Wild hogs remain rampant throughout different portions of Lincoln and Pottawatomie Counties and they are continuing to damage property in various areas.
A better solution needs to be considered than is in place now.
The hog problem isn’t new to either Lincoln or Pottawatomie County. It just continues to escalate.
State Game Wardens Jacob Harriet, assigned to Lincoln County and Mike France, assigned to Pottawatomie County, indicated recently they continue to field plenty of complaints about the property damage and destruction these feral swine are causing.
Neither of the counties is unique. There are many other counties across Oklahoma that are experiencing these types of problems.
Harriet told us he’s getting complaints all around the Deep Fork where the hogs have plenty of places to hide.
Harriet also mentioned some landowners have recently contacted him in the area off of U.S. 177 about 930 Road, two to three miles south of SH 66 and “it’s the first hogs they’ve seen.”
Another area is around 970 Road a few miles south of 930 Road. Apparently there are a lot of pigs there.
As the two game wardens have noted, these wild hogs can be destructive and quickly destroy crops and property.
Harriet has stressed they are along the Quapaw Creek, north and south of it and east and west of SH 18.
We recently drove to north of Meeker and took a look for ourselves to what some of these hogs are doing. We could easily see considerable damage from the roadway to an area not more than 100 yards from a residence just north of town.
France told us they are along the South Canadian River, Salt Creek and Little River and he is getting calls about the hogs on private property and along the North Canadian River in east and west portions of Pottawatomie County.
In looking back at a story we did about five years ago, the Noble Foundation estimated the wild hog population in 10 years will be one million.
To illustrate how quickly and how destructive the wild hogs can be, Harriet said over the last couple of years corn farmers have been calling him regarding the damage they are causing.
He pointed out the hogs move in the night after a corn crop has been planted earlier that day and just walk the rows uprooting the corn. They reportedly go in like a plow, causing the farmers to have to replant.
An idea we’ve suggested as a solution could be opening up wild hog hunting and commercializing it. This would probably attract more hunters who are willing to spend their time and effort in going after these hogs.
There would need to be rules and regulations just like there are with all hunting. There has been some of that put in place, especially regarding night hunting.
To date, the commercialization end hasn’t received much traction. Maybe it should.
We urge this idea be given stronger consideration by those who can make it happen. Something has to be done.