States not wild about feral hog populations

South Carolina is taking action to limit the unwanted spread of feral hogs, and Georgia is hoping to step up enforcement of existing laws.

The Palmetto State's new law, which took effect in February, makes it illegal to release wild hogs - or to transport them with intentions to release them, according to Charles Ruth, the South Carolina Department of Natural Resources' state deer and turkey project leader.

"Our charge, as far as wild hogs are concerned, had been fairly limited," Ruth said. "The problem is, they are not considered wildlife, but they are considered game when they are hunted, so you need a license. Other than that, DNR hasn't had a lot of jurisdiction over them."

South Carolina's new law allows a landowner to capture and release a pig only with a permit issued by DNR. Such hogs must also be released on the same tract of land upon which it was captured, or on an adjoining tract with permission of the owner.

Under no circumstances can hogs be taken to other counties.

Violations are punishable by penalties of up to $1,000 in fines and six months in prison per occurrence, Ruth said, noting that DNR law enforcement officers will be watching for violations.

Feral hogs reproduce and spread rapidly, causing crop and timber damage while competing with native wildlife such as deer, quail and turkey. They can also create a health hazard.

"This new state law is an attempt to protect the state's ecosystems, the hunter's health and the spread of disease to domestic swine, livestock, pets and wildlife," said Dr. Tony Caver, state veterinarian and director of Clemson University's Livestock and Poultry Health Program.

Although hunters enjoy being able to harvest wild hogs during deer hunts - and can hunt them outside of deer season - wild pigs carry diseases, including pseudorabies and brucellosis.

Surveillance has shown some feral hog populations in South Carolina are infected with both diseases, a S.C. DNR news release said.

Humans can become infected with brucellosis when they butcher wild hogs. The disease has symptoms that include fever, night sweats and headaches for extended periods separated by weeks of feeling well.

Derrell Shipes, chief of statewide projects and surveys for the S.C. DNR's Wildlife Section, said feral hogs now exist across the state, mostly in populations established intentionally.

The burgeoning hog population is becoming a problem in many other states, according to studies by the University of Georgia's Southeastern Cooperative Wildlife Disease Study.

Since 1988, the number of U.S. counties reporting established populations increased from 462 to 1,042 - a 225 percent increase. Much of that increase has been caused by the transport of captured hogs to be released in new areas. Today, feral hogs thrive in 32 states, compared to 19 in 1990.

In Georgia, where feral hogs roam in 137 of 159 counties - representing a 350 percent increase in the past 15 years - authorities have yet to propose a specific state law completely banning their transportation and release.

However, "agriculture laws make it illegal to transport or release hogs that have not been tested for brucellosis and pseudorabies," Georgia Wildlife Resources Division spokeswoman Melissa Cummings said. "Right now the Georgia Department of Agriculture regulates this issue."

Georgia wildlife authorities have suggested strengthening laws pertaining to feral hogs because it has been an issue of concern identified in the state's new Deer Management Plan.