COLUMBUS — The Ohio House passed a proactive piece of legislation in June that takes measures to prevent the Buckeye state from developing a significant population of feral swine. House Bill 503, approved by a vote of 89-0, now sits before the state senate’s Agriculture and Natural Resources Committee.
Feral swine, or “razorbacks,” are a hybrid nuisance animal that carry a number of diseases. According to Olivia Bennett, wildlife biologist and feral swine coordinator for the U.S. Department of Agriculture in Ohio, they are capable of quite a bit of damage if their population gets out of control.
“They produce about two litters every 15 months,” Bennett said. “And when hogs show up, deer leave. They have no predators and can cause significant damage to farms.” Their rooting behavior disrupts soil and vegetation, leading to erosion and the loss of valuable agriculture. She added that sometimes these feral swine have been aided in their geographical conquests by being illegally transported, bringing hogs in for hunts.
What the bill does
House Bill 503 specifically allows landowners to kill a feral hog without a license, but asks that the animal’s demise be reported to the Ohio Department of Natural Resources within 24 hours. Following the report, rules for the preservation and disposal of the corpse must be followed.
The bill also requires the ODNR to be notified within 24 hours if a feral pig is spotted. It prohibits importing, transporting or possessing any live boar or feral swine. It also outlaws hunting of these animals, as this has been linked to illegal importation of the animals in “organized” large hunts. Those who are found to have imported, transported or to be in possession of feral swine would face a fifth-degree felony charge.
In addition, House Bill 503 deals with garbage feeding to hogs, which is a huge attraction that could sustain a population. The bill would eliminate a previously existing license that permitted swine to be fed garbage or treated garbage and prohibits any of the pigs who have been garbage-fed from being brought into the state. The department of agriculture is charged with enforcing this rule.
Bennett said if a feral pig is spotted, it should be reported. The USDA has specialized equipment for sighting and capturing whole groups of hogs at once, eliminating the frustration of killing two or three hogs and having the remainder scatter.
“These animals become highly attuned to what works and doesn’t work for them, and they become better able to elude capture whenever they successfully escape,” she said. That ability to process cumulative knowledge gives the animals a big advantage over other types of nighttime wanderers.
Eradication possible
The feral swine are known as an “invasive species,” because they have evolved from their early ancestors who arrived here in the 1500s from Spanish colonizers. Eventually, these wild boar were genetically mixed with escaped domestic pigs and Eurasian boar, to where we now have 3-foot-tall, 5-feet-long aggressive, savvy 240-pound animals with razor-sharp tusks.
The hogs have been spotted in eight counties in Ohio over the years, where there has been some crop damage, according to Bennett, but their numbers are being kept in check by vigilant observation. The counties where the swine are currently being tracked include Adams, Athens, Gallia, Hocking, Jackson, Lawrence, Scioto and Vinton.
“We don’t want to be like Texas, where all they can do now is manage the damage,” Bennett said. “Here in Ohio, we can still hope for total eradication, and that’s something that will definitely prevent large-scale farm problems. Because once they come embedded and are abundant, it is very difficult to reverse that trend.”
House Bill 503 was introduced by Republican state Reps. Bob Peterson, of Sabina, and Don Jones, of Freeport. Various state agricultural groups testified in support of the bill, and the Ohio Pork Council lauded its passage through the state House.
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Signs of feral swine
Property damage and destroyed vegetation from rooting or digging
Wallows (wide, shallow holes) in moist areas in warmer months
Rubbing marks on trees, fence posts or power line posts (often occur after wallowing, leaving behind mud, hair and scent)
Tunnels and trails through thick vegetation
Tracks in the mud near springs, ponds and streams
Feral swine scat (resembles dog feces and may contain acorns, grains and animals hair, scales or feathers)
(Source: USDA-APHIS Wildlife Services)
