USDA program hunts, traps invasive feral hogs, coyotes
Agency splits costs with NM counties
CARLSBAD — To protect farm animals from a bevy of wild predators, the U.S. Department of Agriculture provides hunting and trapping services to dozens of New Mexico counties, splitting the cost.
Coyotes and feral hogs are among the most prevalent invasive species in the area, said USDA District Supervisor Brian Archuleta.
“Primarily, we protect livestock on ranges,” he said during a recent presentation before the Eddy County Board of Commissioners. “We provide a service to all of Eddy County.”
Archuleta said during a fiveyear eradication program, the USDA has removed 185 to 200 feral hogs from the district that spans seven counties in southeast New Mexico.
Thousands more were removed statewide by the program, now in its final year.
Twenty-two of New Mexico’s 33 counties have similar programs, with six southeastern counties participating.
Finding the hogs in Eddy County, near the Pecos River, has proven difficult.
“Here along the Pecos, there are very few hogs we’ve been able to locate,” Archuleta said. “We’re looking for a needle in a haystack.”
The agency has received reports of pig sightings on private ranches near Black Canyon, Archuleta said, and near the Carlsbad Caverns National Park.
Feral hogs aggressively compete with livestock for food, Archuleta said, and can spread diseases to other animals.
Archuleta said the organization uses monitoring cameras to track and then trap the animals.
In more difficult to reach areas, the USDA uses helicopters to find and kill the hogs.
“I’m certainly glad to see you’re addressing the feral hog issue,” said Commission Chair Stella Davis. “They’re destructive.”
The total cost of the program is $112,816 for the fiscal year 2018, with Eddy County and the USDA each paying about half.
“It’s a cost share,” said Commissioner James Walterscheid. “The federal government is big on cost shares. It’s not just the county that pays for it. It’s a good program that appears to be doing good.”
USDA personnel are equipped for long-range hunting and trapping, skills necessary to find and eliminate the predators, Archuleta said.
He said animal control operations under local law enforcement agencies are more adept in urban environments.
“The ranching community supports us,” Archuleta said. “The community will be a big input if they want us to continue.”
But ongoing efforts to protect Eddy County’s livestock could depend on the new federal administration.
Walterscheid worried that proposed budget cuts by the Trump administration could threaten the program.