MINDEN, La. - Louisiana Department of Wildlife and Fisheries agents say they've seen the feral hog population steadily increase across the area.
These hogs create all sorts of damage to property and do harm to local ecosystems.
Feral hogs have been an issue for years in each state in the ArkLaTex, and Nathan Yeldell, a LADWF biologist, fears that the problem is likely to get worse. As feral hog populations grow, they often spread to areas where they are especially unwanted.
"We have gotten some reports of damage in suburban areas, hogs coming into people's yards and rooting up into their lawns, as well as places like golf courses," Yeldell said.
Hogs can be a difficult problem to solve due to how quickly they reproduce. Yeldell says the issue goes ever deeper.
"And, also, they're not native to North America. They were introduced by the Spanish explorers. And any time you have an exotic invasive species, they cause disruption to the natural ecosystem," Yeldell said.
Because of the rapid growth, LDWF is less restrictive in its regulations. Anyone with a hunting license can hunt for feral hogs year-round during the day. Landowners can even hunt on their property at night. Despite this, the hogs can still be difficult to control.
"They are very intelligent. So, despite some of our best efforts to control them, oftentimes people can find that they become increasingly difficult to trap and shoot if they learn to avoid trap sites and bait sites," Yeldell said.
There are still exceptions to those rules in some cases. So, if you aren't sure, contact LADWF before hunting.
