In 2006, the Kansas Animal Health Department (KAHD) entered into a cooperative agreement with the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) Animal Plant and Health Inspection Service (APHIS) Wildlife Services (WS) to develop a statewide control/eradication program for feral pigs in Kansas. 2007 was the first full year of the program’s implementation. The main objectives of the program were to first determine where feral pig populations existed in Kansas and to determine population numbers. Secondly, develop landowner cooperation and begin control efforts.
Feral Pig Population Landowner Cooperation
Feral pigs were determined by WS to exist in roughly 18 counties that consist of about 8 separate populations. The total population was estimated to be roughly 1500-2000 animals. Landowners have eagerly cooperated with the program. WS does not conduct control work on property without landowner permission and cooperation. To date, the program has approximately 250 cooperating private landowners consisting of 316,000 acres. Also cooperating in the program is 224,000 acres of public land that consists of Department of Defense (DOD), Army Corps of Engineers (ACOE), United States Forest Service (USFS) and Kansas Department of Wildlife and Parks (KDWP) managed lands, for a total of 540,000 acres of cooperative land.
Disease Monitoring and Damage reports In conjunction with KAHD, USDA/APHIS Veterinarian Services (VS) and WS personnel have collected blood and tissue samples from feral pigs taken during control efforts this year to monitor for disease. Several diseases are being monitored; most notable are Swine Brucellosis and Pseudorabies. These two diseases, if found could be detrimental to the livestock industry in Kansas. Thus far, these diseases have not been found in feral pigs in Kansas but they do exist in Oklahoma, and Pseudorabies was recently found in feral pigs in Nebraska.
In addition to a disease threat, landowners reported over $200,000 of property damage to WS caused by feral pigs in Kansas this year. Most damage was attributed to crop damage. Feral pigs were reported to have rooted and destroyed corn (seedlings and standing corn), milo or sorghum, soy beans, alfalfa, brome pastures, native grass pastures, riparian areas, various hay crops, wheat, wildlife feeders and individual lawns.
Control effort results
The control effort consists of an integrated approach using a variety of methods. The two primary methods are trapping and aerial hunting with a helicopter. Ground shooting or hunting is relatively ineffective when controlling or trying to eliminate a population because of the low number of animals that are able to be taken at once. When feral pigs are shot at or pursued by hunters they tend to scatter and become nocturnal, thus making it difficult to remove the necessary number of individuals to control the population. Trapping and aerial hunting is more efficient at removing a high number of animals at once. During two weeks in February March 2007, the aerial hunting effort took 257 feral pigs. During the remainder of the year, trapping efforts removed 166 feral pigs for a total of 423 feral pigs taken by WS in this calendar year. These numbers represent roughly one quarter of the estimated population. The program is having success, however with a high reproductive rate, it is imperative to continue intensive control efforts to maintain positive progress in controlling/eradicating feral pigs in Kansas.
Source: Chad Richardson, USDA, APHIS, WS