Nebraska Game and Parks Commission Targets Feral Hogs in Harlan County

[Scott G.]

LINCOLN, Neb. – The largest group of feral hogs in Nebraska was removed from Harlan County Reservoir on Feb. 23 to keep them from becoming a threat to domestic and wild animals, crops and wildlife habitat, according to Sam Wilson, the Commission’s furbearer specialist.
Nebraska Game and Parks Commission biologists and conservation officers with the help of the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers and a helicopter, helicopter pilot, and professional gunner from Kansas Wildlife Services, conducted the operation at the reservoir.
Wilson termed the operation “a great success,” with a total of 69 total pigs killed, including more than 25 adult pigs.
“We believe we were successful in removing more than 90 percent of the pigs in the area,” Wilson said. “We are hopeful that this population can be completely eradicated and we will continue to cover the area looking for sign.”
Wilson said there were another 17 pigs killed in Harlan County in January of 2008, and more than 40 total had been removed from the area since 2000.
Wilson said the hogs will be tested for disease – pseudorabies, swine brucellosis and swine influenza and porcine reproductive and respiratory syndrome (PRRS). “The test results will be available in about a week,” he said.
In addition to the threat of disease, feral hogs cause damage to crops and the ecosystem across the country, to the tune of $800 million annually. Wilson said a feral hog killed near Genoa in January of 2007 tested positive for pseudorabies and is an example of the threat feral hogs pose to the economy in Nebraska.
“We did confirm PRRS in tests we ran on pigs killed last year in Harlan County,” Wilson said. Wilson added, “We are extremely interested in help from the public pertaining to future observations of feral pigs in the area. If anyone sees wild or feral pigs please call the Nebraska Game and Parks Commission immediately at (402) 471-5174.”

[HAMMER]

They should just ask all of us to come down and get rid of the hogs for them. I am sure everyone here would be more than happy to help. Think how much money they spent on the heli and pilot and "professional gunner". I would have done it for free, heck I would even pay a small fee to hunt hogs in NE. Instead of paying to have it done they could have made some $$.

[tmrschessie]

Not in Nebraska. Tom

[elkstalkr]

In order to eradicate the hogs aerial hunting is necessary. Hunters cannot kill enough to stop them from taking over.

When dealing with economic loss aerial hunting is FAR MORE effective than hunting, and is often necessary.

BTW, that gunner is indeed a professional. Required to have many hours of training on aerial gunning techiniques and safety, Widlife Services has a training facility specifically set up in Colorado to train all thier pilots and gunners, as flying low altitude while trying to manuever and shoot over wild animals is very tricky.

[tmrschessie]

Yes it is, however when the state said we had to notify them if we saw the hogs, instead of shooting them. Then they hunt them at a high cost, and still do not have them hunted down, and make reference to PRRS to scare local pig farmers, seems that they run the program and do not want residents to enjoy the hunting. I understand the damage they can do, but why not let Nebraska residents enjoy the hunting. Tom

[buffalorancher]

The standard story is that by letting people hunt them they become educated very quickly. This leads to smart pigs that become even harder to eradicate. I have never hunted them but it is on my short list of things to do so I am definately no expert.

[nebrhuntress]

I spoke to a G&P guy just a few weeks ago who was involved in the eradication and they have a very valid reason for not allowing hunters to hunt pigs in Nebraska. That includes those of us who just want to help out. Now most of you wont like this logic because most of us are ethical hunters. However once pig hunting is allowed in NE there WILL be those who will release more hogs in the wild just to have another animal to hunt in the state. That also goes for high fenced hunts for the same reason. Once they escape then we have problems with destruction and disease. You know the old saying one bad apple spoils the whole bunch-well that is exactly what they are trying to avoid.
Sorry, guess we will just have to hunt those piggies down south!

[tmrschessie]

I guess any excuse is better than none at all. If there was a way for them to make money from it then the story would have changed. Just like the mountain lion issue. "No lions in Nebraska" The the law is changed so that you can not kill the non existant critter. I may have fallen off the apple cart but I did not fall under it. Tom

[Flatcoats]

thats funny...never even thought of it that way....dont even have to read between the lines....they know there's lions or else there wouldnt be a law protecting what isnt there

although i rarely see the side of the g&p and how they run things..they do have a point. if we allow people to legally kill them, then people will just let them go and play it off like they're just helping with the solution, when in reality they're just making it worse....thinking they wont get caught

[shthr12]

i am for the most part a pretty law abiding person, but you can count on any wild hog that comes in range of me in nebraska dying. if there is ever a population in my area, and we still arent allowed to hunt them, i wont be going out hunting pigs, but i will be killing every one that i see on a chance encounter.

[lanenebraska]

If I encounter a wild pig/hog, I will employ the S.G.A.S. System:


Shoot
Gut
And
Shut-Up









.

[shthr12]

i thought it was s.s.s, shoot, shovel, shut up. though i dont know if i could waste all that delicious pork.

[tjm]

Originally Posted by Flatcoats

....they know there's lions or else there wouldnt be a law protecting what isnt there

Its would be illegal to shoot wolves, bears, moose, or lynx in nebraska...does that mean we have those?

[DeerSlayer]

I really dont think the NGPC will punish you for having a dead hog with you. They will probably congratulate you and ask where it was. There will be officers that will ticket you but I think most wouldn't care if you had it.