Michigan Delays Regulations for Canned Hunt Ranches

So many feral swine have gone loose from canned hunting ranches throughout Michigan, destroying crops and property along the way. Fear of disease transmission to domestic pigs is a threat not to be taken lightly either. In response, the Michigan Department of Natural Resources and the Environment (MDNRE) established open hunting season on the massive omnivores last year and, more recently, decided it was time to classify them as an invasive species.

Michigan Wildlife Conservancy agrees that the state needs to take action. "Hogs will pollute streams, vegetable crops, root up crop fields, destroy forest regeneration and kill pets.  They eat livestock, deer fawns and ground nesting birds," said Dennis Fijalkowski, Executive Director of Michigan Wildlife Conservancy. "Wild hogs carry 31 known diseases, some of which can be transmitted to humans.  Pseudorabies alone has the potential to wipe out some of our agricultural industry."

But instead of going forward and declaring swine illegal, MDNRE has bowed to Governor Rick Snyder’s request to give legislators until October 8th to come up with a solution.

Michigan is not the only state concerned with feral swine populations. New York may ban captive hunts after breeding populations were confirmed in three counties. The presence of feral swine is growing in several northern states, a cause for concern from New York to Oregon. The southern states have been dealing with this problem for longer and some estimates indicate as many as 4 million feral swine are causing destruction in Texas alone. They also are among the 100 of the World’s Worst Invasive Alien Species, according to International Union for Conservation of Nature.

Why are legislators taking so long to settle on regulations allowing wild boar to remain legal? At any point in time MDNRE could have executed their order naming wild boar an invasive species but instead chose to give the hunting groups (if you can even call what they do on these ranches hunting) ample time to self-regulate. In the meantime, the cycle of escape, breeding and destruction continues.

A number of Michigan-based wildlife and agricultural organizations are opposed to regulating captive swine populations. There are no guarantees that these regulations will successfully contain the boars and prevent additional escapes. "They will always escape. Once out they will rapidly increase their numbers in the wild," Mr. Fijalkowski told me. "These animals do $1.5 billion in damage every year in the U.S." Fijalkowski estimates that Michigan already has thousands of feral hogs on the loose.

Between lax fencing standards and minimal violation fines, there is no real incentive for ranchers to ensure the animals stay on the property.

A new bill has recently been introduced to ban importing and owning wild boar. In a statement on his website, bill sponsor Senator Rick Jones believes that “bringing in feral swine for hunting is like someone bringing Asian carp so they can go fishing.” The very thought makes me shudder.

An original deadline of July was set for legislators to pass bills setting up regulations for the canned hunt ranches to continue owning and hunting non-native swine. But July has come and gone, with legislation still pending.

The time for definitive action is long overdue. Tell Michigan state legislators to vote against wild boar regulations.

Photo Credit: Rainbirder