Feral hogs are an invasive species, threat to Arkansas, experts say

The number and actions of feral hogs in Arkansas have gone wild.

In 1977, about 4 percent of the state had feral hogs. Today, feral hogs have been documented in all 75 counties, said Becky McPeake, extension wildlife specialist for the University of Arkansas System Division of Agriculture.

“People have shot at hogs or put a trap out thinking that’s all they had to do to gain control, but they’re getting outsmarted by the pigs. Feral hogs are not comfortable around humans, and once the pigs encounter humans, they tend to become less visible. They are highly adaptable and will do what is necessary to survive,” said McPeake, who was a guest speaker at a feral hog workshop Thursday at Southwest Research and Extension Center in Hope.

About 75 landowners, farmers and ranchers attended the workshop. The workshop included demonstrations about how traps can capture the wild hogs and the use of trail cameras for feral hog surveillance.

McPeake said the increase in hogs started in rural areas, but has been reported in urban areas including Conway.

Evann George, who lives in South Columbia County and raises chickens, attended the workshop Thursday, and described how a feral hog got into her garage to eat chicken feed stored inside the building.

About 1:30 a.m., she heard noise in her garage and discovered the hog. She opened the door, and the hog ran away.

During another incident she found a chicken leg in her yard. She assumed the chicken was consumed by a hog and the only thing left was the chicken leg.

An outbreak of pseudorabies was also confirmed near De Queen in Sevier County and attributed to feral hogs, McPeake said.

The outbreak claimed the lives of 10 hunting dogs after they were used to chase feral swine near a livestock pasture. An infected hog was caught and mauled by the dogs, according to a news release from Arkansas Game and Fish Commission.

“Feral swine are not native to the U.S. They are an invasive species, a public nuisance and a threat to Arkansas. They compete for wild animal food resources, destroy habitat by rooting and wallowing and will eat ground-nesting birds, eggs, fawns and young domestic livestock,” the news release stated.

The dogs in Sevier County scavenged and ate the meat from the infected feral swine. Soon after, the canines showed signs of “mad itch,” a common side effect of the viral infection. The symptoms were reported to Arkansas Livestock and Poultry Commission, Arkansas Health Department, U.S. Department of Agriculture Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service and the game and fish commission.

Samples from the hog and dogs were collected and analyzed by Iowa State University as part of ongoing research on feral swine disease. “Feral swine can be carriers of the pseudorabies virus, which is transmitted through nasal and oral secretions. The virus is fatal to pets and livestock,” the release states.

Arkansas Department of Health stresses pseudorabies is not transmissible to humans, but feral swine can be carriers of multiple viruses, parasites and bacteria that can lead to severe illness, most notably swine brucellosis. Other diseases include anthrax, brucellosis, E. coli, hepatitis E, swine influenza, leptospirosis, rabies, salmonellosis, toxoplasmosis, trichinosis, tuberculosis and tularemia.

Caution should be used when encountering and processing feral swine because of the potential health risks to humans and pets, according to the release “The AGFC uses large-scale trapping as the most efficient and economical means currently available to reduce feral swine populations. Sport hunting of feral hogs has been more hindrance to hog removal than benefit. Illegal relocation of hogs for hunting purposes has spread the problem to new areas. The shooting of individual hogs also thwarts large-scale trapping efforts and makes it nearly impossible to catch the whole sounder, or family group, at once,” the news release stated. In 2013, the Arkansas Legislature passed a law prohibiting the possession, sale or transporting of any live feral hog except to Arkansas Livestock and Poultry Commission-approved terminal facilities by licensed individuals. The intent of the law is to limit the spread and effects of feral swine, as well as the diseases to domestic livestock producers and native species.

During the workshop, McPeake said controlling the prolific feral hog has proven difficult. One pregnant hog can grow to 31 hogs in about 400 days, and the hogs are adaptive and learn to avoid hunters and traps.

Signs feral hogs are in an area include rooting, tracks, wallows, nests or beds, and tree rubs.

For more information, call McPeake at 501-671-2285.