Feral swine represent a significant biological threat as an invasive species across the United States. Due to their destructive habits and rapid reproductive capabilities, these animals are a serious concern for agricultural producers and natural resource managers. Their presence in Pennsylvania, while currently localized, poses a risk to native wildlife populations and the state’s important pork industry. Managing and eliminating these populations is a high-priority effort because of the potential for widespread environmental and economic damage.
Current Distribution and Confirmed Counties in Pennsylvania
The distribution of established feral swine populations in Pennsylvania is not widespread. Historically, sightings have been documented across approximately 23 counties, often stemming from escaped domestic stock or animals released from captive hunting facilities. However, current established breeding populations are highly localized and small due to coordinated control measures.
The Pennsylvania Game Commission (PGC) indicates that existing breeding populations are likely limited to the south-central portion of the state, most consistently citing Bedford and Fulton counties. These areas, particularly the southern tier, are susceptible to transient populations migrating from states with more firmly established feral hog ranges. The USDA APHIS confirms that established populations are confined to just a few counties, confirming the success of the state’s management approach in preventing broad range expansion.
The population in Pennsylvania is often transient, as new groups are rapidly targeted for removal before they can become established. Transient populations typically originate from two sources: domestic swine escaping from farms or the intentional, illegal release of wild hogs for hunting purposes. The state’s strategy focuses on maintaining this localized status to prevent the animals from gaining a permanent foothold across the state.
Identifying Feral Swine and Their Ecological Damage
Feral swine are hybrids of Eurasian wild boar and domestic swine. They typically possess a leaner, more muscular body structure, a longer, pointed snout, and a coat of coarse, bristly hair. Males, or boars, develop large, sharp tusks used for fighting and defense.
These animals inflict extensive environmental and agricultural damage primarily through their rooting behavior. They churn up soil in search of food, destroying crops, pastures, and forest undergrowth. This disturbance can lead to soil erosion, compromise water quality by increasing sediment runoff into streams, and facilitate the spread of invasive plant species that colonize the newly disturbed earth.
Feral swine are omnivores and will prey on ground-nesting bird eggs, small mammals, and fawns, disrupting native wildlife food chains. They are reservoirs for diseases that pose a risk to livestock and human health. They can transmit serious pathogens like pseudorabies and swine brucellosis to domestic pigs.
State-Led Eradication Strategies and Public Reporting
Pennsylvania’s management approach is focused on complete eradication, not merely population control. The Pennsylvania Game Commission works in partnership with the USDA APHIS Wildlife Services to implement this strategy. The primary methods employed include targeted trapping, using large corral traps to capture entire family groups, or “sounders,” at once.
Targeted removal is favored because traditional sport hunting can scatter the animals, causing them to disperse and establish new populations in previously unaffected areas. Hunting feral swine is generally prohibited or heavily regulated on public lands to allow for coordinated, professional trapping efforts to be most effective. Licensed hunters are permitted the unlimited take of feral swine across most of the state, but this action must be reported to the PGC within 24 hours.
Public cooperation is integral to the eradication goal. If a feral hog or evidence of its activity is observed, the public should immediately contact the Pennsylvania Game Commission hotline at 1-833-PGC-WILD. This reporting mechanism allows state and federal agencies to rapidly deploy resources for targeted removal, which is the most effective way to eliminate these populations.