Wild Pig Damage
Feral Hog Information:
Click on the following links to learn more:
- Wild Pig Overview
- Identification - Wild Pigs
- Wild Pig Damage Issues
- Potential Management Strategies
- Resources
- View all wildlife damage
Damage from Hogs
Feral hogs are an exotic, invasive species that pose serious threats to Kentucky wildlife, wildlife habitat, and agriculture.
Wildlife
Feral hogs directly compete for food and cover with many species of wildlife including deer, wild turkey and quail. Much to the dismay of our sportsmen and women, feral hogs displace white-tailed deer and wild turkey, negatively affecting hunter harvest. Deer and turkey cannot compete with feral hogs. When hogs are present, deer and turkey leave the area. They prey on eggs and chicks of ground nesting birds, such as turkey, quail, grouse, woodcock, and various songbirds. Feral hogs are especially fond of acorns, which many species rely on as a major food source in the fall for some native species. Hogs also destroy, eliminate and prevent the re-establishment of valuable native plants and animals including threatened and endangered species.
Habitat
Habitat loss and degradation is a major cause for decline for many wildlife species. Their rooting and trampling behavior disrupts native plant communities and furthers the spread of invasive species. Feral hogs destroy forests by pulling up tree seedlings, eating acorns, and rooting up plants. They create wallows and degrade wetlands through siltation and fecal deposition. Considered to be "ecosystem engineers" due to their ability to change their environment and damage native ecosystems, feral hogs cause a decrease in biological diversity and facilitate the spread of invasive species. These hogs also alter the water quality of wetlands through fecal deposition and wallowing. The increase in turbidity and siltation creates unfavorable conditions for many aquatic species.
Agriculture
Feral hogs cause extensive damage to agricultural crops, food plots, and hayfields. They can destroy many acres overnight, devastating agricultural producers. Hogs transmit diseases to livestock, kill young livestock, and contaminate livestock feed. Their rooting behavior can also create holes or ruts in fields that damage farm equipment and cause soil erosion.
