Manage the Damage—Stop Feral Swine

Feral swine—also known as wild pigs, wild boars, wild hogs, and razorbacks—are descendants of escaped or released pigs first brought to the United States by Europeans as a food source. They are a dangerous and destructive invasive species, and their populations have expanded across the country. Help us manage their damage.

What's At Risk

12
Number of States that have eliminated feral swine since 2014
$40.2 billion
Crop revenue protected from feral swine damage by efforts to curb population growth
10%
Feral swine likely infected with Brucella, which can sicken animals and people

What You Need To Know:

Feral swine often look very similar to domestic hogs, but they are generally thinner with thicker hides of coarse bristly hair and longer tusks.

Look out for these signs of feral swine:

  • Extensive rooting or digging that often occurs as feral swine search for food
  • Muddy wallows in wet areas during warmer months
  • Tree rubbing, which often occurs after wallowing
  • Tunnels and trails leading through thick vegetation
  • Hoof tracks in the mud near springs, ponds, and streams
  • Scat, which resembles dog feces, that may contain partially digested remnants of acorns, grains, and the hair, scales, or feathers of animals the feral swine have eaten

Learn How To Identify Feral Swine

Feral swine cause major damage to a wide range of resource types. Ongoing research indicates that costs from feral swine damage and control are an estimated $2.5 billion each year in the U.S. agricultural sector alone.

Resources damaged by feral swine:

  • Agriculture like crops and livestock
  • Property like golf courses and public parks
  • Historic sites and even archeological artifacts
  • Wetlands and waterways
  • Delicate ecosystems and native wildlife habitat
  • Human health and safety through vehicle collisions

Wildlife biologists and field specialists from APHIS Wildlife Services work to reduce feral swine damage. They provide technical assistance to landowners and land managers, as well as conduct targeted management activities, upon request, to eliminate or alleviate the damage feral swine cause.

The most successful feral swine damage management programs are comprehensive and use a variety of tactics in an integrated approach. When selecting a management method(s), wildlife biologists and field specialists consider the landscape and environmental conditions, feral swine behavior and density, as well as local regulations.

Common techniques for feral swine damage management include:

  • whole sounder trapping
  • fencing and fladry
  • vaccination of livestock
  • ground removal operations
  • aerial removal operations

Nonlethal management techniques can be effective for limiting disease transmission, crop damage, and livestock loss. However, lethal techniques may be more effective in limiting population growth and achieving long-term suppression of feral swine damage.

Learn more about feral swine damage management and control techniques.

Report Sightings!

Icon showing black and white illustration of a feral hog with the words Squeal on Pigs

Report feral swine sightings online or via the "Squeal on Pigs!" app (available in the App Store and Google Play).
Report a Sighting

Contact Us

phone icon

Call the APHIS Wildlife Services office in your State for more information and help dealing with feral swine.
Find Your State Office