Arkansas Feral Hog Task Force offers new handbook to help control nuisance pigs

Oct. 14, 2020

LITTLE ROCK – Thanks to a grant from the United States Department of Agriculture’s Natural Resources Conservation Service to the Arkansas Feral Hog Eradication Task Force, landowners will have more knowledge available than ever before in their fight against feral hogs. Last week, the Arkansas Department of Agriculture announced the release of the newly created Arkansas Feral Hog Handbook, a guide to resources available in Arkansas to assist with feral hog control and eradication.

“The Arkansas Feral Hog Eradication Task Force is made up of many state and federal agencies and nongovernmental organizations working together to fight this major issue,” said Chris Colclasure, deputy director of the Arkansas Game and Fish Commission. “Each year, we hear about the impact that feral hogs have on different people, from recreational hunters to landowners, to farmers and timber production. And it’s going to take everyone working in a coordinated manner on private and public land to make progress against this threat.”

The handbook includes contact information, websites, and brief explanations of the resources offered by state and federal agencies and other entities. 

“The Arkansas Feral Hog Handbook was made possible through a grant funded by the United States Department of Agriculture’s Natural Resources Conservation Service. We appreciate their partnership and the information provided by other Feral Hog Eradication Task Force members to make the handbook a comprehensive educational resource for Arkansans,” said Arkansas Secretary of Agriculture Wes Ward. 

The handbook contains information on the Arkansas Feral Hog Eradication Task Force, feral hog reporting, a summary of the USDA Feral Swine Pilot Program, state laws and rules regarding feral hogs, and other resources with information about feral hogs and the damage they cause.

“The handbook was created to provide a brief overview of feral hog issues as well as provide information resources available to landowners,” said J.P. Fairhead, Feral Hog Program Coordinator at the Arkansas Department of Agriculture. “We want the handbook to increase public awareness of the issues related to feral hogs and highlight the collaborative efforts of Arkansas Feral Hog Eradication Task Force members across the state.” 

Feral hogs are a non-native, invasive species that present a significant risk to human and livestock health, agriculture, and natural resources. In Arkansas, damage from feral hogs is estimated at $19 million annually. 

Copies of the handbook can be requested at lori.scott-nakai@arkansas.gov. An online version is available here: agriculture.arkansas.gov/wp-content/uploads/2020/10/FeralHogHandbook.pdf.

Damage caused by feral hogs impacts agriculture, timber and wildlife habitat.