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Georgia DNR introduces Hog Down Awards program

The Georgia Department of Natural Resources (DNR) has announced its Hog Down Awards Program, an incentive-based effort to increase use of traps to remove sounders of feral hogs. Trapping to remove large groups, especially groups of female hogs and their young,  is the most efficient way to combat this destructive species, according to the Georgia DNR Wildlife Resources Division.

Through this pilot program, the Georgia DNR will award 20 hog traps (5 traps each quarter) valued at approximately $3,500 to randomly selected participants who submit a successful entry. Rules and details are provided below and are subject to change. The purpose of the program is to reward significant hog control efforts and arm individuals with better tools to trap hogs.

Feral hogs spread disease and cause extensive damage to wildlife habitat and agricultural crops. 

“If you talk to almost any landowner, regardless of acreage size, I bet they can tell you a story about the destructive nature of feral hogs on their property and how they regret not taking action sooner and more often against them,” said DNR Wildlife Resources Division Director Ted Will. “And, while hunting is an effective way to remove small numbers of hogs, whole sounder trapping is your best bet to make a dent in the actual population on your property. You can remove much greater numbers of animals at a time, and at less effort.”

While whole sounder trapping, the removal of an entire group, is the most efficient technique to remove hogs, traps designed for this purpose require a significant upfront investment (up to $3,500 per trap or more) and so are cost prohibitive for many. 

Some Basic Program Details:

• Participants must lawfully kill a minimum of 10 feral hogs during the quarter;

• Photos of hogs required for submission (photos must be taken with a smart phone or camera capable of including location and with time/date enabled);

• Random drawings for five traps will be held at the end of each quarter (July-September, October-December, January-March, April-June);

Only Georgia residents may enter.

Feral hogs are a non-native invasive species that can multiply faster than any other similarly sized mammal and cause an estimated $150M in damage to Georgia’s agriculture, forestry, and wildlife habitat annually. They can destroy a field overnight. They carry a number of diseases, which can spread to livestock, pets, wildlife, and humans. In addition to issues affecting personal property, feral hogs can devastate natural resources that are critical for native wildlife.

For full program rules and details and entry link, visit www.GeorgiaWildlife.com/HogDownAwardsProgram.

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