There might be some good news as state officials try to figure out how many wild hogs may be in Lyon County.
The good news? There may only be one wild hog moving across parts of Lyon and Coffey counties. Lyon County Game Warden Aaron Scheve says he can only confirm one feral hog to this point. If that’s the case, though, it has been roaming a relatively large area — first reported as essentially between Emporia and John Redmond Reservoir the past two weeks, updated Thursday to include areas of southwest Lyon County since mid-November.
Feral hogs are considered a problem animal because of the health issues they pose, including pseudorabies, tuberculosis and parasites, and because of the damage they can cause to agriculture and public infrastructure systems. Scheve says feral swine typically run away from people unless cornered.
If you have seen the feral hogs, call Scheve at 620-431-9873. Landowners have the legal authority to kill the wild hogs, but Scheve says landowners should call him first if they see two or more wild hogs so state and federal officials can try to trap the whole herd. Landowners who see one feral hog can dispatch it and call Scheve afterward.
Scheve credits Lyon County deputies for their help in trying to find the hog or hogs, which may have been illegally dumped in violation of federal law.
12:45 pm Wednesday: Feral hogs reported between Emporia and John Redmond Reservoir
Domesticated hogs are great for pork, ham and bacon. Feral hogs, on the other hand, can be extremely harmful in several ways — which makes a recent discovery of wild hogs east of Emporia a concern to state and federal officials.
Lyon County Game Warden Aaron Scheve says it’s hard to say how many hogs are now in the area around Hartford, the Cottonwood River between Emporia and Neosho Rapids, the Flint Hills National Wildlife Refuge and John Redmond Reservoir. Hogs wer discovered in the area two weeks ago, and Scheve tells KVOE News there are some indications the herd — or herds — didn’t come to Kansas on their own.
Feral hogs can cause a long list of issues. Health concerns area at the top of the list, including pseudorabies, tuberculosis and parasites, and those issues can devastate both established agriculture operations and wildlife areas. In addition, feral hogs can be responsible for a variety of agricultural and infrastructure issues that could cost millions of dollars, depending on the situation.
Landowners that see a feral hog have the legal authority to kill the animal. However, Scheve says the approach should be different if landowners find one feral hog versus several.
Landowners that have two or more feral hogs are asked to call Scheve first so state and federal authorities can try to get the entire herd at one time.
If you have seen the feral hogs, call Scheve at 620-431-9873.
