Growers and residents concerned with encroaching feral hog populations in central Arkansas are invited to attend a free trap demonstration from 9:30-11 a.m. Friday, Sept. 9.
Presented by the University of Arkansas System Division of Agriculture, the demonstration will be held at a private hunt club west of Wrightsville.
The event is outdoors, and Becky McPeake, professor and extension wildlife specialist for the Division of Agriculture, recommended the use of insect repellant.
McPeake said the demonstration is designed to inform people about ways to control feral hogs on their own property. William Dismang, owner of Bull Creek, is scheduled to demonstrate the use of a corral trap that operates with the use of surveillance cameras and live streaming to cell phones. Bull Creek, located in Beebe, manufactures hunting blinds, feral hog traps and other equipment.
The exact number of feral hogs in Arkansas is unknown, although McPeake and other experts note that the population has steadily increased over the past few decades. The hogs, which use their tusks to root into ground in search of food, can destroy large amounts of farmland and other valuable property overnight, she said.
Independent reporting for Pine Bluff & Jefferson County since 1879.
“They’re around and growing,” McPeake said. “They typically avoid human contact, but they’re becoming so prevalent that we’re now seeing them near people’s houses. They’re transient — they go where they need to go to find food.”
The event is free, but space is limited and registration is required. To register, visit http://uaferalhogdemo.eventbrite.com or contact a Cooperative Extension Service agent.
— Ryan McGeeney is with the U of A System Division of Agriculture.