MDC Warns of Feral Hogs
Ezra DeVore
“If they have an issue, we would like them to call and report to the local officer,” said Alan Leary, Wildlife Management Coordinator for the Missouri Department of Conservation (MDC), regarding the feral hog population, causing millions of dollars of damage in recent decades across Missouri, according to the MDC.
Feral hogs became a true obstacle in Missouri through the mid-nineties, when hogs were intentionally released with the hopes of forming populations for hunting opportunities. However, hogs are not native to this region, and multiply quite quickly. Reproduction is possible at six months old for sows, and they typically give birth to two litters of four to ten piglets annually.
Thus, if left unchecked, populations can easily double or triple over the span of one year, therefore causing double or triple the agricultural, environmental, and property damage the following year.
Luckily, due to efforts by people like Leary, the issue has been managed and the populations are reducing, especially in southwest Missouri.
However, sightings still occur - hikers, hunters, farmers, ranchers, and other outdoor-minded locals see them, and their damage.
Feral hogs are more than just a nuisance for humans, however, but can be a true enemy of native animals. Due to their numbers and aggressive eating habits, the hogs can destroy the food sources of native animals like turkey, deer, and similar wildlife. Feral hogs also prey on the eggs of ground-nesting birds, in addition to young livestock or fawns and small animals.
Additionally, they can destroy the fragile and vital ecosystems in streams and soil by rooting, wallowing, and eroding important soil, therefore harming local aquatic life. The hogs can also carry disease, infecting animals and humans.
Their eyes also don’t reflect headlights, so they cause traffic accidents as well.
“With hunting you remove one from a large group, then the large group is left to repopulate. We’re trying to get entire groups at once. The big thing is land owner cooperation - people letting us know there’s a problem,” Leary continued.
“The agency has full time trappers - this is what they do all day every day - continue with our efforts, and modify as necessary. Evolving with new traps - feral hogs are extremely smart animals and very adaptable. You have to make changes to stay a little ahead of them.”
The MDC strongly advises that people alert the MDC to a sighting, rather than attempt to intervene with the situation themselves. This can be done by contacting the Missouri Department of Conservation regional office in Springfield by phone, or visiting the MDC website, and filing a sighting with MDC, through their website.
With these tactics, the MDC has completely eliminated many feral hogs in western Missouri, and within the last five years, great progress has been made. This is largely due to the banning of feral hog hunting in 2016, and the banning of their pursuit in 2020 in Missouri.
Although Southwest Missouri is somewhat lucky that our region never suffered the high populations of the eastern and central parts of the state, the populations are here, and are destructive.
“If they have an issue, we would like them to call and report to the local officer,” said Alan Leary, Wildlife Management Coordinator for the Missouri Department of Conservation (MDC), regarding the feral hog population, causing millions of dollars of damage in recent decades across Missouri, according to the MDC.
Feral hogs became a true obstacle in Missouri through the mid-nineties, when hogs were intentionally released with the hopes of forming populations for hunting opportunities. However, hogs are not native to this region, and multiply quite quickly. Reproduction is possible at six months old for sows, and they typically give birth to two litters of four to ten piglets annually.
Thus, if left unchecked, populations can easily double or triple over the span of one year, therefore causing double or triple the agricultural, environmental, and property damage the following year.
Luckily, due to efforts by people like Leary, the issue has been managed and the populations are reducing, especially in southwest Missouri.
However, sightings still occur - hikers, hunters, farmers, ranchers, and other outdoor-minded locals see them, and their damage.
Feral hogs are more than just a nuisance for humans, however, but can be a true enemy of native animals. Due to their numbers and aggressive eating habits, the hogs can destroy the food sources of native animals like turkey, deer, and similar wildlife. Feral hogs also prey on the eggs of ground-nesting birds, in addition to young livestock or fawns and small animals.
Additionally, they can destroy the fragile and vital ecosystems in streams and soil by rooting, wallowing, and eroding important soil, therefore harming local aquatic life. The hogs can also carry disease, infecting animals and humans.
Their eyes also don’t reflect headlights, so they cause traffic accidents as well.
“With hunting you remove one from a large group, then the large group is left to repopulate. We’re trying to get entire groups at once. The big thing is land owner cooperation - people letting us know there’s a problem,” Leary continued.
“The agency has full time trappers - this is what they do all day every day - continue with our efforts, and modify as necessary. Evolving with new traps - feral hogs are extremely smart animals and very adaptable. You have to make changes to stay a little ahead of them.”
The MDC strongly advises that people alert the MDC to a sighting, rather than attempt to intervene with the situation themselves. This can be done by contacting the Missouri Department of Conservation regional office in Springfield by phone, or visiting the MDC website, and filing a sighting with MDC, through their website.
With these tactics, the MDC has completely eliminated many feral hogs in western Missouri, and within the last five years, great progress has been made. This is largely due to the banning of feral hog hunting in 2016, and the banning of their pursuit in 2020 in Missouri.
Although Southwest Missouri is somewhat lucky that our region never suffered the high populations of the eastern and central parts of the state, the populations are here, and are destructive.