This Animal Has Reached Infestation Levels, Now Present in 80 of Tennessee’s 95 Counties

From commercial crops to natural habitats, wild hogs are equal opportunity destroyers. These vicious animals also prey on native wildlife and livestock and are vectors of disease. According to the Tennessee Wildlife Resources Agency (TWRA), the issues this destructive species is causing have become more widespread recently as wild hogs are now found in 80 of Tennessee’s 95 counties. Attempts to control the spread and reduce the population of feral hogs, including a statewide hunting season with no bag limit, have failed. Continue reading to learn more about this invasive animal and why its populations are so difficult to control.

Wild Hogs vs. Domesticated Pigs

Regardless of what you call them — boars, hogs, pigs, razorbacks, rooters, or swine — they are the same species, Sus scrofa. The first Eurasian wild boars were introduced to mainland North America by Hernando de Soto in 1539. However, wild hogs and domesticated farm stock share little beyond a common ancestor.

Wild boars are much leaner with coarse hair and long, sharp tusks. They weigh between 130-220 pounds. Their strength is concentrated in their head and shoulders. Domesticated pigs, raised for food, have much larger hindquarters and shorter snouts and tusks. Farm pigs are also much larger and heavier than wild boars, with many weighing over 700 pounds. Another interesting difference can be found in their tails. Domesticated pigs possess curly tails, while their wild cousins have straight ones.

Temperamentally, wild boars are highly aggressive, destructive animals. As wild animals, their behavior is predicated by their need to survive. Conversely, domesticated pigs have been selectively bred to be more docile, though when they are feeling threatened, their native instincts will kick in.

Wild Hogs in Tennessee

Until the 2010s, wild hogs had been documented in 15 of Tennessee’s 95 counties. These destructive animals are now found in 80 counties across the state. Within a few short years, these wild beasts made their way to the big city! Though the situation was controlled swiftly, Knoxville residents were surprised to see wild boars within the city limits in January 2014. The feral hogs destroyed landscaping and presented a spectacle not often witnessed in urban areas before being dispatched. However, the majority of wild hog infestations occur outside the city limits.

Opportunistic Omnivores

Feral hogs are adaptable creatures that can live just about anywhere. Their preferred habitat is one with abundant resources. Because rural and forested areas tend to provide easier access to a wider variety of prey, feral hogs are more likely to live in these locales. Wild hogs are crepuscular, hunting primarily in the twilight hours around dusk and dawn. This is one of the reasons that they are rarely seen. However, these pernicious creatures leave a path of destruction that is easy to see.

From birds to small mammals, wild hogs prey on native wildlife and livestock. But they don’t stop there. These opportunistic feeders will also plow down commercial crops including corn, oats, and wheat. They can further decimate a field with their rooting and trampling, resulting in a lower crop yield. “Feral hogs can certainly be a nuisance to farm and forest crops,” says Heather Slayton, Tennessee’s 10th State Forester and Assistant Commissioner for the Forestry Division. This damage costs Tennessee farmers millions of dollars in lost revenue yearly, and as much as 1.5 billion dollars nationwide.

Disease Vectors

Beyond their widespread crop and livestock devastation, wild hogs are vectors for diseases including many that can be passed to humans. Therefore, precautions, such as wearing gloves, are imperative when handling a wild boar carcass or raw hog meat.

Controlling Wild Hog Populations in Tennessee

Tennessee Wildlife Resources Agency (TWRA) in conjunction with Southeastern Association of Fish and Wildlife Agencies (SEAFWA), specifically through the Wild Hog Working Group (WHWG), is working to tackle the issues presented by wild hogs in Tennessee. The WHWG is instrumental in developing science-driven solutions and creating policies that will help curb the growth of the wild hog population in Tennessee and other Southeastern states.

One of the original initiatives, the statewide hunting season with no bag limit, backfired spectacularly when individuals who sought to profit from local hunting opportunities released even more feral hogs into the state. As a result, it is now illegal to sell, transport or stock feral hogs in Tennessee.

Once established, wild hog populations are difficult to control because they reproduce prolifically, are exceptionally adaptable, keenly intelligent, and have few natural predators, including bears and coyotes. However, humans are by far the number one predator of wild hogs in Tennessee.