Wild Hogs a Source of Agriculture Trouble in Tennessee

A rapidly expanding population of wild hogs is causing a massive headache for farmers in Tennessee.

Wild hogs are not native to America, and the land is not fit to sustain the hogs. They have destroyed crops, wildlife habitats and are responsible for water pollution and carrying diseases that are harmful to animals and humans.

In the past 15 years, the population of feral hogs has extended from 15 to 80 of the state’s 95 counties, according to the Tennessee Wildlife Resources Agency.

The agency officially deemed the wild hogs as a destructive species in 2011, which outlawed big-game hunting of the animals, removing a primary motivation for hunters to stock hogs. This also gave specific rights to landowners to eradicate the hogs. — Charlotte Wray