Missouri may ban hunting of feral hogs on public lands

Missouri has a feral pig problem. The way to stop it, the Missouri Department of Conservation says, is to stop hunting them. Officials are considering a ban on feral hog hunting on land owned or managed by the state conservation department.

"Eradicating feral hogs is difficult, but necessary," the Department of Conservation said on its website.

But the way to rid Missouri of this invasive species not through hunting. With their high reproductive rate, hunting for sport does not help to reduce populations. The Department of Conservation has its larger efforts to reduce the feral pig population, and hunters can interfere with those efforts.

The conservation department's trapping process can take several weeks and involves baiting traps with feed to attract hogs to the traps, according to The Associated Press. When the animals are comfortable, the trap is sprung, and most of a herd is caught.

When a hunter shoots one or two hogs, it causes the group of pigs -- called a sounder -- to scatter. The hogs become trap-shy and more wary of baited sites, and trapping efforts aimed at catching the entire group at once more difficult.

According to the Department of Conservation website, a feral hog is any hog not conspicuously identified, roaming freely on public or private land without the land manager's permission.

These hogs have become a scourge to Missouri land. They eat nearly anything they find and compete directly with native wildlife. They are aggressive and have been known to attack humans. Their rooting and wallowing affect the landscape and pollute waters. A social group can destroy dozens of acres overnight, the conservation department said. Damage caused by hogs has been estimated at nearly $1.5 billion per year nationally.

And it's getting worse. Feral hogs can breed any time of year, according to the Department of Conservation. Females can be mature at six months and produce two litters of up to seven piglets every 12 to 15 months, resulting in a population growth rate of about 166 percent per year.

The proposed ban does not apply to private land, but agents will work with landowners having problems with the hogs.

Some hunters are skeptical of the ban. Kathy Waggoner of Four Corners Archery Club said although her club does not hunt on public land, she is wary of the ban. For years, the mantra has been "get rid of the hogs, get rid of the hogs," she said. She recommends regulation over an outright ban.

"If that's going to be an issue, they need to regulate it like deer hunting," Waggoner said.

Public comment on the proposal will be taken from April 2 through May 1. If approved, the ban would take effect Sept. 30.

According to the Missouri Department of Conservation website, any feral pig sightings should be reported to (573) 522-4115, Ext. 3296.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.

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