Syracuse.com - Federal report: 40 wild boar killed in Onondaga County last year

[HuntingNY-News]

Escape of swine from shooting preserves, breeding facilities and intentional releases by hunters interested in pursuing them need to be addressed if elimination efforts are to be successful, the report said.

Feral swine have high reproductive capacity and populations can quickly expand to colonize new areas. USDA, APHIS, Wildlife Services

Federal officials said significant strides were made during 2012 to locate and trap or shoot wild boar in Onondaga County.

Forty boars were removed from the landscape by USDA APHIS Wildlife Services staff. The department's 2012 Feral Swine Management Report, released late last week, indicated 35 being captured in corral traps and five were shot from treestands.

Wildlife Service staff have acquired access to 35 properties, comprising more than 17,000 acres in Cortland, Onondaga and Tioga counties to conduct feral swine management.

In all, wildlife services staff identified 43 individual feral swine, traveling alone or in groups. None were captured or killed in Cortland or Tioga counties, and three feral swine wer , according to The 2012 Feral Swine Management Report, released last were detected on trail cameras in Tioga County.

Feral swine have high reproductive capacity and populations can quickly expand to colonize new areas, said Justin Gansowski, a wildlife disease biologist, who has been on the local scene dealing with the wild boar problem in Central New York since 2008.

"We secured a federal grant an we'll be out there again this year," Gansowski said. "We have staff out in the field trying to locate feral swine as we speak."

Gansowski said any sightings or shootings of wild boar by Central New York residents should be reported to the Region 7 state Department of Environmental Conservation office at 1-607-753-3095, ext. 247.

According to the 2012 Management Report, "there are currently four breeding populations of feral swine, located in Onondaga, Cortland, Tioga, Sullivan, Delaware and Clinton counties. The populations are thought to be the result of escaped swine from shooting preserves and breeding facilities."

The report noted "feral swine are highly mobile disease reservoirs and can carry at least 30 viral and bacteria diseases, in addition to 37 parasites that affect people, pets, livestock and other wildlife. Other impacts, the report adds, include ecological damage, agricultural damage, property damage and threats to human health and safety."

Local hunters have submitted pictures in recent years of wild boar they've shot in the area -- some exceeding 400 pounds. A Scott man shot one weighing 475 pounds near his home in 2010 on the opening day of deer hunting season.

Due to its wallowing behavior, one feral swine will "destroy 10 acres of wetland in its lifetime," the report said.

The report said in Cortland and Onondaga counties, wildlife services staff documented "damage to apple orchards, and pastures, as well as to fields of corn, oat, soybean, pumpkin, wheat and hay. In Tioga County, damage to pastures and field of corn, oats and hay were documented."

Corral-type traps are effective in capturing sounders, (whole families) of wild boar.

USDA, APHIS, Wildlife Services

The report notes that the most effective and efficient way to eliminate feral swine is by managing whole sounder groups, which is different from hunting.

"Several states have attempted to eliminate feral swine by encouraging hunting, which has proven unsuccessful in each instance," the report said.

The report concludes with a legislative solution as well.

"Escape of swine from shooting preserves, breeding facilities and intentional releases of swine by hunters interested in pursuing them in New York are factors that need to be addressed if elimination efforts in this state are to be successful," the report said. "With the proper legislation in place to prohibit sale, possession or transportation of feral swine, elimination is a feasible goal for New York State."

View the full article on The Syracuse Outdoors Blog