Managing Wild Pigs: A Technical Guide by B.C. West, A. L. Cooper, and J. B. Armstrong

Feral pigs have become a significant threat to environmental and agricultural interests with combined losses being valued at 1.5 billion dollars annually. The diseases commonly associated with feral pigs (such as swine brucellosis, pseudorabies, classical swine fever, and trichinosis, constitute a continued  risk to ranchers and livestock producers through substantial portions of America's agricultural base.

Time is precious and with the volume of research that has been published in recent years, it is getting harder and harder to read fast enough to keep abreast of the literature. Fortunately, Ben C. West, Andrea L. Cooper, and James B. Armstrong have come to the rescue at least in regards to feral pigs (Sus scrofa).

The authors have put together a thoroughly researched document that helps managers and wildlife damage management specialists obtain the information they need to make informed decisions about managing feral pigs.The document is beautifully laide out in 8.5x11" saddle stitched booklet form. It is accompanied with superb full color photos and an appendex containing schematics for building your own feral pig trap. Not a wildlife damage manager or biologist? Don't worry. The authors have limited the technical jargon and redacted the information so that readers are not encumbered with distracting details and academic controversies. At only 54 pages long (11 of which consist of the bibliography and appendix), the booklet is a quick and enjoyable read.

If you are looking for a no-nonsense, research-informed document to help guide you in the right way to control feral hogs, then this document is for you. Given what the authors state about the need for feral pig control, I hope many people not only read this document but also get on board with assisting in the control of this environmental menace.

To obtain your copy visit The Berryman Institute and download the PDF at no cost.

Stephen M. Vantassel is project coordinator for the Internet Center for Wildlife Damage Management and is an expert in wildlife damage management education.