Wild Hog Research

Research is a powerful tool used to understand how animals interact with the world around them. Many aspects of wildlife management are based on sound, scientific research. Clemson University has contributed to the knowledge base about wild hogs.

Undergraduate and graduate research projects have been used to shed light on how these animals use the world around them and what it might mean for the management of the species.

This research will help managers come up with effective strategies to manage hog populations. We still have much to learn about these animals, so continuing research is crucial when it comes to solving the pig problem.

Wild pig with a collar after release. (Photo by Andrew Jamison)

Wild Hogs on Clemson University Forest

Clemson University is surrounded by 19,200 acres of forest known as the Clemson University Forest. The purpose of this forest is to provide education opportunities, allow students to conduct research on throughout it, and provide recreation opportunities for the public.

About 10 years ago, wild hogs were observed in the Experimental Forest. They have since become established throughout the property. The Wild Hog Creative Inquiry consists of several undergraduate students, two faculty advisors, and a graduate student assistant.

These students have trapped hogs, sedated them, and attached tracking collars to them to monitor their movements on the forest. The tracking collars fall into two categories, very high frequency (VHF) collars and GPS collars. The VHF collars send out a signal and the hog's location is observed from tracking it at two separate locations using an antenna. The GPS collars send updated coordinates of the hog's location once every hour.

This data will shed light on how the hogs are using the forest – including preferred habitat, corridors they travel along, what resources they use, and how human activity impacts their movements. This information will help inform those who wish to manage wild hog populations. This study is ongoing, but the results will be available in the future.

Clemson students next to a sedated wild pig with a tracking collar.

Andrew Jamison – M.S. Student, Wildlife and Fisheries Biology, Clemson University (2021-Present)

Goals Of The Project:

Andrew hoped to estimate hog densities in the piedmont region of South Carolina using a baited camera array. The hogs were individually identified based on their coat patterns and other characteristics to get an accurate estimate of the population. The population estimate was then used to investigate what areas had the highest density of hogs and what may have explained that.

What Was Found:

The project is still ongoing and the results will be updated when the project is completed.

Importance:

Understanding hog density variation can help determine what areas are likely going to be impacted by hogs. Using density estimates can determine the effectiveness of trapping and indicate areas that should be targeted for trapping efforts. It will also tell us how hogs react to timber management techniques.

Andrew Jamison on a sedated pig

Elizabeth Saldo – Research Associate II, M.S. Wildlife and Fisheries Biology, at Clemson from August 2019 - May 2022

Goals Of The Project:

Elizabeth wanted to understand how wild hogs interact with other wildlife on private land in the Piedmont region of South Carolina. She wanted to explore how they used the managed landscape and if hogs could change the behavior of other species. She also wanted to determine how the use of a self- dispensing wildlife feeder with corn would change the behavior of hogs, deer, and coyotes.

What Was Found:

Some species were negatively associated with wild hogs and some were positively associated with them, depending on the season. For example, deer spent less time in areas heavily used by hogs in the fall, but deer and hogs used the same areas during the winter, possibly due to a limited amount of food and shelter in winter months. Elizabeth also found that both deer and wild hog activity increased with the addition of a wildlife feeder. Hogs and deer were less active at locations used frequently by the other species. This means feeders that were used heavily by hogs were used less by deer, and feeders used heavily by deer were used less by hogs. Hogs are territorial animals and tend to have a higher body mass than deer, which could make them more dominant at wildlife feeders.

Importance:

Wild hogs could have positive effects on certain species in specific seasons, but there is also the potential for them to negatively impact other wildlife, such as white-tailed deer. Over time, negative impacts to native species like deer could add up to affect their populations, which might change the way humans interact with them. Particular thought should be given to feeding wildlife, such as to attract deer to specific areas for hunting, as this could also attract hogs and increase their local population.

Elizabeth Saldo standing nex to a wildlife feeder. (Photo by Elizabeth Saldo)