HAVRE, Mont. (NMB) – The Montana Department of Livestock (MDOL) is asking residents to remain vigilant about the presence of feral swine.
Though there have been no confirmed sightings in Montana, populations are spreading and the risk of introduction to Montana is high.
This invasive species can cause catastrophic damage to crops, waterways and pastures, and can also spread diseases to livestock, people and wildlife.
Dr. Tahnee Szymanski works with the Montana Department of Livestock, and says that feral swine could enter Montana from the Canadian border or by being shipped in from other states.
“What kicked off the meeting that we had in Havre (in March 2020), a lot of the discussions surrounding Squeal on Pigs was some reports of potential feral swine populations not too far north of us. So I think the first one was a group of pigs that was in Saskatchewan approximately 5-6 miles north of the Montana border. That turned out to be a group of potbellied pigs that the owner periodically left out. So those were owned pigs, but certainly, we know that owned pigs that are left to their owned devices can revert back to a feral state very quickly. So that was something that got our attention. And then around that same time frame, there was a report of some feral pigs that had been hunted north of the Havre, Chester area, about 12 miles north of the Canadian border. So kind of another instance of reason for concern about those populations from the north coming down to us. And as we have conversations with certain folks in Canada, they continue to report that those populations are expanding in range and in numbers.”
Domesticated pigs have often been confused for feral swine, so it is recommended that potential feral pig sightings are reported to the MDOL instead of trying to kill them immediately. Shooting feral pigs is legal if they are threatening your property, but it can cause them to scatter and spread to more areas.
“We know that pigs that have had hunting pressure applied to them can travel pretty tremenous distances, so you might scatter the rest of the group, and then they get smart to those hunting pressures. And so it just makes them a little bit more difficult on subsequent attempts to try and manage or eradicate them. So we would ask that people consider reporting them to our office instead of using that legal right to shoot them.”
If you think you have spotted feral swine, call the squeal on Pigs hotline at 444-2976.
