Reynolds County, Missouri — Don Collie owns 600 acres of land on either side of Johnson’s Shut-in State Park. What was supposed to be a farm for enjoying retirement quickly turned into a nightmare 15 years ago.
culprit? Wild pig.
“They destroy everything, literally everything,” Collie said.
Collie used to groom her garden on her farm. Others may lament that rabbits, squirrels and deer make with some vegetables, but Collie said pigs would recreate the land.
“Do you know what happens when a pig comes in?” Collie asked. “In one night the entire garden was destroyed and cultivated. We gave up the garden because we couldn’t get it anymore.”
Collie called the Missouri Wild Boar Elimination Partnership and Nature Maintenance Agency and told him that there were pigs on his property.
“If someone told me I was going to take just 726 pigs out of my property, I would have told them they were nuts,” Collie said. “But since we started, that’s the number I took off there.”
When the COVID-19 pandemic occurred, Collie began gardening again. He built a pen and laid a fence to keep out wild pigs.
“They come out quickly, root in the fence and try to get through the garden, but they can’t get in,” Collie said.
Collie’s diligence for wild pigs remains constant while the yard is now thriving.
“It was a long and tough fight,” Collie said. “I didn’t retire to be a pig trap hunter.”
Traps, infrared cameras and drones helped find sounders
The Missouri Wild Pig Extermination Partnership includes more than 15 federal and state agencies, as well as agricultural and conservation groups.
The partnership killed 9,857 wild pigs in 2021, with more than 54,000 pigs killed since 2016. In 2019, 10,495 pigs were killed and 12,635 pigs were killed in 2020. The partnership employs 10 full-time captives with educators through the University of Missouri’s extension program.
“No matter what you do, don’t give up,” Collie said during Field Day with the partnership in early April. “Don’t let go now. It’s not a satisfying time as they will be back in place in 18 months or 2 years and 10 years of effort will be wasted.”
Jason Jensen, commander of the MDC’s Wild Pig Operation, said the strategy that allowed hunters to tackle invasive species on their own was not working.
“The message we sent to shoot pigs at a glance basically brought about a developed culture of pig hunting around it,” Jensen said.
more: Wild pigs cause havoc on the land and carry illness. Authorities are aiming to “eliminate” species.
In 2016, the strategy changed. According to Jensen, the MDC reassessed the message and closed public land shortly after the proceedings to hunt wild pigs with the corps. The Forest Department closed Mark Twain National Forest in 2020 for wild boar hunting. There are exceptions. Mark Twain and MDC properties give you the opportunity to bag wild pigs if the hunter has an unfilled deer or turkey tag. This is called an accidental take. Individual landowners can hunt wild pigs on their property.
“There is a lot of art in catching pigs,” Jensen said during an athletic meet in Johnson’s Shut Inn State Park.
Art comes in the form of technology. Luke Miller is a USDA wildlife biologist and drone. pilot. He steers the drone to scout where the sounder or herd of wild pigs is. This is useful for targeted helicopter hunts.
“A two-and-a-half-hour drone flight at night allows you to scout thousands of acres of land, feed them, look for cameras, or walk in the mountains to find signs.” Miller said. “I can reduce it overnight. It will take a few, three or four months to put on the boots on the ground.”
There are restrictions on the use of drones. The battery lasts about 30 minutes, and if the wind is too strong, the drone will be grounded, Miller says.
In addition to the ability of wild pigs to cause traps, cameras have helped as well, Jensen said.
“Most of the traps we use today work mechanically, but we use the technology to our advantage,” Jensen said. “We are looking for ways to use more and more cellular cameras.”
Bill tackled the problem of wild pigs
Jeff Reed owns 4,000 acres of farmland in Williamsville. The farm’s own history included decades of pig breeding. About 10 years ago, he noticed crop damage from wild pigs. Then the problem exploded.
Efforts by MDC captives and the passage of House Bill 369 have significantly reduced the number of wild pigs on their property.
In 2021, Missouri legislators passed Bill 369, which redefines wild pigs and strengthens penalties for possession, transportation, and liberation of wild pigs per MDC. To protect landowners, the bill explicitly prevented accidental escape, domestic pig transport, agriculture or criminalization of domestic pig breeding.
Reed allowed people to shoot wild pigs on his land, but those methods stopped with the addition of trappers. Previously, the sounder would find the truck approaching and take off.
“Now they aren’t twisting when they see a truck coming across the field to set a trap to catch them all at once,” Reed said of a wild pig in Johnson’s Shut Inn State Park. Said during the day in the field.
Reed said he has mixed feelings about closing national forests and hunting wild pigs, but over the past two years, conservation authorities and others have turned to repairing relationships with landowners. It’s shifting.
So far, 252 wild pigs have been killed on Reed’s property.
Can you eat wild pigs?
There are several reasons why eating is not recommended, including the fact that wild pigs carry the disease.
Wild pig samples tested in Missouri revealed at least three diseases: classical brucellosis, pseudorabies, and classical swine fever.
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Brucellosis in pigs: A bacterial disease that spreads to wild pigs through close contact. According to the CDC, infected pigs carry these bacteria for the rest of their lives. The disease can cause serious and long-term health problems and even death if not diagnosed and treated promptly.
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Pseudo-rabies: A pig disease that can also affect cattle, dogs, cats, sheep and goats, according to the Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service. Pseudo-rabies virus is a contagious herpes virus that causes reproductive disorders, respiratory problems, and occasional pig deaths.
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Classical swine fever: According to the Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service, it is a highly contagious and economically important viral disease of pigs. The severity of the disease depends on the strain of the virus, the age of the pig, and the immune status of the herd.
Report sightings of all pigs
MDC requires all pig sightings to be reported online mdc.mo.gov/feralhog Or call the 573-522-4115 extension. 3296. MDC related trappers will help you get rid of pigs from your property.
Sara Karnes is an outdoor reporter for Springfield News-Leader.Along her adventure twitter When Instagram @Sara_Karnes. Do you have a story to tell? Email her at [email protected]
This article was originally published in Springfield News-Leader: Missouri farmers say they have culled more than 700 wild pigs on their property