A bill prohibiting the importation and hunting of feral swine and ending the practice of garbage feeding has passed the Ohio House by a vote of 89-0. H.B. 503 does allow a property owner or tenant to eradicate wild boar or feral swine on private or public property without a hunting license, if the person notifies the state’s division of wildlife within 24 hours and follows the division’s instructions for handling and disposing of the carcass.
Feral swine can carry at least 30 prominent viral and bacterial diseases and nearly 40 parasites that can impact people, pets, livestock and wildlife. Ohio Wildlife Services routinely samples for classical swine fever, pseudorabies and swine brucellosis. Ecological and economic losses from feral swine damage in the U.S are estimated to be greater than $1.5 billion annually, when combined with control costs.
Read more at National Hog Farmer.
[Source: National Hog Farmer 13 June 2024]