Feral pigs
Officials in Idaho, Oregon and Washington are launching a campaign aimed at stopping the spread of wild pig populations in the region. (Photograph courtesy of Lloyd Loope, U.S. Geological Survey, Bugwood.org)

Beware of the feral pigs

BY MyNorthwest.com  on July 23, 2012 @ 12:02 pm (Updated: 1:20 pm - 7/23/12 )

Like invasive ivy, the wild pig population in Washington is out of control. So much so that the state is part of a campaign to thwart the growth of feral pig populations in the area.

"Squeal on Pigs" was launched Monday with Idaho and Oregon.

Feral swine are identified as any pig not confined in fences, and their spread across the country is blamed for an estimated $1.5 billion in damage to crops, livestock, and wildlife. Federal officials estimate more than 5 million feral pigs are roaming the country and pose a disease risk to humans.

The Recreation and Conservation Office says there was a feral pig population reported on the Olympic Peninsula, but it's no longer there. Most of the pigs have been sighted in southern Washington.

The pigs came from Europe and Asia as domestic pigs, but after years of escape and intentional release, the pigs have become free-ranging swine. Not only are they destruction to crops and wetlands, the pigs produce four to eight babies per litter.

If you see a feral pig, the state wants you to call its hotline: 1-877-9-INFEST. The pigs vary in color in size, but are most commonly black. Their hair is long and course. Females weigh between 77-330 pounds. The males have four tusks and can be very sharp.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.

MyNorthwest.com, Staff report
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Comments (16)


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  • sghouse wrote...
    Typical Govenrment....
    July 23, 2012 12:56 pm
    "please call the pig line to report" so we can use taxpayer money to go drive around in the woods looking for them. If we find any then we'll have to order an impact study @ a million per. Then if they decide to actually remove any pigs they will have to be humanely euthanized which will render the meat unusable.

    How about we just offer a bounty on feral pigs and when the carcass is brought in to collect the bounty it is then butchered and fed to the prison population? If someone doesn't want the bounty they can keep the meat.

    Simple, low cost solution. Government would NEVER think of it.

    { "Thumbs Up":"1","Thumbs Down":"-1" }
  • Dapperduck wrote...
    Feral Pigs
    July 23, 2012 1:08 pm
    I agree with sghouse. If the population is out of control, maybe WA needs to authorize and legal hunt for them. Look at the problems they have caused in TX, FL and other states. But phoning a Pig Hotline..............come on. The meat from the hunts could be given to the prisons to cut costs or to food banks who are in desperate need of foor for the poor. However, WA will probably drop the unused State cell phones and hav the PIGS call in their locations.
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  • Mike_D34 wrote...
    @Dapper
    July 23, 2012 7:54 pm
    Not sure the state can authorize a "legal" hunt as its not a native wild species. However, Not only should it be fed to the prisons, the inmates should do the dressing, and they can be butchered with spoons... (just incase they get this hair-brained idea that they can outrun the law... but I agee with SMarti also... fill the freezers!!!
    { "Thumbs Up":"1","Thumbs Down":"-1" }
  • SMarti018 wrote...
    Or...
    July 23, 2012 1:14 pm
    Just do what Texas has done and open Feral pig season to 24 hours a day 365 days a year unlimited limit on how many pigs you kill... It will cost Zero in tax dollars and it will stock alot of freezers with meat!
    { "Thumbs Up":"1","Thumbs Down":"-1" }
  • mchill2 wrote...
    Re:Typical Govenrment....
    July 23, 2012 1:34 pm
    Pork products can't be served in Wash state prisons. The Muslims inmates sued and ended that.
    { "Thumbs Up":"1","Thumbs Down":"-1" }
  • Snout wrote...
    These things aren't roaming around Seattle
    July 23, 2012 1:38 pm
    Only some cubicle-dwelling pencil pusher could come up with a pig line. But let's say this moron spent a bunch of money on nonsense at REI and then thinks he's prepared to tackle the wilderness. And then let's assume he comes into contact with a feral swine. Once he finally gets back into cell range and calls this pig line how long will it take for some government pig finder to locate said pig assuming the critter stays in the same place it was seen?
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  • Moondoggie wrote...
    To get the pig to wait while you call the State, it's imoprtant that you show it who is boss. Stay Pig! I said stay! Hey pig, I said stay!
    July 23, 2012 6:33 pm
    Why not just have a program where a pig expert from the State comes out and explains to the pig that he should go back where he came from?
    { "Thumbs Up":"1","Thumbs Down":"-1" }
  • not_anonymous wrote...
    heard a bunch of them...
    July 23, 2012 8:41 pm
    by Picnic Point park, they run along the rail lines probably using the brambles as cover... I called a few places that should have been interested in this info when I heard them, I was told that there are no wild pigs in WA. All I've got to say now is HA!
    { "Thumbs Up":"1","Thumbs Down":"-1" }
  • jaysonoo7 wrote...
    A phone line...
    July 23, 2012 8:58 pm
    That sounds like a solution from a blue state I agree with the top poster offer 20 bucks a pig and the population will be all but gone in a year...
    { "Thumbs Up":"1","Thumbs Down":"-1" }
  • tbookout17 wrote...
    why don't we just do for the pigs what we do fo all the other "unregistered" residents:
    July 24, 2012 7:07 am
    Give them housing, a driver's license, health insurance, and food stamps.
    { "Thumbs Up":"1","Thumbs Down":"-1" }
  • HPD 5-0 wrote...
    tbookout...
    July 24, 2012 10:35 am
    Nice. And you do provide a valid point. Don't forget; we also have to provide everything in their native language.
    { "Thumbs Up":"1","Thumbs Down":"-1" }
  • mikey1 wrote...
    PIG TAGS
    July 24, 2012 7:54 am
    How about the state sell an unlimited amount of pig tags(at a low cost) for the hunters that way they can hunt them,keep count,get rid of the pigs,and pay administrative costs....make every one happy..even give a small boost to the local economy buy what the hunters spend on their trips.......oh wait that makes too much sense!!!
    { "Thumbs Up":"1","Thumbs Down":"-1" }
  • HPD 5-0 wrote...
    Only liberals think this way.
    July 24, 2012 8:07 am
    A "phone line". Idiots. Allow hunters to take care of the problem. Encourage it. Make it easy. The pigs will TAKE OVER. I've seen it.
    { "Thumbs Up":"1","Thumbs Down":"-1" }
  • SMarti018 wrote...
    HPD 5-0...
    July 24, 2012 1:38 pm
    Only liberals think this way? I cant stand people who interpret politics like you. you make me sick IM SORRY but my goodness that was one of the most brainless, political profiling comment iv'e ever heard...
    { "Thumbs Up":"1","Thumbs Down":"-1" }
  • Ben Smith wrote...
    Pigs
    July 24, 2012 8:07 am
    If you see a wild pig, shoot it and eat it. done and done. The way I see it, they are not regulated by state game laws. They are not native so they are always is the act of depridation and that makes them fair game.
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