Wild Hogs in Florida

1
Wild Hogs in Florida
Photo by M.L. Smith
2
What are they?

• Feral hogs
• Eurasian wild boar
• Feral hog x Eurasian wild boar hybrid

Sus scrofa
3
What are they?

• Wild hogs (Sus scrofa)
• Family Suidae (true pigs)
• Exotic

USDA Photo
Same as your typical barnyard pig!
USDA Photo
4
What they are not

• Collared peccary or Javelina (Tayassu tajacu)
• Family Tayassuidae (pig-like mammals)
• Native to Southwest U.S.
• None in Florida

USFWS Photo
5
How did they get to Florida?

• Explorers
• Hernando de Soto (1539)
• Ponce de Leon (1521)?

Charlotte Harbor
?
Illustrations by Floridahistory.com
6
Hogs spread throughout Florida

• Explorers Settlers
• Native Americans

Charlotte Harbor
Illustration by Floridahistory.com
7
Hogs spread throughout the Florida
Photo by Bowguns.com

• Free-ranging hogs

• Releases for hunting

Photo by Suwannee River Ranch
8
What about those Eurasian Boar?

• New Hampshire (1886)
• New York (1900)
• North Carolina/Tennessee (1912)
• Texas (1919)
• Washington State (1981)
• Others?

Photo by rw.ttu.edu
9
Florida Fish WildlifeConservation Commission

• Control nuisance animals
• Improve hunting
• This practice was discontinued

Photos by Texasboars.com
10
So what kind of wild hogs are in Florida?

• Feral hogs
• Hybrids

Photo by J. Allen
11
How many hogs are there?

• 500,000 in Florida
• 1-2,000,000 in the Southeast
• Several million in 35 states and provinces

Photo by Buckandboar.com
12
Where do hogs live in Florida?

• Statewide
• Highest numbers

13
What do they look like?

• Hoofed
• Stocky with short legs
• Long snout ending in a disk
• Tusks

Photo by W. Frankenberger
14
What do they look like?

• Color varies
• Difficult to tell feral hogs from Eurasian boar

Photo by J. Allen
15
What do they look like?

• Size and weight depend
• Sex, age, genetics environmental conditions
• Males (boars) are bigger than females (sows)

Photo by T. Croker
Photo by Suwannee River Ranch
16
What do they look like?

• Tusks

Photo by J. Dunlap and M. Ludlow
Photo by J. Dunlap and M. Ludlow

• Hog shield

Photo by L. Rue
17
Hog senses

• Good sense of smell and hearing
• Poor vision

Photo by Suwannee River Ranch
18
What sounds do they make?

• Alarm grunts
• pig sounds

Photo by Suwannee River Ranch
19
How else do they communicate?

• Scent-posts
• Tusking

USDA Photo
Photo by Suwannee River Ranch
20
How do you know they are there?

• Tracks

21
How do you know they are there?

• Wallows

Photo by Texasboars.com
Photo by Texasboars.com
22
How do you know they are there?

• Rooting

Photo by W. Frankenberger
23
How do you know they are there?

• Rubbing

Photo by Texasboars.com
USDA Photo
24
How do you know they are there?

• Scat

Photos by Texasboars.com
25
Where do hogs live in Florida?

• Prefer
• Large forested tracts
• Dense understory vegetation
• Lots of food
• Water
• Few people

Photo by W. Boyer
26
Wild hog habitats
Photo by USGS
Photo by USGS
Photo by flsaf.org
Photo by flsaf.org
Photo by flsaf.org
Photo by USGS
27
Where do hogs live in Florida?

• Fewer animals with
• Intense agriculture
• Urbanization
• Little water

Photo by csres.uteexs.edu
Photo by Florida Photographic Collection
28
Habitat needs Water

• Keep cool
• Control parasites

Photo by Suwannee River Ranch
29
Habitat needs Cover

• Shade
• Predators
• Hunters

Photo by W. Boyer
30
Habitat needs Food

• Hard soft mast
• Other plants and animals
• Carrion

Photo by P. Wray
Photo by NOAA
Photo by P. Wray
31
Breeding

• Start breeding at 1 yr of age
• Courtship
• Fights
• Copulation

Photo by Suwannee River Ranch
32
Breeding

• Breeding peaks in spring fall
• Farrow 2 litters of 1-13 piglets each

Photo by R.P. Lawrence

• Nest in shaded upland site
• Nurse for 3 weeks

Photo by Suwannee River Ranch
33
Breeding
Photo by T.C. Crocker

• Nutrition important

Photo by Suwannee River Ranch

• Boars solitary
• Females in sounders

Photo by Suwannee River Ranch
34
Surviving as a wild hog

• Full grown in 3-5 years
• Average life span 4-5 years

Photo by USFWS

• Predators
• Accidents
• Disease
• Starvation
• Hunting

Photo by Texasboars.com
35
How much space do wild hogs need?

• 450-740 acres
• Depends on food

Photo by D. Hosking
36
When are wild hogs most active?

• Depends on
• Breeding condition
• Temperature
• Hunting

Photo by Inheatscents.net
Photo by Suwannee River Ranch
37
Problems associated with wild hogs

• Competition with native wildlife

Photo by K.M. Gale
Photo by NOAA

• Predation

Photo by J. Valbuena
38
Problems associated with wild hogs

• Feeding on crops, seeds seedlings

• Rubbing tusking

Photo by W.D. Boyer
USDA Photo
Photo by Texasboars.com
39
Problems associated with wild hogs

• Rooting

Photo by W. Frankenberger

• Wallowing

USDA Photo
40
Problems associated with wild hogs

• Disease

Photo by R. Stewart
41
Problems associated with wild hogs

• Dangerous

Photo by J. Dunlap M. Ludlow
Photo by J. Dunlap M. Ludlow
Photo by W. Frankenberger
42
Who owns wild hogs?

• Landowners
• Private land
• Public land

USDA Photo
43
Management of wild hog populations

• Move them around
• Removal control

Photo by J. Allen
44
Can they be controlled?

• Control maybe
• Eradication unlikely

Photo by Suwannee River Ranch
45
Control measures Hunting
Photo by Texasboars.com
46
Control measures Trapping
Photo by S. Barlow
Photo by M.S. Smith
47
Control measures Trapping
Photo by S. Barlow
48
Control measures Shooting
Photo by Inheatscents.net
49
Control measures Exclusion
Photo by S. Roberts
50
Wild hogs!

• The Good, The Bad, and The Ugly

Photo by Suwannee River Ranch
51
This program was developed by William M.
Giuliano Wildlife Extension Specialist Department
of Wildlife Ecology Conservation IFAS,
University of Florida For additional information
on Wild Hogs in Florida see Ecology of Wild
Hogs in Florida by W.M. Giuliano G.W. Tanner
at http//edis.ifas.ufl.edu/UW220 Control and
Management of Wild Hogs in Florida by W.M.
Giuliano G.W. Tanner at http//edis.ifas.ufl.ed
u/UW221