.jpg)
Virginia Cooperat ive Extension, in partnership with USDAW ildlife Services and the Virginia Department of Wildlife Resources, is working to make Virginia residents aware of the negative impacts associated with feral swine in our state.
Populations of feral swine have been confirmed in several areas of Virginia (the counties Lee, Wise, Giles, Culpeper, Orange, Chesapeake and others). There have been signs of feral hog activity in Bath County but no population has been confirmed at this point and there could easily be other localities with undocumented populations of wild hogs. The aforementioned wildlife agencies in partnership with local citizens have been working to reduce or eliminate these populations.
Feral swine have devastating effects on agricultural crops, timber and other property. These undocumented populations often are the result of individuals illegally trapping and transporting hogs from another location or releasing young hogs in secluded areas with the intent of hunting them for sport.
Much of this recent nefarious activity has been suspected along our border counties with North Carolina, but there are other suspect “hotspots” of new activity elsewhere in the state as well. Therefore, the public’s help is needed in reporting any new sightings of feral hog activity so wildlife biologists can act quickly to implement controls before they become a threat.
Reporting is being conducted through the Virginia Wildlife Conflict Helpline ‒ (855) 5719003 ‒ and thus all reports are anonymous and do not require any identification.
The priority is to identify new areas of hog activity that can be surveyed, and if confirmed, appropriate humane control strategies implemented. Everyone’s assistance is needed to avoid the serious economic and physical damage to natural resources that some of our neighboring states have been experiencing from feral hogs.
