Upland Wildlife Habitat Management (645) EQIP Program Sheet Feral Swine Trapping. MI-EQIP11-1

Size: px

Start display at page:

Download "Upland Wildlife Habitat Management (645) EQIP Program Sheet Feral Swine Trapping. MI-EQIP11-1"

Suzanna Lang
5 years ago
Views:

Nationwide, the feral swine population is estimated to be in excess of 4 million. In Michigan, estimates range from 1,000-3,000 individuals.

1 Overview Feral swine have become an ever increasing nuisance in Michigan (Figure 1) and many other states in the continental US. Feral swine populations likely originated from a combination of intentionally released and/or escaped European wild boars from hunting ranches or escaped domesticated pigs from swine farms. Nationwide, the feral swine population is estimated to be in excess of 4 million. In Michigan, estimates range from 1,000-3,000 individuals. Feral swine are capable of causing vast environmental damage and pose a real threat to the health of humans and livestock. Program Eligibility To be eligible for financial assistance through EQIP, land must be within the Great Lakes Restoration Initiative EQIP (GLRI-EQIP) priority area, which includes Midland, Bay, Gladwin and Arenac Counties, and have evidence of feral swine activity on the property within the past 12 months. Page 1 of 11 Figure 1. Feral swine reported and killed in Michigan in 2009 (Michigan Department of Natural Resources and Environment). How the Program Works GLRI-EQIP is a competitive program. Applications will be ranked and the highest ranking applications will be awarded contracts. The GLRI-EQIP program is divided into two phases: 1) scouting for recent sign of feral swine activity and 2) setting up, baiting and monitoring a trap. Record keeping is required. See the record keeping forms at the end of this document. Contract participants are also eligible to receive financial assistance for a limited number of conservation practices to repair damage caused by feral swine activity, if needed. Costs associated with materials for construction of traps are not reimbursable,

517-336-1928 Fax: 517-336-1934 Web site: www.aphis.usda.gov/ws or Dr.

2 however, traps may be available for use from USDA Wildlife Services. For information on trap availability and/or volunteer services for scouting or trapping assistance contact: Timothy Wilson USDA Wildlife Services 2803 Jolly Road, Suite 100 Okemos, MI Phone: Fax: Web site: or Dr. Patrick Rusz Michigan Wildlife Conservancy 6380 Drumheller Road PO Box 393 Bath, MI Phone: Fax: Scouting Scouting for fresh sign of feral swine activity should occur at least twice per week. Common signs of swine activity include rooting marks, wallows, crop damage, tracks, droppings and rub marks on trees. Once sufficient evidence of swine activity is found, it is time to begin pre-baiting activities. Pre-baiting Feral swine are creatures of habit. As long as there is a food source and they are not disturbed, they will visit the same spot to feed on a daily (or nightly) basis. It is very important to pre-bait the trap site to attract the animals. Figure 2. Feral swine rooting damage (Texas AgriLife Extension Service photo by Mark Price). Figure 3. A. White-tailed deer tracks. B. Feral swine tracks. C. European wild boar tracks. (University of Missouri Extension Service). Because of the risk of attracting nontarget animal species, such as whitetailed deer, soured corn is the only Michigan Department of Natural Resources and Environment (DNRE) approved bait that may be used to lure feral swine into traps at this time. A batch of soured corn may be produced by filling a 5 gallon bucket ¾ full with grain corn. Top off the remaining space with water. Affix a loose fitting cover and allow the mixture to ferment for a period of 7-10 days. The mixture should be noticeably malodorous when it is ready for use. Page 2 of 11

3 In order to comply with DNRE guidelines, pre-baiting must be done in conjunction with partial trap construction. Upon selecting an area with the most evidence of fresh sign, begin trap construction by erecting at least two of the three 16 by 5 woven wire fencing panels as described in the Trap Construction section below. Bait piles should be placed adjacent to the erected panels so that when trap construction is completed, the bait will inside and near the rear of the trap. Bait should be refreshed two times per week. After initially finding the bait pile, feral swine should be allowed to hit the bait for a few days prior to completing trap construction. Minimize human scent by wearing rubber boots and rubber gloves to further prevent spooking the swine. If a bait pile has not been hit for a period of one month and no additional fresh swine sign has been discovered, remove the erected panels and cease baiting until new sign is found, then resume prebaiting as described above. Once the trap is fully set up and feral swine are still visiting the site, the door should be wired open to allow the animals to come and go as they want. This allows all of the animals, even the most wary of the group, to feel comfortable feeding inside the trap. After finding swine sign in the trap for the first time, continue prebaiting for at least another week before setting the trap. When refreshing the bait, wear rubber boots and gloves to minimize human odor. Trap Materials The main body of the trap should be built using three 16 x 5 sections of 4 gauge, 4 x 4 woven wire fencing. Page 3 of 11 The trap door will be the rooter gate type design as per the design specifications (Figures 1-4). This is a continuous catch design, which permits feral swine to continue to enter trap after the trigger mechanism has been tripped. The root door design uses gravity to hold the door closed, but swine on the outside can push through and enter the trap after it has been tripped. The door will have an opening 38 wide by 34 tall as per Figures 1-4. These doors should be fabricated out of metal which is suitable for heavy use. The rooter gate design allows the animals to see into the trap. Solid steel T-posts (6 foot minimum) will be used to support the panels and the door assembly. Trap Construction The panels should be formed into a circular shape. These panels are flexible and can be bent to form a circle. Under no circumstances should there be corners in the trap. When trapped, swine tend to bunch up in corners and some may escape. Make sure there are no gaps along the bottom of the panels where swine might try to root out. Solid steel T-posts should be driven into the ground every 8 feet to support the panels. Panels should be securely wired to posts and the panel ends should be wired together with a few inches of overlap. The fence sections will be wired to the T- posts with 14 gauge or larger galvanized steel wire. They should be wired in four places: the bottom, about 1 foot up from

4 the bottom, 3 feet from the bottom and at the top. T-posts will also be used to secure the prefabricated trap door to the ground. The door should also be secured to the trap panels with wire. Be sure to mount the door so that it opens toward the inside of the trap. The trigger cord should be of a material that will be strong, but still light enough to release quickly, such as heavy nylon rope, aircraft cable or coated wire. The root gate door trigger should be a trip wire. A trip wire style trigger is sensitive and consists of a trigger wire or line stretched between the fencing and located between the rooter gate and bait at the rear of the trap. It should be suspended just above ground level. A lead line is run from the trigger mechanism on the rooter gate to the trigger wire. Traps should be checked daily. If a set trap has not been visited by feral swine for a period of one month, the trap should be dismantled and moved to another location where there is fresh sign of feral swine activity. service is provided at no charge to landowners. If available, a MDA or Wildlife Service s employee will arrive to collect the blood samples and examine the heads. Because blood samples are best obtained from recently killed animals, landowners are asked to postpone killing trapped swine until a MDA or Wildlife Service s employee arrives. If feral swine are agitated in the trap, however, it is better to dispatch them immediately to prevent their escape. For disease sampling services contact: Peggy Roth Michigan Department of Agriculture Phone: Rothp9@michigan.gov or David Marks USDA Wildlife Services Phone: david.r.marks@aphis.usda.gov Under no circumstances should feral swine be released. This practice violates Michigan law. Disease Testing USDA Wildlife Services and the Michigan Department of Agriculture (MDA) are interested in obtaining blood samples and examining heads from feral swine to test for disease. Although not a program requirement, immediately upon capturing and before dispatching feral swine, landowners are strongly encouraged to contact Wildlife Services or MDA so that blood samples may be obtained. This Page 4 of 11

5 Figure 2. Rooter Gate Panel Design Page 5 of 11

6 Figure 3. Rooter gate and trigger mechanism details Page 6 of 11

7 Figure 5. Fence plan view Page 7 of 11

8 References: Higgenbotham, B and D. Neusendorff. Coping with Feral Hogs: Hog Trap Design. Texas AgriLife Extension (Online) Hutton, T, T. DeLiberto, S. Owen and B. Morrison Disease risks associated with increasing feral swine numbers and distribution in the United States. Midwest Association of Fish and Wildlife Agencies. Rusz, P. Michigan Wildlife Conservancy. Bath, MI. Personal Communication. The Samuel Roberts Noble Foundation The Feral Hog in Oklahoma: Trapping. (Online). West, B.C., A.L. Cooper and J.B. Armstrong Managing wild pigs: A technical guide. Human-Wildlife Interactions Monograph 1:1-55. Wilson, T. USDA Wildlife Services. Okemos, MI. Personal Communication. For additional information regarding feral swine trapping contact: Dr. Patrick Rusz Michigan Wildlife Conservancy 6380 Drumheller Road PO Box 393, Bath, MI Phone: Timothy Wilson USDA Wildlife Services 2803 Jolly Road Suite 100 Okemos, MI Page 8 of 11

9 Feral Swine Trapping Checklist Minimum Specifications for Cost-Share under EQIP Minimum 4-gauge wire Minimum 5-foot (60 inch) panel height. Minimum of 3 16-foot woven wire panels per trap. Maximum 4-inch by 4-inch panel openings Trap must be constructed in round shape without corners Heavy, solid steel construction 6-foot T-posts must be placed no more than 8 feet apart securing panels in place. Rooter gate design must be used at entrance. Door must be constructed in a manner that allows swine on the outside to see animals trapped on the inside. Page 9 of 11

10 GLRI EQIP Feral Swine Scouting Activity Log Date Start Time End Time Locations Scouted Observations* *Take photographs to document feral swine sign and captured individuals once they have been dispatched. Page 10 of 11

11 GLRI EQIP Feral Swine Trap Monitoring Activity Log Date Start Time End Time Activity (e.g. check trap, freshen bait, etc.) Observations* *Take photographs to document feral swine sign and captured individuals once they have been dispatched. Page 11 of 11

MISSISSIPPI COMMISSION ON WILDLIFE, FISHERIES, AND PARKS MISSISSIPPI DEPARTMENT OF WILDLIFE, FISHERIES, AND PARKS

MISSISSIPPI COMMISSION ON WILDLIFE, FISHERIES, AND PARKS MISSISSIPPI DEPARTMENT OF WILDLIFE, FISHERIES, AND PARKS Title 40: Wildlife, Fisheries, and Parks Part 2: Wildlife Part 2, Chapter 7: Nuisance Animals