Feral Swine in New Hampshire

Since their introduction to North America, wild pigs have become one of the more serious wildlife problems in the United States. A confirmed feral swine population in New Hampshire, primarily in Grafton, Sullivan and Cheshire Counties, presents a unique management challenge.

Natural range expansion and illegal introductions, coupled with the extreme adaptability of feral swine, fuel the continued spread of this destructive animal.

The U.S. Department of Agriculture/APHIS-Wildlife Services (WS) is a good resource for landowners who may be experiencing property and or agricultural  damage.  WS provides partnership-based Federal leadership to help resolve wildlife conflicts through an integrated wildlife damage management (IWDM) approach. The WS New Hampshire Program also participates in the WS National Wildlife Disease Program’s feral swine disease surveillance and monitoring efforts.

Feral swine have no legal game status in New Hampshire, but are considered escaped private property and may only be hunted with permission of the property owner. Click here for more information. Since 1949, feral swine have been defined in the state as animals “Running at Large” under RSA 467:3. In most states, they are considered an invasive or exotic species.

Feral Swine Resources:

• USDA feral hog information web page: www.aphis.usda.gov/wildlife_damage/feral_swine/index.shtml
  
  
• Managing Feral Pigs - A Technical Guide - Click here to download

Sow and piglets. Feral swine have the greatest reproductive potential of any large mammal worldwide. Photo: Joerg Mikus / dreamstime.com	Feral swine tracks, shown above, are rounder and more blunt at the tips than those of deer. Photo: USDA/APHIS Wildlife Services