10 facts about feral swine, which have arrived in Washtenaw County
The feral pig is here.
In Washtenaw County, two feral swine sightings and two kills were reported in 2010, according to information released by the Michigan Department of Natural Resources.
This feral pig, which appears to be feeding on a deer carcass, was photographed in a field north of Muskegon.
File photo
No sightings have occurred in Washtenaw County-run parks, said county parks director Robert Tetens — although an e-mail with a story and pictures of a feral swine kill in a Chelsea field last fall did make its way to staff.
Tetens said he thought the photos were a prank until a co-worker recognized one of the hunters posing with the animal.
Here are 10 facts about them:
- A feral swine is a free-ranging pig considered an exotic animal and a public nuisance. They are believed to be a derived from wild European boar, escaped domestic pigs or a hybrid of the two.
- The state wants the animals gone for good. Legislation passed last June declared feral pigs a nuisance in Michigan. Animal control officers, law enforcement, individuals with a concealed pistol permit and those with hunting licenses can shoot and kill the animals on public or private property. Property owners can shoot the animals on their own property without a hunting license.
- The wild swine threaten domestic livestock, wildlife, the environment and individuals, according to the MDNRE website.
- In Michigan, the pigs have been spotted in the majority of the state’s 83 counties.
- Around the country, the pigs have been identified in 40 states.
- Feral swine can carry up to 30 viral and bacterial diseases and up to 37 diseases that affect wildlife, pets and people.
- Female swine can breed at 6 months old and can have as many as 2 litters of piglets per year with between 4 and 12 piglets per litter.
- The animals eat just about anything, from crops to live animals.
- The animals can be aggressive, particularly if it is a sow with piglets.
- Sightings, kills and suspected damage from feral swine can be reported to the DNRE at (517) 336-5030 or Rosej3@michigan.gov.
Below, watch videos about the history of feral pigs in the U.S. and the damage the animals can cause.
Juliana Keeping is a health and environment reporter for AnnArbor.com. Reach her at julianakeeping@annarbor.com or 734-623-2528. Follow Juliana Keeping on Twitter
Comments
Kid
Thu, Apr 21, 2011 : 10:07 p.m.
I am hunter, CPL holder, tree hugger and community organizer, I would like very much to help in controlling this pest, especially for the reason of feeding folks. If anyone has sightings to report and would welcome a skilled team to come and harvest please contact me. Kit kit.gallery212@ymail.com
Jay Thomas
Sun, Feb 20, 2011 : 4:40 p.m.
The pig is swimming in one of the great lakes at 1:00!
FredMax
Sat, Feb 19, 2011 : 10:11 p.m.
Reproduces like mad, eats anything, needs no care, and tastes like bacon. Sounds like the ultimate food source.
FredMax
Sun, Feb 20, 2011 : 1:47 a.m.
True, maybe even the taste: <a href="http://www.endlesssimmer.com/2009/05/05/robots-confirm-human-flesh-tastes-just-like-bacon/" rel='nofollow'>http://www.endlesssimmer.com/2009/05/05/robots-confirm-human-flesh-tastes-just-like-bacon/</a>
bedrog
Sat, Feb 19, 2011 : 11:39 p.m.
you can say the same thing about many overpopulated humans ( aka "long pig" in traditional lore about cannibals).
Mick52
Sat, Feb 19, 2011 : 8:58 p.m.
So lacking a CCW I have to lure it to my yard from the vacant lot next door? I don't have a hunting permit either. Actually I don't a rotting pig anywhere near my house. Good luck getting anyone to pick it up. Anyone know if that can happen? I will shoot it if someone will pick it up.
Epengar
Sat, Feb 19, 2011 : 10:52 p.m.
You shoot it, it's your mess. Or your delicious feast if you want. Possibly the DNR would come out and haul away the carcass, but I'll be surprised. Note that anyone can hunt these animals on any private land without a hunting permit from the state as long as they have permission from the landowner. You only need the hunting permit or the concealed weapon permit if you are hunting them public land.
Macabre Sunset
Sat, Feb 19, 2011 : 6:09 p.m.
Since they don't pay taxes, I'm rather surprised the state bears any kind of animosity toward them whatsoever.
Lovaduck
Sat, Feb 19, 2011 : 5:14 p.m.
A friend of mine who lived in Hawaii confronted one of these pigs who was threatening his dog. It attacked him and he required several skin grafts and still suffers from trauma. His partner shot the damn thing. I can't wait for the Ann Arbor animal rights folks to start defending them and asserting that we just want them controlled because of "speciesism", Buddhistic "compassion" or some such rot. They are not cuddly or cute; they are murderous beasts.
EyeHeartA2
Sat, Feb 19, 2011 : 5:06 p.m.
With all those diseases, they don't sound too good to eat. So, if you shoot one of these bad boys, do you just let it rot where it fell? Does the DNR haul it away. Do the pigs piggie friends come back and eat the dead piggie? Maybe making a bait pile of sorts? Sounds like a mess. I just wish somebody would bust a few caps in the "rear end" of all those dear on North Campus.
Epengar
Sat, Feb 19, 2011 : 10:29 p.m.
As long as it's well-cooked, wild pig meat is both safe and tasty. The standard recommendations are to wear disposable gloves when butchering, and bury or burn the entrails. People hunt and eat tens or hundreds of thousands of these things every year in other parts of the U.S.
ScioReader
Sat, Feb 19, 2011 : 4:58 p.m.
They're closer than you think! A feral boar was spotted near Saginaw Forest on Liberty Rd in 2009. That's about 1 mile from the city border. It vanished before it could be photographed or shot!
Bogie
Sat, Feb 19, 2011 : 4:50 p.m.
Game? Pork, the other white meat? Great!
RunsWithScissors
Sat, Feb 19, 2011 : 4:08 p.m.
@Juliana Please find out if any feral pigs have been spotted in state-run parks. I hike frequently in the Pinckney Recreation Area with my dogs and would like to know my chances of encountering a feral pig.
braggslaw
Sun, Feb 20, 2011 : 12:55 a.m.
the bigger .45 should do more dameage even though the bullet is sub-sonic. A .357 would be a better ranged weapon.
Mick52
Sat, Feb 19, 2011 : 8:52 p.m.
It depends on where the bullet hits Braggs, not the caliber. A 45 only gives you a little more width to hit something critical. I good shot in the right place from a 9 will do just fine.
braggslaw
Sat, Feb 19, 2011 : 4:51 p.m.
Make sure you have a hand gun if you are in danger of being attacked by feral pigs. A .45 will take one down. A 9mm might not have the stopping force.
MjC
Sat, Feb 19, 2011 : 3:52 p.m.
Bring on the angry birds!
tommy_t
Sat, Feb 19, 2011 : 3:12 p.m.
There's some up in Lansing now also.
oldblueypsi
Sat, Feb 19, 2011 : 7:06 p.m.
Might you be referring to those which feed at the public trough?
loves_fall
Sat, Feb 19, 2011 : 3:11 p.m.
Too bad they're such pests. That one in the picture is like a hairy skunkpig with bad teeth... adorable!!
David Cahill
Sat, Feb 19, 2011 : 3:03 p.m.
I hope locavores will be taking advantage of this addition to our food supply. Cook it well!
snoopdog
Sat, Feb 19, 2011 : 2:42 p.m.
Poor little piggies don't get no respect. I am "rooting" for them, snort snort !
jcj
Sat, Feb 19, 2011 : 2:40 p.m.
Does anyone have information as to where in the county they have been spotted? Anyone that knows of someone moving feral pigs anywhere has a responsibility to report them.
jcj
Sun, Feb 20, 2011 : 1:44 a.m.
Dading Thanks but I was looking for specific info on where in the county they have been seen. Sounds like maybe Park rd in Dexter, and near Saginaw forest.
dading dont delete me bro
Sun, Feb 20, 2011 : 12:50 a.m.
jcj, hit my link to the dnr website. it'll give locations
Urban Sombrero
Sat, Feb 19, 2011 : 4:02 p.m.
A coworker of mine lives on Park Road, near Dexter. Her husband saw one in a field by their house and their neighbors reported seeing 2 at one point.
KJMClark
Sat, Feb 19, 2011 : 2:34 p.m.
Ok, I'll be happy to do my part and get out my bow if I happen to see a feral pig where I'm allowed to hunt, but I think it's funny that until humans crossed the land bridge into North America, there was a distant relative of the pig that was native here. A few thousand years later, there are lots of humans and peccaries are pretty much extinct. (<a href="http://www.museum.state.il.us/exhibits/larson/ice_age_animals.html)" rel='nofollow'>http://www.museum.state.il.us/exhibits/larson/ice_age_animals.html)</a> Two legs good, four legs bad unless they let us have more two legs, or they're cute, or we like them on our plate and can keep them fenced in.
a2baggagehandler
Sat, Feb 19, 2011 : 8:34 p.m.
I fail to see the humor
lisam
Sat, Feb 19, 2011 : 2:21 p.m.
Okay, this is constructive towards the writer. '10 facts about feral swine, which have arrived in Washtenaw County." What has "arrived" ten facts? Or the swine flu "has" arrived. Sorry, but you guys get paid big bucks. You need an editor.
Rod Johnson
Sun, Feb 20, 2011 : 4:12 a.m.
"Trust me, people pay attention to the words people use."
lisam
Sun, Feb 20, 2011 : 2:50 a.m.
Sorry....I truly apologize. I was wrong. Too far ahead of myself and didn't read the article thoroughly. The jokes on me. The article was about swine, not swine flu. My bad.
DBH
Sun, Feb 20, 2011 : 1:41 a.m.
Lisam, thanks for the clarification, but I still fail to see a problem with the word "have" in the title. The word "swine" can be singular or plural (as is true for many animal names) so the use of "have" is correct and (at least to me) understandable, as I took the title to be about the arrival of more than one swine in Washtenaw County.
ypsiRK
Sun, Feb 20, 2011 : 12:41 a.m.
It much easier? Or it's much easier...
lisam
Sun, Feb 20, 2011 : 12:25 a.m.
DBH, I'm talking about have versus has.
DBH
Sat, Feb 19, 2011 : 5:51 p.m.
Lisam, I do not understand your objection to the construction. The relative pronoun, "which," correctly refers to its closest noun, swine. Confusion rightly arises when a relative pronoun is used to refer to a noun that is not the closest candidate, but that is not the case here.
lisam
Sat, Feb 19, 2011 : 4:08 p.m.
JCJ...of course it isn't confusing...Looks like 2 people agree with what I meant. It much easier to proof someone else's work, for sure. However, this is THEIR PROFESSION. Trust me, people pay attention to the words people use.
jcj
Sat, Feb 19, 2011 : 2:43 p.m.
I don't think it is confusing to anyone that knows what feral swine are. And I certainly don't see how anyone could think they were talking about swine flu!
bedrog
Sat, Feb 19, 2011 : 1:24 p.m.
Very interesting. I'll be keeping a lookout in our heavily wooded and swamped environs which, although quite close to urban ann arbor, supports alot of deer,and foxes, coyotes etc. i'd hate to think we're wrongly assuming alot of our plant damage is solely deer-related.
Epengar
Sat, Feb 19, 2011 : 10:17 p.m.
Please do keep an eye out. I think pigs do enough rooting that the difference in damage will be pretty obvious.
braggslaw
Sat, Feb 19, 2011 : 12:32 p.m.
Dogo Argentinas were specifically bred to hunt feral pigs. If you have a high powered rifle you can get close enough to take them out.
dading dont delete me bro
Sat, Feb 19, 2011 : 12:28 p.m.
mmmmmmmmm.........bacon.......... these feral swine are extremely hard to control. "nipping in the bud" is a start, but they reproduce faster than rabbits... <a href="http://www.michigan.gov/dnr/0,1607,7-153-10370_12145_55230---,00.html" rel='nofollow'>http://www.michigan.gov/dnr/0,1607,7-153-10370_12145_55230---,00.html</a>
Epengar
Sat, Feb 19, 2011 : 10:11 p.m.
Yes, cooking takes care of the disease risk. In states where feral swine have been around longer, hunters kill, butcher, and cook tens of thousands of pigs a year, maybe more.
Mick52
Sat, Feb 19, 2011 : 8:41 p.m.
#6 Feral swine can carry up to 30 viral and bacterial diseases and up to 37 diseases that affect wildlife, pets and people So, you guys are going to eat this? Does cooking kill all 67 diseases?
tdw
Sat, Feb 19, 2011 : 2:32 p.m.
mmmmmm..........venison wrapped in bacon yipeeee
Sue
Sat, Feb 19, 2011 : 12:14 p.m.
Thanks for the excellent video clips. I've been following feral hog population increase and Michigan has got to nip this one in the bud.