Feral Swine

Scientific Name: Sus scrofa
Classification: Nongame
Abundance: Disjunct populations statewide

Also referred to as wild boar and feral hogs, feral swine are defined as any free-ranging member of the species Sus scrofa (NC General Statute § 113-129 (5c)), which also includes all domestic pig breeds. Domestic swine were originally released in North Carolina as a source of food for European explorers in the 1500s. Additional releases over the years, popularization of “boar” hunting, and decades of protection as a game animal (1979-2011) led to expanding populations across the state.

Feral swine cause significant damage to plant communities and wildlife habitat during rooting activities while they search of food, and directly impact native species by preying on ground nesting birds and white-tailed deer fawns. On agricultural and developed lands, feral swine cause an estimated $1.5 billion per year in damages to crops, landscaping, and cultural sites across the U.S. Feral swine also carry a variety of diseases that pose substantial risk to livestock, wildlife, humans, and pets. Due to these factors, they are considered invasive and undesirable as free-ranging animals on North Carolina’s landscape. Illegal releases continue to supplement the growing population, making control of these destructive animals challenging.

Report Feral Swine Damage or Sightings

Regulations

North Carolina Feral Swine Regulations (PDF)

Transport and Release of Feral Swine

It is illegal to transport or release feral swine (any swine not meeting NC Department of Agriculture’s permitting, tagging, and health certificate requirements under General Statute § 106-798). During transport, any swine not possessing official identification is presumed to be feral and is subject to a fine of up to $5,000 for each animal.

Hunting

Once classified as a game animal and protected for sport hunting purposes, it is now clear that the problems feral swine cause on the landscape far outweigh any positive benefits they provide. The goal of recent legislative changes and rule modifications is to make it easier to remove feral swine from the landscape and to prevent relocation and establishment of feral swine in areas they do not currently exist. These exotic non-native animals compete with native wildlife and pose significant threats to the environment and agricultural operations. The WRC will continue to evaluate opportunities to facilitate aggressive removal of feral swine.

Currently, feral swine are classified as nongame animals, with no closed hunting season on private lands and no bag limits. All persons hunting feral swine at any time must have a valid hunting license or must be exempt from having a license pursuant to G.S. 113-276. Feral swine may be hunted at night with lights and electronic calls may be used. On game lands, a permit is required to take feral swine from ½ hour after sunset to ½ hour before sunrise and feral swine can only be taken by licensed hunters during the open season for any game animal using any legal manner of take allowed during those seasons. Also on game lands, dogs may not be used to hunt feral swine except on those game lands that allow the use of dogs for hunting deer or bear and during the applicable deer or bear season. Rules associated with hunting feral swine and additional hunting information can be found in the N.C. Inland Fishing, Hunting, and Trapping Regulations Digest.

Hunters should be familiar with disease risks associated with handling and consuming feral swine and take precautions to reduce the risk of exposure to disease pathogens. To receive a free feral swine disease test kit, contact the NCDA&CS Veterinary Division at 919-707-3250.

CDC Feral Swine and Brucellosis Information

Diseases of Feral Swine Brochure (PDF)

Recommendations for Disposal of Swine Carcasses (PDF)

Trapping

When done correctly, trapping is one of the most efficient and effective methods for controlling local populations of feral swine.

There is no closed trapping season and no bag limits for take, but a free, WRC-issued Feral Swine Trapping Permit is required to trap feral swine. In addition, a valid NC hunting or trapping license is also required, except for those who are license exempt.
Individuals assisting with feral swine trapping activities must have a copy of the trapping permit in their possession in the absence of the permit holder.
Persons trapping feral swine must also follow Statewide Trapping Rules/Regulations.
Only box and corral traps are legal for trapping feral swine and the permit number must be displayed on all traps. Corral traps may not exceed 10,000 sq. feet in size. Traps must be constructed in a manner such that a non-target animal (such as a bear) can easily be released or can escape without harm.
All feral swine must be euthanized while in the trap and may not be removed alive from any trap (NC General Statute § 113-291.12).
The permit does not authorize access to any property; landowner permission is still required.
Feral swine trapping on NC Game Lands is allowed only with written permission from the Commission. Because feral swine quickly become educated to avoid traps, permission to trap feral swine on game lands is typically only granted to experienced feral swine removal professionals.
Individuals that wish to trap feral swine on their lands for depredation purposes can use the Feral Swine Trapping Permit to conduct those activities.

Have a Problem?

Feral swine are extreme habitat generalists and can survive in most areas, though they prefer to stay near streams or other sources of water. They are highly intelligent, breed rapidly, and have few natural predators, making control of their population challenging, but not impossible.

How can I get rid of feral swine?

An integrated approach can be highly effective for removing feral swine, but due to pigs' ability to quickly learn to avoid danger, must emphasize whole-sounder removal right from the start. A strategy that first emphasized whole-sounder removal via corral trapping, followed by shooting any pigs that remain is crucial to success. Strategies that focus primarily on shooting as the method of control (including hunting) are not effective at reducing feral swine populations, and typically lead to increasing populations and spread of feral swine to new areas over time. Shooting may remove a small number of pigs in a social group, but if done before or during trapping efforts, results in the remainder of the pigs learning to avoid human activity and generally becoming much more difficult to remove. This combined with a reproductive rate that exceeds even the best rate of removal by shooting leads to growing pig populations where shooting is the primary method of control.

Refer to the Regulations tab on this page to learn about trapping regulations for feral swine. Fencing and use of livestock guardian dogs can help deter swine from particular locations. If you are experiencing problems with feral swine, contact the NC Wildlife Helpline at 866-318-2401 or hwi@ncwildlife.org for guidance.

How to Trap Feral Swine (YouTube)

Recommendations for Disposal of Swine Carcasses (PDF)

What is currently being done?

The NC Wildlife Resources Commission is a member of the NC Feral Swine Task Force, a collaboration among several government agencies including the US Department of Agriculture (USDA), NC Department of Agriculture (NCDA), and NC Department of Health and Human Services (NCDHHS). The current goal of the task force is to learn more about the impacts of feral swine in NC, and search for effective and collaborative management solutions. While several agencies do what they can to manage swine within their jurisdiction, the problem is too large for any single method, or “silver bullet” solution. You can help by reporting any feral swine sightings, encounters, or swine-related damage to the NC Wildlife Helpline at 866-318-2401 or hwi@ncwildlife.org.

Are feral hogs dangerous?

While unlikely to be aggressive toward humans, swine are very capable of defending themselves from a threat. Given a choice, wild pigs usually flee rather than fight. Clapping your hands or making other loud noises (i.e. "hazing") will usually scare swine away.

Feral swine carry at least 30 diseases and nearly 40 parasites that can affect humans, pets, livestock, and wildlife. Diseases like brucellosis can be transmitted when people handle or consume feral swine meat. Fresh feral swine carcasses can be tested for disease before consumption. For more information on feral swine disease testing, contact the NC Department of Agriculture & Customer Services - Veterinary Division at 919-306-3933.

Management

Feral swine are invasive in North Carolina and highly destructive on the landscape. In the past decade, complaints and damages have increased along with a growing feral swine population. The Wildlife Resources Commission, as a member of the NC Feral Swine Task Force, is partnering with other agencies in NC to learn more about this growing problem. Please report any feral swine sightings, damage, or kills to the NC Wildlife Helpline at 866-318-2401 or hwi@ncwildlife.org.

Feral swine are remarkably intelligent and quickly learn to avoid hazards in their environment. For this reason, removal of an entire sounder via corral trapping is usually the most practical and effective method for removing swine from an area. Though hunting feral swine can be used to frighten or take individual animals, remaining animals quickly learn to avoid hunters and become more difficult to remove. Past control efforts outside of North Carolina have shown that recreational hunting is ineffective as a management tool for reducing feral swine populations and is associated with the spread of feral swine to new areas through illegal releases as well as increased desire by the hunting public to maintain or increase populations of free-ranging pigs on the landscape.

USDA Feral Swine Management

Managing Wild Pigs - A Technical Guide