Kentucky, federal wildlife agencies will use armed helicopters to combat feral pigs

Wildlife agencies will use armed helicopters to combat feral pigs at Land Between the Lakes

The U.S. Forest Service announced Thursday that helicopters with armed wildlife specialists will be used to combat invasive feral hogs in the Land Between the Lakes National Recreation Area in western Kentucky.

The Kentucky Division of Fish and Wildlife and the Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service will join the Forest Service in aerial operations and bait trapping to euthanize feral hogs.

Officials said feral hogs are not native to the area and threaten visitor safety, native wildlife and plant species, and cultural sites.

Eradication operations will now use helicopters to search for feral hogs, and armed wildlife specialists will shoot hogs from the air during the winter months when conditions allow.

"Hunting wild hogs is counterproductive to agency eradication efforts," said Terri Brunjes, a Wildlife Biologist with the Kentucky Department of Fish and Wildlife Resources. "Hogs that are hunted disperse into new areas and become very difficult to find and euthanize."

Officials said feral hogs are invasive but highly adaptive and can quickly outcompete native animals.

"Feral hogs pose a serious threat similar to the Asian carp and we must take additional steps to make a greater impact on feral hogs now," said Tina Tilley, Area Supervisor at the U.S. Forest Service.

The Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service euthanized 70 feral hogs in 2018, but eradication efforts are difficult because the species can repopulate quickly.

Officials said feral hogs can have two litters per year with an average of 5 to 10 piglets. The offspring can reportedly give birth to a new generation in less than a year.

The recreation area has more than 170,000 acres of forests, wetlands and open lands.

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