south.

The pigs have especially flourished in Texas, with an estimated population in excess of 1.5 million. Asher Price of the Austin American-Statesman reports the feral hogs cause at least $50 million in damages per year through destruction of crops, livestock tanks, and untold damage to manicured suburban landscapes.

Read more: Smithsonian.com

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Wild hogs are a huge problem but im not crazy about the whole poison thing seems there way too much room for unintended consequences.

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Just now, Farmer77 said:

Wild hogs are a huge problem but im not crazy about the whole poison thing seems there way too much room for unintended consequences.

There are hungry people in this country and there is a wild hog infestation...hmmm....

There are already programs where hunters can donate wild game meat. I say ramp that up a few notches

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Just now, Dark_Grey said:

There are hungry people in this country and there is a wild hog infestation...hmmm....

There are already programs where hunters can donate wild game meat. I say ramp that up a few notches

I was thinking the same. Why not eat them down to a decent number?

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Just now, Dark_Grey said:

There are hungry people in this country and there is a wild hog infestation...hmmm....

There are already programs where hunters can donate wild game meat. I say ramp that up a few notches

Brilliant! Seriously do a mass hunt, invite hunters from all over by waiving any fees , set up registration and delivery locations where aid groups would take the animal to be dispersed to the needy. Brilliant! 

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3 minutes ago, Farmer77 said:

Brilliant! Seriously do a mass hunt, invite hunters from all over by waiving any fees , set up registration and delivery locations where aid groups would take the animal to be dispersed to the needy. Brilliant! 

Hunters would be all in. Wild pig is delicious meat and every hunter wants to do their part in wildlife conservation. In Texas, they are literally mowing down pigs with machine guns because 

1) It's Texas

2) Those piggies breed so damn fast. I think I read that a female young pig can start carrying it's own litter after 6 months? They can have several litters each year, they are aggressive and destructive to the native wildlife. This could become a real problem if not dealt with soon.

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