Addressing The Swine In The Room: Feral Hogs At Arabia

Feral hog sightings are on the rise in the Arabia Mountain area, with occasional encounters on trails and in private yards. Despite a rise in concern, laws and response protocols remain ambiguous.

Back in March, the Georgia legislature passed HB 946, a bill making it legal to trap and kill feral hogs without a license. The aim of the bill is to help quell the state’s invasive swine population. However, its language has led to some confusion about what is or isn’t permitted on state, public and even private land regarding trapping and killing hogs.

The Arabia Alliance and the Davidson-Arabia Mountain Nature Preserve have been receiving near-weekly reports of swing sightings this year, and Stonecrest-area residents are reporting damage to their yards caused by hog foraging. Since the passage of HB 946 two months ago, we’ve also received many questions about the legality of trapping pigs in the Heritage Area. Feral hogs are invasive and have become one of Georgia’s most notorious and widespread pests, responsible for major ecological and agricultural damage, and have been reported in every county in the state.

What can be done to mitigate their impact? And what is the role of the Heritage Area and its partners in dealing with this situation?

Wild Hogs In South DeKalb

Native to Eurasia and parts of Africa, the pig was introduced to North America by Spanish settlers in the 1700s. At the time, free-range farming was standard practice, allowing domestic pigs to wander the land unobstructed and to occasionally escape, thus creating feral hogs (or wild pigs, boar or swine), Sus scrofa. They reproduce rapidly, known to begin breeding as young as 6 months, with females producing several litters of around a dozen piglets annually. This invasive species has been spreading throughout the Southeastern US for many years. Feral pigs have been reported in each of Georgia’s 159 counties, illustrating the sheer density of their population.

In Georgia, swine are a major burden to both the agricultural industry and to private homeowners and are reported to cause $150 million worth of damage to crops and yards across the state annually. Wild hogs are omnivorous, eating plant matter, insects and worms, but a major part of their diet comes from digging up roots, damaging plant habitat in natural areas and crops or landscaping on farms and in yards. The damage from their foraging is also known to cause soil erosion and even damage to infrastructure. Additionally, feral hogs pose a threat to native species as they also eat eggs of ground-nesting birds and turtles, many of which are already endangered due to urbanization and habitat destruction.

Although hogs are primarily nocturnal, sightings are on the rise in the Stonecrest area, including around the Heritage Area. Evidence of pig foraging can be seen in natural areas and along trails, where grass and other plants have been dug up, leaving patches of exposed soil. Extensive damage is obvious around the Vaughters’ Farm Meadow Loop. Presumably, hog numbers in the area are growing due to the extensive green spaces and parks in the Heritage Area, which allow the hogs to traverse the land without fear of being hunted, staying safe and unseen. Significant conversation has been taking place online, including in Stonecrest-based Facebook groups, in which residents report damage in their yards.

Which brings us back to HB 946. It amended Georgia hunting laws to allow the trapping of feral hogs without a license, “provided that such hogs shall be killed upon capture.” As permitted in the new law, some residents have taken to professional trapping services or installed traps themselves, some of which have yielded the capture of a number of hogs. However, killing upon capture is trickier as hunting and the discharge of firearms is not permitted throughout most of the parks, communities, and municipalities in the Arabia Mountain National Heritage Area.

What is Being Done?

The Arabia Alliance does not, unfortunately, have the funding or experience to take on this issue. We are a small nonprofit that oversees over 40,000 acres of land and are not equipped to deal with a nationwide invasive species crisis. This also applies to other organizations and nonprofits within the Heritage Area such as the Davidson-Arabia Mountain Nature Preserve and Panola Mountain State Park (our two biggest green spaces), both of which prohibit any hunting. What we can do, however, is educate about the issue and advocate for awareness and potential solutions, which will come from our local city, county and state governments. 

The Alliance reached out to Stonecrest Councilman George Turner, who has personally dealt with hog presence on his property. Mr. Turner informed us that several protocols are in the works, including the development of a hog sighting hotline which residents can call to report hog sightings or evidence of their presence. Stonecrest is currently seeking funding, with DeKalb County getting involved as well.

Most notably, the City of Stonecrest is planning to host a Feral Hog Workshop and Trap Demo at City Hall on Tuesday, June 2 at 5:30pm, featuring speakers from the University of Georgia, the Georgia Department of Natural Resources and the Georgia and US Departments of Agriculture. The workshop will educate attendees about the impacts of hogs, how to trap them (including live demonstrations) and what local resources are available. Community members and landowners alike are encouraged to attend. Click here to register (closes May 26).

What You Can Do

Unfortunately, even after the passage of HB 946, feral hogs cannot be lawfully hunted on one’s own private land as Stonecrest has a prohibition against the discharge of firearms within city limits, with the exception of self defense. Bow and crossbow hunting is permitted but requires great practice and skill. 

For now, it is best to report hog presence or damage to your local city or municipality. As mentioned earlier, the City of Stonecrest is working on a hog sighting report system. The more reports made, the more the issue is pushed onto the radar of local governments. Persistent reporting, attending town halls and commissioner meetings can get the attention of politicians and city leaders.

Investing in trapping is also a valid option. This also helps remove hogs from the environment and contributes towards their broader control. Contact your local government to find out what options are available. Professional trapping services also exist locally. Additionally, Georgia DNR’s Hog Down Awards Program raffles free trapping kits to select individuals who have lawfully killed at least 10 hogs, encouraging resident participation in hog control. 

If your yard has experienced damage, this may be a good opportunity to install new native plants! To mitigate some of the damage done to Vaughters’ Meadow, the Arabia Alliance planted Indiangrass in the torn up patches, which will preserve the ground space to make sure they aren’t populated by invasive plants. Just a little over a month later, the damaged patches visible from across the street are largely gone. You can reach out to local organizations like the Georgia Native Plant Society to find and purchase replacement plants.

Staying Safe On Trails

Although very rare, feral hog attacks are not unheard of. Swine can grow to be quite large and heavy, and they can use their physical might to defend themselves and their young. A hog that feels threatened, although usually choosing to escape, may still choose to charge.

If you encounter feral hogs on a trail, keep your distance and leave the area calmly. They tend to be nocturnal, so avoid hiking at dark (trails around the NHA typically close at dusk). Also, consider bringing a hiking buddy or hike with a group. 

And once again, wild pigs do not pose much of an immediate threat to residents. Like with other wildlife, hogs are not out to get you. They are here, living their lives, searching for food and raising their young and are not very interested in people. Animals are all around us at all times, and a vast majority of the time we don’t even see them. Give them the respect they deserve and they will give you yours.

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Please consider attending the City of Stonecrest’s Feral Hog Control Workshop & Trap Demo on Tuesday, June 2 at 5:30pm in the Stonecrest City Hall Annex Room to better equip yourself with knowledge and skills to take on hogs on your property. Make sure to register by May 26 to reserve a spot.