Shehu Usman Inuwa
Hogpocalypse
Somewhere in the deep backwoods
of Texas, there is the sound of a helicopter breaking the plane. Thus, breaking
the scene of tranquility with loud shots. This is full on warmageddon with
local feral hogs. The hog’s long incisors and tusk will serve to no defense to
them from down there. They must take to the undergrowth of the canopy, or risk being
shot. How did it all come to this?
According to the United States Department of
Agriculture, feral hogs (Sus scrofa) were brought to the United States from
Europe during the 1500s. Escaping from captivity or released, these modern day
hogzillas have spread up to 35 states and have an estimated population size of
6 million individuals. How these invasive and destructive creatures may manage
to survive so well, one might ask. These opportunistic omnivores are capable of
reaching sizes of up to 3ft high, 5ft long, and +250lbs. This means most
predators are unable to take down the hogs, due to their size, versatility, and
group mentality. Often roaming in hordes of +20 individuals, these ecosystem
engineers can strip down a plot of land within minutes.
Wild swine are able to reach sexual
maturity at 6 months of age, with the ability to produce two, 4 to 12, litter
sizes per year. Wild swine are able to breed with domestic swine, which is an
underlying problem for farmers. The feral swine are known to carry a wide
variety of diseases, such as pseudorabies and brucecellosis. Of the +30 diseases,
they are known to carry; some diseases can be easily transmitted through
indirect contact. Just the contamination of water from their wallowing can
provide a vector for diseases. The severity of symptoms from the diseases may
range from fever, coma, or even death.
In the United States alone, wild hogs
cause an estimated $1.5 billion in damages per year. Damages ranging from
property damage, crop destruction, and aiding habitat erosion fits the wild hog
alias. When trapping does not work, what can we possibly do next, or are we
just doomed to this hogpocalypse?
If you`re up to the challenge of
hunting them, then get the dogs, off-road vehicles, or helicopter ready. According
to Texas
Parks and Wildlife Code Section 1.101, wild hogs may be shot without a bag
limit. All a hunter is required to have is a valid hunting license. Companies
such as Helibacon take pride in taking down a few dozen wild hogs. Offering
aerial hunting, ground hunting, and even nighttime hunting are all features of
the hunt. Rather than calling your local wildlife and fisheries for a feral
swine problem, take up arms and have these furry invasive scurrying in the
other direction. Then, sit back and enjoy some wild hog bacon.
References:
1.
“Texas Helicopter Hog Hunting, Feral
Hog Population Control.” HeliBacon, 2018, Texas.
2.
“USDA APHIS” Feral
Swine: Damage and Disease Threats, 2011,
Maryland. United States Department of Agriculture.
3.
“USDA APHIS” FERAL
SWINE: Impacts to Native Wildlife, 2016,
Maryland. United States Department of Agriculture. https://www.aphis.usda.gov/publications/wildlife_damage/2016/bro-feral-swine-impacts.pdf
4.
“USDA APHIS” Feral Swine
Disease Risks to Domestic Swine,
Maryland. United States Department of Agriculture. https://www.aphis.usda.gov/publications/wildlife_damage/fs-disease-risk-domestic-swine.pdf
5.
“USDA APHIS”
Identifying and Reporting FERAL SWINE, April 2016,
Maryland. United States Department of Agriculture.
https://www.aphis.usda.gov/publications/wildlife_damage/2016/fsc-feral-swine-id.pdf
6.
AGRICULTURE CODE CHAPTER 161.
GENERAL DISEASE AND PEST CONTROL, 2007, Texas. www.statutes.legis.state.tx.us/Docs/AG/htm/AG.161.htm.
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