eNews
Summer/Fall 2021 | Vol 14 | No 2
Red Hills Region Feral Hog Control Program
In 2019, Tall Timbers partnered with the USDA Feral Swine Eradication and Control Pilot Program (FSCP). The purpose of the program, funded in the 2018 Farm Bill, is to respond to the threat feral swine pose to agriculture, native ecosystems, and human and animal health. Tall Timbers’ project includes the Red Hills region from Tallahassee, Florida to Thomasville, Georgia, shouldered by the Ochlockonee and Aucilla rivers.
With over 82% of Red Hills landowners participating the concentrated effort, the project has had a lot of success. As of July 2021, moving from the Ochlockonee River eastward, there have been 1,877 hogs removed. The project funds USDA’s Wildlife Services employees to apply their trapping expertise on private lands. This concerted effort has taken the burden off landowners in the time consuming and frustrating process of trapping feral swine.
Feral swine are not only destructive, but also spread disease. Wildlife Services professionals are disease testing a portion of the hogs captured. These blood draws test for both pseudorabies virus (PRV) and swine brucellosis. Of the 58 hogs tested for pseudorabies, 22% returned positive results. These results are typical with what has been documented in other populations of feral swine. PRV is transmitted primarily through direct animal-to-animal contact, but it can also spread indirectly through contaminated boots, knives, equipment, etc. PRV can also affect dogs, cattle, cats, sheep, and goats – there is no treatment, but antibiotics can help with secondary bacterial infections. Of the 56 hogs tested for swine brucellosis, 9% returned positive results. This disease can be contracted by people and is transmitted through bodily fluids and/or by ingesting infected tissues. Protective gloves and washing after handling feral hogs are critical to limit the spread of these diseases.
A concurrent project to the trapping effort is monitoring its effectiveness. Through the USDA grant, Tall Timbers is funding University of Georgia Master’s student, Kelsey Hoskins (advised by Dr. Mike Mengak). Kelsey’s project focuses on the before and after effects of the removal of feral swine on the landscape. This includes effects to native wildlife and habitats and water quality before and after the removal of feral hogs on a property. With over 150 wildlife cameras across the landscape, Kelsey’s data may show a displacement of native wildlife on the landscape while feral hogs are present, and the return of native wildlife, once feral hogs are removed. Thus far, Kelsey has collected over 291,764 images. Kelsey is also documenting habitat damage due to feral hogs, and that information is also collected via landowner surveys conducted by Tall Timbers.
With over 150 wildlife cameras across the landscape, Kelsey’s data may show a displacement of native wildlife on the landscape while feral hogs are present, and the return of native wildlife, once feral hogs are removed. Thus far, Kelsey has collected over 291,764 images.
Beginning this month, Tall Timbers technician Chris Terrazas, with assistance from Wildlife Services, will be putting GPS collars on feral swine. This project will transition to a graduate project for Chris to study how these feral hogs are using the landscape, including how far they travel, routes of travel, and optimal foraging and resting habitats. This information will be helpful for future control of feral hogs in the Red Hills. We look forward to sharing results of this project in the future.
Currently, the FSCP is slated to wrap up in September 2023. Tall Timbers hopes that the Farm Bill will renew this successful project and we will be able to expand to areas outside of the Red Hills in order to assist more private landowners. Tall Timbers will continue efforts to include feral hog control in future Farm Bills, and encourages landowners to talk to their elected officials for continued support of this project.
