Scrub Hub: Do we have wild pigs in Indiana? Are they wreaking havoc like everywhere else?

Sarah Bowman, Indianapolis Star
·4 min read

The have many names: feral swine, wild boar, even razorbacks. Different states refer to them by their different labels. In Indiana, it's wild pigs.

Regardless where they are and what they're called, these invasive animals cause many different problems. According to the U.S. Department of Agriculture, these are one of the most destructive and formidable invasive species in the country.

These creatures can adapt to just about any habitat, reproduce at high rates and have few natural predators. The federal agency has previously estimated that their numbers were as high as 6 million across the country. Even more, it's estimated they cause as much as $2.5 billion in damage each year to crops, livestock and forestry.

While we know what they are called in Indiana, some readers want to know if they are a problem in the state. That's exactly what this week's edition of the Scrub Hub is looking at: Do we have wild pigs in Indiana? And how are their numbers changing?

To find answers to these questions, we spoke with an expert and looked at the data.

Short answer: Wild pigs are no more in Indiana

There currently are no known wild pig populations in Indiana. That's a pretty straight forward answer. There has not been a confirmed sighting of a wild pig in the state for more than two years, according to Lee Humberg, the Indiana state director for Wildlife Services at USDA.

His agency still gets calls were someone will report that they believe they've seen a wild pig. In most cases, however, it's a domestic pig that has escaped or one that someone has dumped, he said.

Scrub Hub: How do invasive species invade? Humans usually have something to do with it.

According to EDDMaps, an online mapping tool launched more than 15 years ago by the Center for Invasive Species and Ecosystem Health, there are several reports of wild hog sightings across roughly a dozen counties in the southern part of the state. Most of the documented sightings, however, are from 2019 and 2020.

Long answer: Wild pigs once were a problem

Although Indiana does not have any known populations of wild hogs, that was not always the case. Indiana did have some wild hogs up until just a few years ago.

As with most invasive species, they were introduced into the U.S. by humans, Humberg said. They grew at an "alarming rate" in the 1980s and 1990s, as many people wanted to establish populations of wild pigs for hunting.

But very quickly it became apparent that was a bad idea, according to Humberg. The populations were growing uncontrollably and causing tremendous amounts of damage. Scientists decided it would be better to work on the wild pig problem as a national effort rather than piecemeal state-by-state.

In 2014, a new program was created to help manage and remove wild pigs and funding was doled out based on the estimated population numbers in each state. Additional funding was provided in 2018. Indiana was initially estimated to have around 1,000 wild pigs, according to Humberg.

They were mostly concentrated in three counties in south central Indiana. Through working with the state and local landowners, the USDA Wildlife Services team managed to remove all the wild pigs in the state.

This map from EDDMaps through the University of Georgia shows reported sightings of wild pigs across the country. A population of wild pigs used to exist in Indiana, concentrated in a few south central counties, but efforts in recent years have worked to remove them.
This map from EDDMaps through the University of Georgia shows reported sightings of wild pigs across the country. A population of wild pigs used to exist in Indiana, concentrated in a few south central counties, but efforts in recent years have worked to remove them.

The state is now in what is called the "detection phase." While there have been no confirmed sightings, the agency is still monitoring and investigates whenever a report is made.

Indiana, compared to many states in the south, had relatively few wild pigs. Some states, such as Texas, Georgia and Florida have hundreds of thousands — if not millions — of the feral swine. In those states, removing all the animals is going to take much longer, Humberg said.

His office also fields many calls from Hoosiers asking where they can hunt wild pigs. Humberg suggests checking out some of those southeastern states, as many welcome hunting as an additional means of removal.

Some neighboring states to Indiana, including Kentucky and Ohio, also have had issues with wild pigs and they have not been fully removed yet in those states. Still, Humberg said he's not too concerned they will travel back into Indiana. Wild pigs may cross an occasional road, he said, but they wouldn't travel that far on their own.

The most likely way they would be reintroduced in the state is if someone tried to reestablish a population for hunting, for example. But Humberg wants to stress that would be a bad idea.

That said, anyone who believes they have observed a wild pig are asked to contact Indiana USDA Wildlife Services at 855-386-0370 or Indiana Division of Fish & Wildlife at dfw@dnr.IN.gov. They will ask for the approximate location and number of hogs observed.

If you have more questions about wild hogs, invasive pests or any other topics, let us know! You can submit questions through our Google form below. Can’t see the form? Click here.

Call IndyStar reporter Sarah Bowman at 317-444-6129 or email at sarah.bowman@indystar.com. Follow her on Twitter and Facebook: @IndyStarSarah. Connect with IndyStar’s environmental reporters: Join The Scrub on Facebook.

IndyStar's environmental reporting project is made possible through the generous support of the nonprofit Nina Mason Pulliam Charitable Trust.

This article originally appeared on Indianapolis Star: Indiana used to have a wild pig problem, but now they're all gone