Fire up feral hog-trapping efforts

Summer is a great and important time to reduce local populations of feral hogs.

The feral hog explosion continues, and for landowners in the Carolinas, swine invasion is far less than divine. Wild hogs have been around since they were released by the Spanish five centuries ago, and even though the sausage and chops are quite tasty on the dinner table, their destructive nature is devastating to wildlife habitat. Summer is an ideal time to reduce the population by increasing trapping efforts.

Wild hogs are like a bad disease without a permanent cure. They eat anything and will reproduce like rabbits. Having few natural predators adds more fuel to their massive expansion. Hunters and landowners can make a difference by constantly putting pressure on these invaders. Not only do they destroy wildlife habitat and compete with native wildlife for food, they pose risks to humans and domestic livestock.

While the summer may not seem like an important time to increase trapping efforts, it certainly is a good time to decrease local populations to relieve the stress on food supplies that will be coming available this fall. In a few months, acorns will start dropping, and many other foods will become available that will sustain wildlife into the winter months.

Take out as many hogs as you can in the next two months to offset the upcoming damage expected to food plots and the bumper crops of fall foods.

About Jeff Burleson 1316 Articles
Jeff Burleson is a native of Lumberton, N.C., who lives in Myrtle Beach, S.C. He graduated from N.C. State University with a degree in fisheries and wildlife sciences and is a certified biologist and professional forester for Southern Palmetto Environmental Consulting.

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