Wild Boar (Sus scrofa) Removal on Fort Ord BLM

In the 1920s a local rancher crossed the European wild boar with a domestic pig and got what we now call the wild boar, Sus scrofa. These robust individuals have since spread from Monterey County, CA to 56 of the lower 58 states. Despite their local origin, these pigs did not find a home at the Fort Ord BLM until 2004. Their presence was soon apparent as the destructive nature of the animal is to upturn the soil in moist soils and wetlands looking for bulbs, tubers and other yummy(?) edibles. This is a problem considering the number of rare and threatened species we have coexisting in these habitats. The program to remove the remaining invasive wild Boar has been underway for around five years. The pigs are lured into traps with fermented corn (this is my job) and then shot (this is not my job). The meat is then donated to one of many organizations on a waiting list to clean and process the meat, and then eat it. The program has been very successful and only a handful of individuals that remain (I think there are around three). Still it is not uncommon to discover sensitive areas roto-tilled overnight by the strong snouts of these pigs. The program to remove the remaining hogs will continue to operate in order to ensure that the population does not rebound. But until then it is a slow process.

Leave a Reply

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.