Effective Control Techniques.

It is important to recognize that complete eradication of feral swine is not practical and may be impossible. Management and reduction of current populations is a more obtainable goal and there are currently a variety of methods that can be used by landowners and wildlife managers to aid in reaching this goal. The most effective approach to feral swine control is the efficient application of whole-sounder removal using large corral traps as the first step in an integrated approach to local control. Whole-sounder trapping and removal is the most effective method of feral swine control. Sometimes certain methods of control, such as dog hunting and shooting methods, may actually make the feral swine problem worse.  Shooting can scatter a sounder of pigs and make trapping efforts more difficult. Generally, when employing a trapping program, it is critical to shut down and halt all hunting, dog hunting, and shooting activities on the property where trapping is taking place.  If possible, such activities should be halted on adjoining properties as well.  This is where landowner to landowner cooperation and communication is critical.

  • There are several types of traps on the market. Corral trapping and whole-sounder removal is the most effective method of reducing feral swine populations because entire family groups can be removed at one time. This population reduction decreases feral swine damage and total population.

    Cage traps, also known as box traps, have the advantage of being portable so they can easily be moved to different locations on your property. However, they can only catch a few feral swine at a time and are not effective for whole sounder removal.

    Learn more about the steps of effective trapping for whole sounder removal here.

  • Shooting for control and hunting are not the same thing.

    Hunting is a recreational activity. Hunting can provide extra revenue in the form of lease fees for many farmers, ranchers, and private landowners. While hunting feral swine can be fun and exciting for hunters, it is limited in success for control. Sport hunting for feral swine tends to be selective to few adult feral swine, and removal of these individuals alone is typically not enough to reduce population densities. Feral swine are intelligent creatures and under heavy hunting pressure they will often learn to avoid humans all together.

    Shooting for control incorporates traditional still hunting and night shooting. Shooting is one part of a comprehensive removal program, and can be particularly useful to reduce economic and natural resource damages, such as in agricultural fields at planting. While Georgia has liberal laws for hunting feral swine on private lands, it is important to follow all state game laws. Learn about Georgia’s statues here.

    Shooting for control and recreational hunting near bait and trapping sites may reduce efficacy of trapping efforts.

  • Aerial control most often employs the use of a helicopter and shotguns or semi-automatic rifles. In areas with high feral swine densities, it can be highly effective; the high cost of the aircraft is often negated due to the high success rates associated with this type of control. 

    Aerial control is becoming more widely available in areas of Georgia with open canopy pine forests, large agricultural fields, salt marshes, and some bottomland areas during leaf-off season.

    Currently, aerial control is used by USDA APHIS Wildlife Services. Wildlife Services has successfully employed helicopters and aerial control across larger areas of Georgia.  While specific cost estimates vary by project, the program is considered cost effective (dollars spent per animal removed) when factoring in labor, bullets, bait, and supplies for an intensive trapping program.  Use of this technique will likely continue to increase by Wildlife Services in Georgia.

    A study in Texas showed 31%, 56%, and 67% of the initial feral swine population was removed after one, two, and three flights, respectively.  The number of feral swine removed per hour varied from a low of 4 to a high of 23.8 and was related to habitat conditions – removal in open habitat was more efficient.  

    Not every aerial or trapping operation will have numbers like this, but there will be a range of efficacy based on many factors.  Aerial control may remove a large portion of a population, but it is one component of a comprehensive removal program. There is no evidence that aerial control forces feral swine off of property and onto adjacent landowners.

    Aerial control requires trained professionals to implement, and may require special licenses and permits. Learn more about aerial control at the USDA APHIS website, or learn about partnerships for aerial projects on our Local Resources page.

  • Fence construction and maintenance is expensive. As a result, fencing large fields, orchards, vineyards or other acreages is unlikely to be cost effective for the exclusion of feral swine. However, fencing areas such as airports, deer feeders, and cemeteries can be effective if the fence is properly maintained. Feral swine are intelligent creatures and they can easily breach a poorly constructed fence.

    Many fence materials including wood, chain link fence, rigid panels, or barbed wire, are available. Common designs include wire mesh, electric strand, or a combination of the two. Stranded wire fences used in conjunction with electric fence chargers are less effective than mesh wire fences; however, they are much cheaper to construct. While there are several styles of fencing available there are few designs that completely exclude invasion by feral swine.

    Considerations for constructing a wire mesh fencing to exclude feral swine:

    • Wire mesh with a 2-inch spacing near the bottom and increasing to larger spacing 2 feet off the ground generally prevents small piglets from entering the area. These are often called feedlot panels and typically start with 2-inch spacing near the ground and increase to 4-inch spacing then 6-inch spacing near the top.  Panels are typically 48-, 50-, or 52-inches tall.

    • Fenceposts spaced 8-10 feet apart is adequate. Posts should be a minimum of 6 feet tall and sunk a minimum of 10-20 inches into the ground, depending on post material and soil type.

    • The mesh should be stretched tight enough to eliminate sagging; this allows for flexibility in case a feral swine was to charge the fence. 

    • Fence height should be a minimum of 48 inches but 60-inch (5 feet) is much better.

    • To prevent persistent feral swine from burrowing under the fence, bury the bottom of the wire 12 inches below ground surface. This behavior can also be prevented by adding an electric strand 8 to 12 inches off the ground on the outside of the fence.

    • With all wildlife exclusion fences using wire mesh, the fence must be tight to the ground. Pay close attention to slight changes in topography. 

    • Regular maintenance to remove fallen trees or limbs is required. 

  • Hunting with dogs, while popular in some areas, is ineffective at reducing feral swine populations.

    Dog hunting can greatly increase the chances of locating groups of feral swine. However, usually only one or two feral swine is captured, so this method is time intensive and not effective in controlling a large population or area.

    Hunting with dogs is primarily a recreational activity and should be stopped while comprehensive trapping efforts are underway.  This may include working with neighbors to stop their dog hunting as well.