Local farmers are welcoming help as the U.S. Department of Agriculture announces $35 million for feral hog control in several Louisiana parishes, including Concordia, Madison and Tensas, just ahead of harvest season.
The parishes will share the funding to address expanding wild hog populations that damage crops and land.
“We need to be able to get the appropriate bait to use to help control the exploding population of wild hogs,” said Adam Faulk. “They have a pretty aggressive breeding habit, and they can reproduce very quickly.”
LSU AgCenter agent Nate Jennings agreed, saying population growth continues because current efforts are not removing enough hogs.
“According to statisticians, we need a harvest, or take care of, 75% or so of the population,” Jennings said. “Hunters are only harvesting around half that number. So that’s why they’re continuously growing and wreaking havoc.”
Jennings said producers can take steps to protect crops, including using traps — but he cautioned that trapping requires consistent maintenance and a strategy to remove entire groups.
“Traps can get multiple at a time, but you have to maintain that and keep that going,” Jennings said. “They kind of get used to one little area, and if they’re trapped they might not come back if you don’t get them all. You want the entire sounder.”
Feral hogs cause an average of $91 million in damage each year, according to Jennings.
Source - https://www.kalb.com
