How long has the feral hog been in Oklahoma?

Feral swine have been in Oklahoma since before the land rush. Additional hogs were introduced when settlers moved to Oklahoma and many of their domestic pigs reverted to a wild state.

Why are there so many feral hogs in Oklahoma?

Feral swine are very prolific. Sows are capable of reproducing at six months of age and can have two litters of 5-10 piglets per year. Just five sows could produce well over 300 piglets in one year! To compound this problem, feral swine were considered to be “livestock” until around the turn of this century and could not be trapped and killed without permission from their “owners.” As recently as 1999, when a person trapped a feral hog they had to post a notice at the county court and make an attempt to locate the owner before they could capture the hog. This allowed unlimited and totally uncontrolled growth of the feral swine population, especially in the southeastern part of the state.

Can a person legally capture and transport feral hogs?

In 2008 the Oklahoma Feral Swine Act was passed, which regulates the trapping and movement of feral swine. A person may trap/catch hogs and move them only to a licensed facility. The person who transports the hogs must have a Transporters License, which is available free of charge from the Department of Agriculture.

What facilities are licensed to receive feral hogs?

The Department of Agriculture issues licenses to facilities which may receive the feral hogs. These include Licensed Sporting Facilities and Licensed Holding Facilities, These facilities are inspected and approved by the State Department of Agriculture only after their fences have been deemed adequate to hold the hogs.