The feral hog population has increased significantly in Kansas as well as a number of other states. Recently, the Kansas Animal Health Department (KAHD), in cooperation with the Wildlife Services Division of USDA, APHIS, instituted a program to locate and control the feral swine population.
According to a report presented to the Feral Swine Subcommittee at the US Animal Health Association’s annual meeting in Minneapolis, the feral swine population is rapidly increasing. In 2004, there were feral swine in 1014 counties in 14 states.
In an effort to address this growing problem, the KAHD has established a toll free number for citizens to report the presence of feral swine and is working with Wildlife Services to implement a control program. Chad Richardson, wildlife biologist with the USDA, is working full time on the project. He indicated that the program is in its initial stages and they are concentrating on locating the feral hogs by surveying landowners, producers, game wardens, etc.
Starting in November, the program will begin to prioritize areas in which to initiate ground control measures including trapping and shooting. This will be supplemented by aerial control efforts as the program progresses. Richardson indicates that he has found most landowners to be cooperative and in agreement that the feral swine need to be controlled. However, securing landowner permission is critical to the success of the program.