Profiling works.

[Team Sergeant]

Oh yeah, this is about wild "pigs". And how we as Americans allowed the problem go until the "pigs" started causing massive damage.

Ring any bells?





Do you have any documented proof of their violent nature? (Newspaper clippings)

Ample documentation exists of wild pig-human encounters. However, the likelihood of a human being impacted by a hog/vehicle collision or disease risk—while still low is greater than an actual physical attack by a wild pig. Where the rare wild pig attack occurs, it is usually during a hunting scenario where dogs are used to bay or corner a pig in a spot and the pig “runs through” the associated hunters standing nearby. Occasionally, humans inadvertently walk between a sow and her litter and the sow reacts to protect her young. Totally unprovoked attacks outside of these two scenarios are rare. Given a choice, wild pigs usually flee rather than fight. However, U.S. newspapers report from 5 to 7 human fatalities each year.

What is the average cost of property damage they inflict in Texas? Total cost of annual property damage?

A 2004 survey conducted by Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Service placed annual damage to agriculture in TX alone at $52 million with an additional $7 million spent by landowners to attempt to control the pigs and/or correct the damage. This is indeed a very conservative estimate. Other researchers suggest that damage per pig per year averages $200– but the problem there is that the assumption is made that a 40 pound pig causes as much damage as a 300 pound pig, which is unlikely. The total pig population in Texas has been estimated recently (2011) at 2.6 million. However, estimates for the United States population as a whole are non-existent but “guesstimates” place that number between 4 million and 8 million animals. Some reports estimate total damage in the U.S. may be $1.5 billion annually—However, these damage estimates are in part based on population estimates—but again, a figure we don’t have a good handle on nationwide.

Do they use the same trails to get from pace to place? If so, why?

Wild pigs are creatures of habit and will use the same bedding/resting areas and feeding areas as long as the food source remains available. However, they are capable of moving great distances to find food. Human disturbance/pressure will make them alter their patterns of movement. They do have some affinity to their “home range” which can vary from a few hundred acres to several thousand acres based on food availability and pressure. A 2011-12 telemetry study of adult female wild pigs with sounders in east Texas resulted in home range estimates of approximately 2 square miles, or 1,100 acres.

What kind of foods are they most attracted to when trying to trap them?

One size does not fit all when it comes to baits. However, research by Dr. Tyler Campbell (formerly with USDA-APHIS/WS) suggests that wild pigs are attracted to baits that have a sweet pungent odor, such as strawberry or berry flavorings. Hence, you will see several commercial “pig baits” that contain some type of strawberry flavoring based on this research. Many baits will and have worked and landowners are encouraged to vary baits among traps to find out what pigs find most attractive at a particular location or season. However, the more abundant the food supply, the more difficult it is to attract pigs to these baits. Shelled corn is often used, but landowners have also been successful by fermenting corn, milo, rice, oats, etc. to increase the odor attraction. Old fish grease, catfish “stink” baits and overripe fruit and vegetables have also been used successfully. Others have used maple syrup on corn. Some recent research in the southeast has indicated that while catch rates were no different between shelled corn and soured corn, although we do know from experience that non-target species (e.g., raccoons, deer, crows) use of shelled corn will be much higher than a soured grain product. Please note: We do not advocate the use of diesel on corn to encourage use by wild pigs and discourage use by non-targets such as deer or raccoons because we do not know the full impacts of diesel ingestion by the pigs—some of which many be destined for human consumption. Furthermore, the pouring or contact of diesel on the ground may create an environmental hazard.

What are their eating habits, and how much they eat in a day?

Wild pigs are opportunistic omnivores, meaning they feed on plant and animal matter in addition to being able to play the role of a scavenger. They are largely indiscriminant in their feeding habits and eat both vertebrate and invertebrate animals. Approximately 85% to 90% of their diet is believed to be composed of vegetation (including crops where available) and 10% animal matter. Small pigs may eat approximately 5% of their body weight daily; larger pigs an estimated 3 % of body weight.
We seem to hear a lot of “things were fine until a year ago” remarks by people with wild pig issues.

Why the seemingly sudden boom in population and fearless invasion of residential neighborhoods?

I once made the comment that “There are but 2 kinds of landowners in Texas: Those with wild pigs and those that are about to have wild pigs”. They have steadily increased their range by moving northward and westward over the past 25 years. They have also gone from being a rural land/agriculture issue to an urban/suburban issue as well by moving into these more populated areas that are adjacent to adequate habitat that provides cover, security and food. Why the population explosion over this time? Several reasons converged to create the “perfect storm” resulting in the boom. 1) Indiscriminant stocking to new habitats by landowners and hunters facilitated rapid increase—pigs cannot fly but they can be trailered and released. This was done regularly (–DESPITE BEING ILLEGAL) in the 1970’s thru the 1990’s—and the stockings were very successful at re-establishing wild pig populations across the state. 2) Supplementing non-migratory wildlife (deer, turkeys quail etc.) is legal in the state of Texas. For example, an estimated 300 million pounds of shelled corn are fed to deer annually in Texas, along with at least 120,000 million pounds of “protein pellets”. However, non-target species (e.g., wild pigs, raccoons) get their fair share of these supplements. As a result, the sows that are on this higher nutritional plane because of their access to the unintended supplement allows sows to undergo “flushing” : produce more eggs, have larger litters and have more pigs in their litters survive. 3) Wild pigs are the most prolific large mammal on the face of the earth. They are not “born pregnant”, but their high intrinsic (built-in) rate of increase when environmental conditions are favorable can allow for rapid population increases. Population increases are not just a Texas phenomenon—for various reasons, populations have expanded in many states and now some 36 states have established wild pig populations.

What’s the difference between a pig, hog and a boar, and are their different species?

All are descendants of a common ancestor-the Eurasian wild boar. The term Wild boar is typically used to describe Eurasian wild boar from Europe or Asia. Feral hogs are those that originated from domestic breeds but may be the result of a few or many, many generations in the wild. In the U.S., the best descriptor is probably to refer to them simply as wild pigs. Regardless, the Eurasians and domestics gone feral are largely the same species and therefore will interbreed with no problems resulting in all sorts of “hybrids” between the 2 groups. None of these should be confused with the javelina, a native pig-like mammal found in the American southwest that is not even closely related to wild boars/wild pigs/feral hogs. The best name to use is simply “wild pig”.

cont:
http://feralhogs.tamu.edu/frequently...ons-wild-pigs/

[Team Sergeant]

What is the estimated population of wild pigs in all the United States?

We do not have estimates based on scientific data for the entire U.S, we have guesstimates. Most experts would agree that it is somewhere between 4 million and 8 million animals but this estimate is not based on good data. There is a real need to conduct surveys to establish baseline population data. In Texas at least, these data do exist from 8 studies and thru the use of Geographic Information Systems (GIS) an estimate has been made at 2.6 million head. We are also getting a handle on the Texas wild pig population rate of population growth. Based on recent studies, we estimate that annual population growth in Texas is approximately 18-21%. At that rate (if left unchecked), the population would take about 5 years to double in size. However, collectively we are doing everything in our power to make sure the population is not left unchecked.

What is the estimated world population of wild pigs?

Some countries in Europe and Asia feel they have a better handle on their total populations of pigs and some of these census techniques are just now being employed in the U.S.
Is there some kind of census about the nation’s wild pig population? What we’re trying to find is how fast the population has grown, and at what rate they are continuing to grow.
No, there are guesstimates of from 4 to 8 million but researchers are working on finding better methods to estimate populations by state so we can gain a better handle on the total U.S. population. Anything you read in print right now on total U.S. populations is a pure guesstimate that is not based on scientific data. Our research work resulted in an estimated Texas population of about 2.6 million animals as of 2011.


When were wild pigs introduced to our soil?

1539– In what is now Florida by Hernando de Soto. These 13 pigs were originally domestics released to be used as a future food source by the explorers. De Soto captured these particular pigs in Cuba and brought them into what is now Tampa Bay, Florida. Obviously there were some escapes during the exploration and these pigs became the seed stock for future wild pig/feral hog populations. The wild pig herd that accompanied De Soto’s party increased to approximately 700 head by the time the exploration entered into what is now Texas in 1542.

How many pigs are caught each year?

The Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Service surveyed landowners in the Spring of 2011 to determine how many pigs they removed by all legal means from the Texas landscape in 2010. A total of 697 survey respondents controlling 1.8 million acres from 137 Texas counties removed 36,646 pigs in 2010. Trapping represented 57% of the total and shooting 35%. Dogs removed 6% of the total and snares removed just 2%. Of the “shooting” category, only 11% of the total pigs removed were taken by hunters. Based on this survey, we estimate 753,646 wild pigs are removed each year. We also know that from 2004- 2009, 461,000 hogs were federally inspected prior to slaughter at TX processing plants. These pigs were generally trapped then sold to buying stations. However, this is only a percentage of the pigs kept for home use or taken by hunters. Several studies suggest that annual hunter harvest averages 24% of the population–but these data are also lacking. It takes between 50% and 70% of a population to be controlled annually just to hold the numbers stable from one year to the next (Our population model suggested 66% had to be removed to hold the population stable). Therefore, recreational hunting alone cannot keep a population in check.

Does the nation/Washington D.C . understand the severity of the problem?

At an Invasive Species Conference held in Washington D.C in 2010, several presentations were made regarding wild pigs and their impacts. So, efforts are being made to spotlight the issue in not only Texas but also in the other 46 or so states they now inhabit.

What are the wild pig’s habitat preferences?

Typically, wild pigs will seek out the heaviest cover near water they can find where they are not harassed, then range out from there to feed. The habitats vary greatly across the range of the feral hog in the United States and even in Texas—from fairly arid regions in south Texas and the trans-Pecos of west Texas all the way to the heavily forested pineywoods and wetlands in eastern Texas. They must have sufficient food, water, cover and living space. If one or more of these requirements are not met, they can be extremely mobile and move to new areas that meet all of their habitat needs.

Do all states have wild pigs?

We have recently classified the states with wild pigs into various categories for management planning purposes. Fourteen states currently do not have wild pigs: AK, CT, DE, ME, MD, MA, MN, MT, ND, RI, SD, VT, WA, and WY. Eight states have small isolated populations: CO, ID, IA, NE, NV, NH, NJ and UT. Four states have established but stable populations: IN, KS, WV and IL. Thirteen states have established and increasing populations: AZ, KY, MI, MS, MO, NM, NY, NC, OH, OR, PA, VA and WI. Eleven states have large well-established and growing populations: AL, AR, CA, FL, GA, HI, LA, OK, SC, TN and TX.


http://feralhogs.tamu.edu/frequently...ons-wild-pigs/