4 Ways To Control Wild Hog Damage In Georgia

Wild or feral hogs, boars, pigs or swine — different people call them different things, but almost everyone calls them a nuisance.

Feral hogs have lived in North America since the 1500s. However, in the last few decades their population has suddenly exploded, especially here in the Southeast. Wild hogs are incredibly prolific, and incredibly destructive.

Wild pigs caused over 81 million dollars’ worth of damage to crops and landscapes in Georgia in 2011 alone, according to the University of Georgia’s 2012 Georgia Wild Pig Survey, and the problem has only increased since then.

So, How Do You Control Wild Hog Damage On Your Commercial Property?

Unfortunately, there’s no easy solution for feral hog damage in Georgia. The only real way to control them is to kill them. And killing them is harder than you’d think.

And it’s important to know that poisoning wild hogs is not an option that is on the table. We don’t consider this a legitimate option, because it is illegal across the board.

Wild Hog Control Methods

Trapping

There are hundreds of ways to trap wild pigs. You can trap them with anything from an inexpensive, 4-by-6-foot live trap to one of the big circular traps equipped with cameras that you can trip remotely with your cell phone, which can run thousands of dollars but can catch dozens at a time.

However, wild hogs are amazingly smart. They learn fast, and no matter what type of trap you use, they tend to get wise to it.

Hunting

Hunting wild boars with dogs is an effective way to go after them, and the government has done a pretty decent job of relaxing regulations to allow it. (They also make tasty eating.)

However, hunting as a method of hog control is slow because you can only get one at a time. Also, many corporations that own large tracts of land won’t allow hunting due to the liability involved.  

Hunters Helping Farmers is a private lands initiative in place to help manage the damaging effects of wild hog damage by connecting hog hunters with private landowners in the same county who are in need of hog removal assistance.

Fences

Fencing your property can help. However, if there’s something on the other side they really want they will find a way to get in there. Wild hogs are capable of tearing a fence to pieces, and can also root and dig under barriers.

Putting The Pressure On Those Wild Hogs

We have found that the most effective way to get rid of wild hogs is to keep the pressure on them.

They don’t like to be bothered, so if you disturb them enough they will leave to go seek out more peaceful surroundings.

The key is to hunt and harass them around your property, and don’t let them settle into a routine behavior pattern.

Of course, doing this means they then become someone else’s problem. And don’t expect it to be a permanent solution. They will almost certainly come back, and then you have to repeat the process all over again.

Once The Feral Hogs Are Gone

In conclusion, until we can get ALL landowners (and preferably the government, too) all going after the hogs at once, wild hog damage in Georgia will remain a perennial problem in our state and beyond. Until then, constant vigilance is the name of the game.

Once you do get them off your property, though, chances are you’ll have some feral hog damage clean-up to tend to, especially with your landscape investment. Whether it’s by eating your plants, trampling your beds, or rooting up your lawn, wild hogs can do a real (expensive) number on your landscape.

We can help you put it back in order quickly and efficiently. For year-round wild hog damage clean-up and a repaired landscape, just call us at 478-750-7733 or contact us online by filling out this short form.