The UGA Warnell School of Forestry and Natural Resources and the UGA Cooperative Extension Service have once again joined forces to conduct a survey about the impacts feral swine are having in Georgia. Feral swine – also called feral pigs, feral hogs, wild pigs, wild hogs, and wild boar – can have multiple impacts on landowners. Many people enjoy hunting feral swine; others see them as a destructive nuisance.
This is a follow-up survey to a similar survey conducted in 2012. It is estimated that nationwide feral swine may cause between 1.5 billion and 2.5 billion dollars in damage to crops, fields, fences, equipment, water, landscape, forests, and other natural resources. The 2012 UGA-Warnell, Cooperative Extension survey estimated that feral swine cause up to $81 million dollars of damage in southwest Georgia alone.
The 2015 survey will be mailed out to 3000 Georgia residents – farmers and other rural landowners – to assess the impact of feral swine and to learn about control measures and attitudes residents have toward this animal. Survey recipients were chosen at random from a list of farmers and other rural landowners. All results will be combined and individual responses are completely anonymous. If you receive a copy of survey, please take 15-20 minutes to complete the survey and return in the postage-paid envelope provided with the survey.
Survey data will be collected and analyzed by wildlife students in the Warnell School of Forestry and Natural Resources. Results will be shared with extension agents, legislators and wildlife managers in Georgia and the southeast in order to fully assess the impacts feral swine have on the Georgia economy and environment.
Questions about the survey should be directed to the principal investigator – Dr. Mike Mengak, Professor of Wildlife Management at mmengak@uga.edu or 706-583-8096.