Feral Swine
Many people are aware of the feral swine problem in southern states like Texas and Florida, but these animals are also a growing problem in New York. Also called feral pigs, feral hogs, wild boar, wild hogs, razorbacks, Eurasian wild boar, and Russian wild boar, feral swine are a harmful and destructive invasive species.
DEC's goal is to eradicate feral swine from New York's landscape. Feral swine in New York can have tremendous negative impacts on native plants, native wildlife, livestock, agriculture, and humans including:
- Feral swine eat hard mast (acorns and other nuts) and directly compete with deer, bear, turkey, squirrel and waterfowl for food.
- Feral swine consume the nests and eggs of ground nesting birds and reptiles.
- Feral swine will kill and eat fawns and young domestic livestock.
- Feral swine will eat almost any agricultural crop as well as tree seeds and seedlings.
- Their rooting and wallowing habits destroy crops and native vegetation, cause erosion, and negatively affect water quality.
- Feral swine have razor sharp tusks and can be aggressive toward humans and their pets.
- Feral swine carry and can transmit several serious diseases including swine brucellosis, E. coli, trichinosis, and pseudorabies to livestock and /or humans. Some of these diseases, if introduced to domestic swine, can decimate the pork industry.
Description
Feral swine (scientific name: Sus scrofa) can include domestic pigs or "pet" pigs that have been released or escaped captivity and "gone wild," wild boar (native to Eurasia) that escaped from licensed shooting preserves, or a hybrid cross between domestic pigs and wild boar. Their color and size can be quite variable. They can be black, brown, gray, red, tan or cream colored. They can be belted (dark in color with a white band across the shoulders) or have color patterns like spots or stripes. Piglets often have stripes that fade or disappear as they get older.
Feral swine are highly adaptable and prolific. If weather is good and food is plentiful, feral swine can breed as early as 6 months of age. They can breed several times a year and their litter size can range from 2-8, although litters as large as 10-12 have been reported. A feral swine population can triple in one year.
What You Can Do
As stated above, DEC's goal is to eradicate feral swine from the state's landscape. In New York, people with a small game license may shoot and keep feral swine at any time and in any number. All other hunting laws and firearms regulations are still in effect when shooting feral swine. If you are in an area that prohibits the use of rifles during big game seasons, you cannot use a rifle to shoot feral swine during any open deer season (including archery seasons). Please remember that it is illegal to discharge a firearm within 500 feet of a school, playground, church, dwelling, farm building, or occupied structure. You need to obtain permission of the landowner to enter any lands you do not own.
If you do shoot or see feral swine please report it to the nearest DEC regional wildlife office or e-mail us. Please report the number of swine seen or killed, whether any of them were piglets, the date, and the exact location (county, town, distance and direction from an intersection, nearest landmark, etc.).
