Stonecrest Feral Hog Workshop Recap: What To Know

On June 2, the City of Stonecrest held their Feral Hog Workshop & Trap Demo at City Hall, which featured representatives from organizations like the Georgia Department of Natural Resources and the United States Department of Agriculture who educated the public about feral hogs and their impacts.

 

Feral hog sightings are on the rise in South DeKalb and the public has voiced their concern. With increased reports and complaints of damage caused by hogs on Facebook and call-ins concerning hogs to the Davidson-Arabia Mountain Nature Preserve, it’s clear that an organized, community-wide response is necessary, and the City of Stonecrest initiated with their Feral Hog Workshop and Trap Demo on the evening of Tuesday, June 2. The event saw dozens of attendees, from local landowners to land stewards, including City Council Members Karmesha Washington Smith and George Turner, Stonecrest Parks Manager Sheldon Fleming and DeKalb County employees.

About Wild Hogs

Sus scrofa, feral or wild hogs, pigs or swine are an invasive species rapidly spreading across large parts of the US, including Georgia. Reported in each of Georgia’s 159 counties, hogs reproduce fast, are illusive and difficult to control. Since the introduction of domesticated pigs by settlers in the 1700s, populations of hogs have gone feral due to escape or abandonment. Once in the wild, the hogs grow pointier ears and rougher hair, tusks, and become aggressive, characteristics that aid them in their survival outside of their domesticated environment.

These hogs are responsible for ecological and agricultural damage through their foraging behaviors. They also carry diseases and can pose a potential threat to humans that encounter them because of their aggressiveness; although they are mostly nocturnal and usually avoid humans. And due to their illusive presence, ability to reproduce starting at just 6 months, and impressive intellect, wild hogs are seen as a major threat to rural and suburban communities. They’ve become such an issue nationally, they were recently the topic of the popular HBO satirical news show Last Week Tonight with John Oliver.

Hunting & Trapping Laws

After an introduction, the Stonecrest Feral Hog Workshop began with a presentation by Dr. Michael Kohl, Associate Professor of Wildlife Management at University of Georgia’s Warnell School of Forestry & Natural Resources, who spoke about swine biology. Followed by this, Kevin Rose, Wildlife Biologist of the Georgia Department of Natural Resources’ Wildlife Resources Division, went in-depth into the laws and regulations surrounding hog hunting and trapping, a subject of confusion for many. Important takeaways included:

• A hunting license is required to hunt hogs for anyone 16 years of age or older.
• No license is required for trapping as long as the hogs are killed in the trap, a new addition in the recently passed House Bill 946.

It’s important to note, however, that the City of Stonecrest has its own ordinance that prohibits the discharge of firearms within city limits, even on one’s own property, meaning these guidelines are largely overwritten and should only be considered if dealing with hogs outside the city limits. Other helpful hog hunting/trapping guidelines included:

• Permission is required when hunting on private land
• There is no limit or closed season
• Drones can be used to locate hogs
• Orange and/or pink must be worn during dear and bear season
• Hogs can be hunted from a vehicle (another addition from HB 946)
• Hogs can be hunted at night with a light
• Hunting with bait is also allowed
• Wildlife Management Areas (WMAs) have no limit and allow hog hunting during small and big game seasons

There are no restrictions for the transportation of dead hogs, but it is illegal to transport live hogs without a special permit from the Georgia Department of Agriculture (GDA). It is illegal to release live hogs into any unfenced area, and violations can result in a misdemeanor offense.

During the Stonecrest workshop, it was emphasized that trapping hogs is far more beneficial than hunting. Catching an entire sounder, or family or group, of pigs may remove not only a greater number of individuals but also fertile females. Hog hunting is more of a sport than a true control measure.

Potential Disease Carriers

The next speaker, Dr. Dustin Weaver, Deputy State Veterinarian for the GDA, educated Stonecrest citizens and locals about the potential for disease spread by hogs. These diseases include those than can affect humans and pets, and it is best to assume that each hog is infected as to avoid risks. Not only do these diseases threaten people directly, but also domesticated swine, including those that are harvested for meat. These diseases include but are not limited to Brucellosis, African Swine Fever, Leptospirosis, Influenza A, Pseudorabies, Foot and Mouth Disease, Trichinellosis, and Pathogenic E. coli.

To protect yourself, Dr. Weaver recommends the following: Establish a barrier like proper fencing to keep hogs out of your yard (although they’re known to dig under fences, so perhaps electric fencing is more appropriate), wear protective clothing and practice hygiene when exposed to hogs, dispose of carcasses with care and disinfect all equipment and your environment, and if you intend to consume the meat, cook it adequately.

As for the illnesses and diseases, Brucellosis, B. suis in particular, poses the greatest threat to humans. Exposure from handling hogs can happen by bacteria that enters wounds or by inhalation during field dressing, the process of gutting a carcass. To avoid this, wear proper clothing to cover your hands and face. Other exposures can happen during butchering, the handling of raw meat or the consumption of undercooked meat.

Control Techniques

Finally, Matt Ondovchik, Wildlife Biologist and Feral Swine Coordinator for the USDA Wildlife Services, went over effective control strategies, primarily via trapping, which is considered the gold standard for hog control today. He explained that hog traps must be round and large enough to fit several individuals, and that if some hogs aren’t trapped or make it out they will learn to avoid traps in the future. Hogs are some of the most intelligent mammals and quickly learn and adapt to their surroundings. Traps with gridded fencing must be graduated or small enough to keep the smallest of hogs from escaping. Ondovchik recommended avoiding certain types of traps, such as rooter style, saloon style and threshold. He also mentioned some control techniques that may be used locally in the future, such as HOGGONE, a sodium nitrate bait that is toxic to hogs.

After the talks, attendees met outside City Hall to see two traps on display provided by the event organizers as part of the workshop’s trap demo.

Your Options Right Now

Unfortunately, there are currently no hog trap rental services in Georgia except in the southwestern portion of the state. As for purchasing a trap, they can cost thousands of dollars and entail set-up and management. Several neighborhoods in Stonecrest have collaborated on trapping, including pooling money to afford traps. Consider meeting with your neighbors and going over the options together.

Additionally, Jennifer McLaurin, DeKalb Park Naturalist and director of the E.M.B.A.R.C. Community Youth Farm, announced that she is working with DeKalb County and Parks Director Chris Bass on a 6-month trapping program at various sites around Arabia Mountain National Heritage Area. It has been reported that hogs travel through the various green spaces and parks of the Heritage Area as a kind of wildlife corridor and refuge.

Finally, Councilman George Turner confirmed that a Stonecrest hog reporting hotline was in the works. As of the publication of this article, the Stonecrest / DeKalb region hotline is ready and can be reached at (866) 878-4647. Call this number to report sightings in your yard, your neighborhood, encounters in parks, etc. This will help everyone get a sense of where the feral hogs tend to be, how their populations are shifting and where efforts need to be focused.