Feral hog hunting curtailed in Mark Twain National Forest

SPRINGFIELD, Mo. -- Feral hog hunting in the Mark Twain National Forest has been curtailed, but limited opportunities to kill the damaging animals are emerging on state land.

After weighing a change for more than a year and receiving more than 1,000 public comments, the U.S. Forest Service announced Saturday it will allow hunters to kill wild hogs only if they come across them while hunting turkey and deer. Hunters must have proper deer and turkey permits to qualify for the exception to the new ban, the Springfield News-Leader reported.

In response, the Missouri Department of Conservation announced Monday it was writing new rules mirroring those adopted by the Forest Service. The department currently bans all hog hunting practice on its lands, saying it is more effective to trap and kill large groups of the animals than allow hunters to try to shoot them. The department says shooting scatters the hogs.

While the new Forest Service hog hunting rules take effect immediately, feral hog hunting on MDC lands is still outlawed until the agency has time for its proposed rule change to make its way through the state's regulatory process.

Feral hogs can still be hunted on private property.