Rep. Jim Grego
By Rep. Jim Grego
I held my interim study on feral pigs this week. I brought together a number of people to discuss the problem and look at some strategies to address this nuisance. We have to be able to protect our agriculture products and property as well as our natural resources and our health.
Stuart Joslin from Wilburton has about 52 years of catching and selling wild hogs. He said in Southeast Oklahoma, people used to raise wild hogs like cattle, but the Oklahoma Feral Swine Act shut off most of the places people could sell hogs. It also cut off licenses to move them without a permit. If we want to deal with this problem, he suggested we remove rules and regulations, create a market and let free enterprise take over.
Jeff Pennington with the Oklahoma Department of Wildlife Conservation said they allow hunting in wildlife management areas, but some areas are restricted where the department is trying to manage trapping. He also talked about various eradication methods, from aerial shooting to toxicants, many of which are still being researched. He said despite all efforts, the feral hog population has increased over the past 10 years.
We also heard from Brad Hamilton with the Pittsburg County Conservation District who created a feral hog pilot bounty program. The idea came from farmers and ranchers who suffer great damage to equipment and crops. The program pays $10 per pig eradicated, but the pilot will end soon without more funding.
Trapper Micah Mass talked about the devastation wild hogs can do to a hay pasture and other agriculture property, which costs farmers and ranchers a great deal of time and money. He said it would be helpful to get everyone on the same page regarding trapping or hunting, otherwise, we’re fighting a losing battle.
Kylee Deniz, the executive director of the Oklahoma Pork Council, said feral hogs are one of the greatest threats to the pork industry. She described numerous steps to protect the health of the pigs raised for commercial consumption.
Scott Als with the U.S. Department of Agriculture spoke about the enormous costs associated with the feral hog population. He showed areas where they’ve had success in eradicating the population through trapping and aerial hunting methods, but more money is needed to expand these programs.
On a separate note, Lonnie Lu Anderson passed away this week. She was a Republican in Pittsburg County long before that was the majority party. She helped shape so much local policy and politics. My heart and prayers are certainly with her family and all who valued her. Her funeral is Sept. 17, which happens to be Constitution Day. That somehow seems very fitting.
As always, thank You for allowing me to serve you. I can be reached at (405) 557-7381 or by email at jim.grego@okhouse.gov.
Jim Grego serves District 17 in the Oklahoma House of Representatives. His district includes Latimer County and part and Pittsburg County.
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