MISSOURI, USA — For years, Missouri has been working to eradicate invasive wild hogs, known for trampling farmland and transmitting diseases. The state, however, still has one of the largest amounts of feral hog sightings in the country.
Research from the University of Georgia's Center for Invasive Species and Ecosystem Health broke down the amount of credited feral hog reports in each state. Captain Experiences, a fishing and hunting trip planning website, took the research further and broke down how widespread the feral hog population was in each state.
The above video is from our Arkansas partner station THV11.
Missouri ranked number 13 on the list with a total of 336 reports about feral hogs in ~54% of its counties, according to Captain Experiences. Texas, Georgia and Florida topped the list with 2,425, 1,377, and 1,193 feral hog reports respectively.
Click here to see the entire list. The University of Georgia's map is below:
The Missouri Department of Conservation reports that the state has recently been making strides in eradicating the feral hog population. The Missouri Feral Hog Elimination Partnership reported that 6,289 feral hogs were killed in Missouri in 2022, and the state's total feral hog population has seen a 65% decrease since 2016.
"It’s progress, but there is still much to do," said Kevin Crider, the University of Missouri's feral hog outreach educator. "Feral hogs breed early and often. Sows can breed by 6 months of age and birth two litters of 6-12 piglets yearly."
READ MORE: 'Still much to do': Missouri feral hog eradication program going strong, conservationists say
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