Wild Hog Sighting Reported in Montana Raises Concerns

You may have seen or read stories about the wild hog population exploding in places like Texas. An invasive species that can give birth to up to 16 piglets per year. That can easily grow a population to extremes.

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Management of the wild hogs has been a topic of controversy. They have tried to simply hunt the hogs to control the population. But, it barely makes a dent in the population. They have trapped and euthanized pigs, which is slightly successful. They have also taken to aerial attacks of pigs and slaughter them with machine guns. It is quickly getting out of hand, and the hogs are spreading to neighboring states.

WARNING: GRAPHIC

Montana has been on high alert about the possibility of wild hogs arriving in the state. The hogs are known to easily decimate crops and farms. Tearing up entire fields as they eat their way through fertile farmland.

Just recently a wild hog sighting was reported on the Fort Belknap Reservation near Havre.

According to KRTV

The Fort Belknap Indian Community says that there was a reported sighting of a wild boar on Thursday, July 25, 2024.

A news release says that the boar was seen at 8 a.m. about three miles south of the Three Buttes cut-across.

Currently, feral swine are regulated by the Department of Livestock. Hunting them is prohibited because it can cause the hogs to disperse to other areas. Which is probably a good regulation to have at the moment. Simply because the Montana Department of Livestock has said that all reported sightings of feral swine in Montana have been proven to be owned pigs.

Turns out that is very true. KRTV released an update on the sighting. The pig was found and it had an owner.

The Montana Department of Livestock worked with USDA Wildlife Services to investigate, and the pig was found 1.5 miles from where it was reported.

The agency says the animal was not a wild boar but rather an escaped domestic pig. The pig was returned to its owner.

Montana State University recently held a free extension program for farmers and ranchers in Northeast Montana. The program aimed to teach people how to deal with managing hogs and dealing with the threat of hogs invading Montana.

According to Jared Beaver, MSU Extension wildlife specialist

Wild pigs are not native to the United States and are a highly effective invasive species. They have been declared one of the biggest threats to terrestrial biodiversity in the world and are expanding across the United States and Canada.

Thankfully we are safe for now. But, the threat of wild hogs destroying Montana's pristine biodiversity is very real.