Wild hogs, also known as feral swine, are an established invasive species across Arkansas and represent a serious threat to the state’s natural resources and agricultural industry. Feral swine are descendants of domestic pigs that have either escaped from farms or were intentionally released into the wild. These animals have reverted to a wild state, adapting quickly and establishing large, rapidly expanding populations. Their presence is a major concern because of the extensive damage they cause annually.
Where Wild Hogs Are Found
Feral swine are found in every county in Arkansas, demonstrating a widespread distribution across the landscape. The highest densities are concentrated in areas that offer thick cover and consistent water sources, including the bottomlands of south-central Arkansas, river corridors, and the fringes of the Ouachita Mountains and Ozark National Forest.
The hogs thrive in secluded areas, often inhabiting thickets near creeks, streams, and rivers. These animals have large home ranges, allowing them to rapidly colonize new territory. Their ability to move quickly and their high reproductive rate mean that populations can increase significantly in a short period, making their spread difficult to contain.
The Damage Caused by Feral Swine
The presence of feral swine creates significant problems across agricultural, ecological, and public health sectors. Feral swine cause an estimated $19 million to $41 million in damage annually in Arkansas, primarily through their destructive foraging habits. Their characteristic rooting behavior, where they use their snouts to turn up soil, destroys substantial acreage of cropland and pastureland.
Agricultural producers report damage to crops such as corn, soybeans, rice, wheat, hay, and silage crops. Beyond crop destruction, the rooting can also damage farm equipment and compromise the integrity of levees and irrigation systems. The swine also impact livestock, occasionally preying on young calves and competing directly with domestic animals for forage.
From an ecological perspective, rooting and wallowing activities lead to soil erosion and the destruction of native vegetation, which can permanently alter habitats. Feral hogs contaminate water sources with their waste, negatively affecting water quality and aquatic life. They also prey on native wildlife, including the eggs and young of ground-nesting birds, reptiles, and amphibians, and compete with species like deer and turkey for food resources.
Feral swine are vectors for numerous diseases, carrying over 45 known bacteria, viruses, and parasites that pose threats to livestock and humans. Diseases such as pseudorabies virus and swine brucellosis can be transmitted to domestic swine herds and potentially to people. The presence of these diseases creates a constant biosecurity risk for the state’s agriculture industry.
Arkansas Control and Management Strategies
The state of Arkansas classifies feral swine as a public nuisance rather than a game animal; the official goal is complete eradication, not population control. State law prohibits the sale, transport, possession, or release of live feral hogs, preventing the expansion of their range. This legal framework supports coordinated, large-scale removal efforts over recreational hunting.
The primary strategy involves extensive trapping and coordinated removal, often led by the Arkansas Game and Fish Commission (AGFC) and USDA APHIS Wildlife Services. Studies indicate that at least 66% of a population must be removed annually just to prevent growth, a rate sport hunting cannot achieve. Large-scale corral traps are used to capture entire sounders, or family groups, at once, which is far more effective than removing individual hogs.
Aerial removal methods, such as helicopter shooting, are employed by trained professionals to quickly reduce populations across large, inaccessible tracts of land. These coordinated efforts are more successful than incidental shooting, which can scatter the sounder and make the remaining hogs wary. Landowners are encouraged to report sightings or evidence of damage to the AGFC or USDA Wildlife Services to assist with organized eradication efforts.