A Case for A Bounty on Wild Hogs

Tom Rousch does not need to be convinced of the destructiveness of wild hogs. The Midland County farmer had his lawn "rototilled" by a band of eight wild boars last fall, and he will spend part of this year repairing the damaged area. Part of an accidental release of up to 100 Eurasian wild boars a few years earlier, the hogs left scars in his woods and elsewhere on his land. They also drew the wrath of some of his neighbors who suffered minor crop damage. But most local residents who have since pursued the animals are not out for revenge or damage control. They hope to fill their freezers.

They are finding the hogs to be pretty elusive. Now in scattered bands of 5-10 animals, the wild hogs, which are reproducing, are seldom seen. They follow drainages with thick cover and are largely nocturnal. Local hunters pursue them almost year round; but now get few opportunities to shoot the once-captive boars.

The same scenario is playing out in southwest Saginaw, where a reported release of about two dozen wild boars in winter of 2006-2007 has attracted many hunters. Only a few pigs have since been shot, as the hogs "wised-up fast."

This information is not surprising to wild hog expert Dr. John Mayer, of South Carolina. "It's almost impossible to control wild hogs by sport hunting," he notes. Mayer has documented hog problems in a growing number of states in the past three decades.

This is not good news for Michigan, which not only has an abundance of thick swamps, but vast tracts of private lands where hogs can remain relatively undisturbed. Controlling the elusive, exotic animals will be a daunting task.

Dr. Patrick J. Rusz Director of Wildlife Programs

Photo caption: A Midland County lawn "rototilled" by wild hogs in 2006