Killing feral pigs with bow and arrows nixed

Animals have become ‘trap-wise’ and are evading capture

The idea sounded like something out of a storybook: Trained professionals using bows and arrows would kill pesky wild pigs wreaking havoc on San Jose neighborhoods.

And for businesses like the Coyote Creek Golf Course in South San Jose that have spent hundreds of thousands of dollars this year trying to mend the damage unleashed by the animals, it was a tool they were willing to try.

“It’s not Wilbur here from ‘ Charlotte’s Web,’ ” Council member Johnny Khamis said during a meeting Tuesday night. “We’re talking 500-pound creatures that can do damage to pets, houses, lawns … they’re dangerous animals.”

But citing safety concerns over errant arrows and state law restrictions, San Jose leaders quashed a proposal that would have let licensed trappers use archery equipment to kill feral pigs that have been destroying lawns and tearing up golf courses across the city.

Under current San Jose rules, trappers licensed through the California Department of Fish and Wildlife can catch wild pigs in cages and then kill them, as long as they notify the San Jose Police Department at least an hour before discharging a firearm.

But recently, some of those pigs have become “trap-wise,” meaning that they sense danger and no longer will fall for the traps and wander inside of them.

With more pigs evading capture, Mike Fish, general manager of the Coyote Creek Golf Club, said he’s stuck in a “helpless situation.”

“If we could hunt them in the traditional form, the pig problem would be gone in a week tops,” Fish said. “But we want to do the right thing, and we certainly don’t want to break any rules or law.”

Although the company built a fence around a large portion of the property in 2017, Fish said the pigs have found a way to leap over it or “crash through it.” And although the golf course has hired a trapper, it hasn’t been able to trap a single pig in the past two months, according to Fish.

The resulting damage is not only unsightly but also has rendered sections of the course unusable for days, and it’s quite costly. All told, Fish estimates the repairs and personnel costs, trapper fees and lost revenue caused by the destruction is costing the business at least $50,000 a year.

“What they do to the playing surface is not any different than if you rented a rototiller and went through your front yard,” he said. “We have no resources. We’re truly at a loss.”

The new proposal for dealing with these “trap-wise” wild pigs first was introduced by Council members Johnny Khamis and Sergio Jimenez three weeks ago. But after some research from city staff and discussions with officials from the California Department of Fish and Wildlife, San Jose Public Works Director Matt Cano and San Jose Police Department Assistant Chief Dave Knopf recommended that the City Council nix the proposal.

California law states that it is illegal to hunt animals within 150 yards of a home without

the consent of that property owner.

A review of nine golf courses within San Jose city limits found Coyoke Creek was the only course without multiple homes within 150 yards of the greens. The course, however, was within 150 yards of Highway 101 — and that gave both Cano and Knopf pause.

Along with qualms over the potential for wandering arrows, Cano and Knopf also said the archery equipment would “not provide an immediate and quick method to incapacitate a wild pig, which could result in a wild pig fleeing an area wounded and causing a public safety issue,” their memo to the council stated.

Although the council did not move forward with the proposal Tuesday, it asked city staffers to work with county officials to potentially establish a program for more effectively managing the wild pig population in Santa Clara County.

“I understand that the safety of our residents is the first thing that we think about,” Council member Sylvia Arenas said at Tuesday’s council meeting. “Unfortunately, it still creates a problem that we haven’t really addressed, so I look forward to seeing what kind of collaboration we have with the county and what kind of problem-solving we can do.”