Feral hogs in NM pose big threat

Wild hogs have invaded Otero County. In fact, they've taken up residence in 18 of New Mexico's 33 counties -- and the population continues to grow. Wildlife Services state regional director for the division of the Department of Agriculture Alan May said feral pigs are an economical and environmental disaster for New Mexico. "It's one of our key messages," May said. "We work for the Department of Agriculture. We have concerns about agriculture, but they impact our native wildlife. They compete with wildlife for food and water. They're very destructive to habitat. Feral hogs tend to congregate around areas where there is water." He said in New Mexico, water areas are where the state's threatened and endangered species tend to live. "They're impacting wildlife," May said. "They also prey on our native wildlife. Feral hogs are really the ultimate omnivore. An omnivore eats plants, other animals and just about anything else. Wild hogs will eat lizards, frogs, plants, baby deer and other livestock. They also carry a lot of other diseases that are transmitted to other animals and livestock. The diseases will kill other livestock." He said wild hogs can cause more than property damage. "In New Mexico, the pigs are limited because of the lack of water," he said. "Don't get me wrong. We have feral pigs in eastern New Mexico and areas where you don't find lakes or rivers. Their living fine off of livestock waters such as dirt tanks, tubs and drinkers. One of the unfortunate things, there's limited water so all of the wildlife and livestock drink out of those same waters. There's huge opportunities for disease transmission. Feral pigs were first discovered in the Bootheel region of New Mexico in 1988. They're believed to be remnants of a herd of escaped or released domestic pigs. The eastern New Mexico hogs are believed to have been intentionally released for hunting reasons, said USDA wildlife specialist Ron Jones, who has been working on the front lines of the feral pig issue. Jones has been using a technique called a Judas pig. Jones will trap a herd of pigs in a round fence area with a rotor door for an entrance and corn for bait in the middle. He will euthanize the herd except for one female hog onto which he places a tracking device. Jones will track the animal back to another herd of hogs and eradicate the next herd...more