Considering multiple perspectives in managing invasive feral hogs in the U.S.
Category: Community Engagement Poster
Author(s): Paisley Sayers
Presenter(s): Paisley Sayers
Mentors(s): Veronica Yovovich
Invasive feral hogs (Sus scrofa) are rampant across much of the Southern United States. They cause substantial levels of economic and ecological damage and are a prime example of human-wildlife conflict. Feral hogs damage crops, land, property, public areas, carry dangerous diseases that threaten livestock and humans, and compete with native species. While lethal control has been the primary method of dealing with feral hogs by both state wildlife agencies and the USDA, it is proving largely ineffective. The goal of this project is to find a new strategy that builds off the successes of previous methods while taking into consideration about a dozen stakeholders. The final plan will include multiple types of tools, viewpoints from various groups, useful practices that are already in place, and considerations for the future. Though feral hogs will never fully disappear in the United States, it is critical to continue searching for novel ideas that will improve conditions and ideally benefit the livelihoods of stakeholders involved.