Background

The Georgia Feral Swine Partnership is a coalition of federal and state agencies, researchers, Universities, and additional stakeholders aiming to effectively control feral swine populations and provide outreach to landowners across Georgia.

While feral swine eradication is improbable, effective control techniques are imperative for reducing the economic and ecological damage that are caused by large feral swine populations. In the University of Georgia 2015 Wild Pig Survey, 79% of respondents indicated they do not enjoy having feral swine on their property. Those that support feral swine removal include private landowners, farmers, and ranchers who have experience feral swine damage on their property. Feral swine persistently root and dig for food, move in large family groups (sounders), and migrate in traveled trails and wallowing patterns. This contributes to significant damage for landowners, farmers, and ranchers, as well as ecological and natural resource destruction.

Economic Damage

  • Loss of crops due to feral swine foraging in fields.

  • Risk of disease for livestock producers.

  • Damage to farm infrastructure, including irrigation, feeders, and fencing.

  • Damage of tree and tree seedlings in planted orchards.

  • Loss of wildlife on hunting plantations.

Ecological Damage

  • Damage to wildlife habitat.

  • Impact to threatened and endangered species populations.

  • Competition for native wildlife food sources and habitat .

  • Erosion of stream banks and forest floors.

  • Damage to trees and tree seedlings.

 

While feral swine are highly nomadic animals, the spread of feral swine in Georgia may also be attributed in part to the transport and release of feral swine. Transporting and releasing feral swine in Georgia is illegal, however illegal translocation may occur by hunters or private hunting guides trying to provide another species for hunters. Despite the known economic and ecological damage that feral swine cause, some may still oppose the control and eradication of feral swine, including those who profit off of feral swine,

However, due to their destructive nature and rapid growth population, feral swine are gaining increased attention from wildlife biologists, managers, and researchers in the country. While eradication is likely impossible in Georgia, today’s management philosophy include reduction of existing population and prevention of spread of the feral swine population to new areas.

In Georgia, a “feral hog” is defined in the state code (O.C.G.A. §27-1-2. Definitions) as “any hog which has lived any part of its life in a wild, free-ranging state and is currently in such state or has been taken”.  Taking means killing, capturing, destroying, catching, or seizing – in every day terms this means, simply, possession.  If the animal is in your possession (with or without control) it has been “taken”.  Terms such as feral hog, wild hog, feral pig, feral swine, wild pig and others are interchangeable to the public and refer to the same biological organism.