BATH, Mich. -The Michigan Wildlife Conservancy (MWC) is calling on the Michigan legislature to quickly devise and fund a bounty system designed to exterminate Michigan's growing population of non-native wild (feral) hogs.  The non-profit group, based in Bath, near Lansing, believes government action against wild hogs is urgently needed to avoid serious, long-term damage to Michigan's agricultural and natural resources.  "Because of the rapid infestation of this invasive and destructive species the MWC feels we have no choice but to suggest that citizens shoot wild hogs at every opportunity.  A bounty system would draw attention to that need, and provide motivation and a financial incentive to do so," said Dennis Fijalkowski, MWC's Executive Director.

Wild hogs, including descendants of pure Eurasian (Russian) wild boars, have been escaping from commercial game ranches in our state for a decade or more, and have now been confirmed in at least 63 of Michigan's 83 counties.  Most are in bands (or groups) of fewer than 20 animals, but hogs have dispersed many miles from the game ranches and are reproducing rapidly.  They are already causing crop and forest damage, and pseudorabies virus has been found in free-roaming wild hogs shot in Saginaw and Gratiot Counties.  The virus is a huge threat to Michigan's domestic swine industry, which is already reeling from high grain prices and low market pork prices.  Last spring the Michigan Department of Agriculture quarantined the game ranches and other facilities that raise wild hogs for shooting.  But, the action did not stop several subsequent escapes of wild hogs and no effective action has been taken against the hogs already roaming Michigan's countryside.

"The Michigan legislature simply can't wait any longer to get serious about reducing Michigan's wild hog population," stated Fijalkowski.  "Nationwide, wild hogs conservatively cause $800 million worth of damages annually to crops, golf courses, lawns and forests by their feeding and rooting habits.  And they are also vicious predators of livestock, deer fawns and ground-nesting birds," noted Fijalkowski.  The long-time leader of the Conservancy has experienced first-hand the devastating impact of wild hogs while stationed by the U.S. Army in Germany, where citizens have battled the animals for hundreds of years and where a hunter was killed by a wild boar two months ago.  "Once they become well established, it is almost impossible to eradicate hogs.  Michigan has, at best, a narrow window of opportunity, that is rapidly closing, to move against these animals," added Fijalkowski.

The MWC acknowledges that bounty systems have a bad rap.  Historically, bounties were associated with misguided predator control programs that overlooked the important ecological roles of native foxes, coyotes, hawks, and other carnivores and raptors.  Many such programs were poorly administered and cases of fraudulent bounty collections were common.  But the MWC believes a bounty on wild hogs in Michigan is essential because the target is an exotic species with a horrific record of devastation in more than 30 other U.S. states and several Canadian provinces.  Michigan's hunters worked to repeal the last wildlife bounties in the 1960s and 70s because they were offensive.  "Today we are calling on hunters to help us kill all wild hogs in Michigan before they become an environmental disaster for our state," said Fijalkowski.

The Michigan Association of Conservation Districts agrees, and passed a resolution at its December 12 convention calling for a bounty on wild hogs and expressing a willingness to administer such a program through the County Conservation Districts.  Some bounty programs in other states, such as Texas, have been administered at the county level, but have been deemed  "too costly" where the wild hog population bomb has already exploded. 

"Bounty systems offer the most promise when and where hog populations are just getting started," says Dr. John Mayer, of South Carolina, the country's foremost expert on wild hogs.  He continued:  "Michigan needs to pull out all the stops to eradicate, or at least reduce, its wild/feral hog population.  It can't afford to take a position of let's wait and see what will happen."