Mulling feral swine management plans

[Hamilton Reef]

State agencies mulling feral swine management plans

Laws relating to feral hogs in Michigan set confusing standards for their management. On the books, escaped swine, including Russian boars, are classified as private property and livestock. According to the Animals Running At Large Act of 1976, such animals must be captured live when discovered in the wild, and an attempt must be made to reunite the pigs with their owners.

It is still legal for hunters with a valid license to shoot feral swine until the end of small-game hunting season March 31. That legality becomes less clear when the 2007-2008 hunting cycle begins, but DNR Enforcement Division Policy Specialist Dennis Knapp said “we haven’t had material changes yet” to the policy.

http://www.mininggazette.com/stories/articles.asp?articleID=6308

[walleyechaser]

I'm surprized this issue hasen't gotten more attention.
This is definately one case where the DNR needs to take an agressive approach to eradicating a seriously potential nuisance from our State.
There should be no question as too the damage feral hogs can cause not to mention the diseases they are known to carry.
Put simply, feral hogs should be open game anywhere they are spotted and no counties should be off limits.
While I fully understand the rights of pig farmers to retrieve escaped hogs, there needs to be a reasonable time limit for doing so and I'm not talking in terms of months either!
Its amazing how quickly escaped hogs can revert to their wild heritage and if it weren't for their relatively poor eyesight they'd be almost impossible to kill. Their hearing and sense of smell is virtually second to none.

Its time for the DNR to keep it simple. No closed season, no exempt counties and a simple any license will do approach. The only requirement that I could forsee as needed would be for the head to be turned over to DNR reps for disease testing.

[DANIEL MARK ZAPOLSKI]

i second that motion on the head being turned in to the d.n.r. and i second the total open season shoot on sight even if you don't have a valid license, as long as you're on private property when hunting them. it is private property which is going to bear the most $$$$$ loss anyhow isn't it?
but, just wait one minute here, did i hear the sound of **dollars** going past **jennys hands** and not **gouging** the hunters again! mark my words before long we will be buying swine permits or licenses what ever you want to call them just to control them piggies. but uncle will say you're getting the benifit of the game and the hunt so we will charge you for controlling our problem that some private individuals caused for the state.
it's the same senario as the coyote and the fox. before we would be payed
20$$ for a female coyote and 15$$ for a male coyote and 5$$ for any fox turned into the d.n.r.. now you pay for a fur harvesters license to hunt them. see how uncle puts the ***major*** spin factor on it.
oh yes, let us not forget our little sportsmans and womens problem with those great lakes and all those invasive species that uncle let in for a few dollars. ( its called commerce when the state does it)
don't worry people it will only be about five bucks to start with and then just double it, the price of bacon is going up!

[boehr]

I'm so happy that so many negative things are done to give you points of conversation.:) Gosh, if everything was postive, in your opinion, you wouldn't have anything to talk about.:)