CHATTANOOGA, Tenn. — For many farmers, damage to their crops caused by wildlife is an ever-present concern, and much of the blame is aimed at the whitetail deer population. But producers in Tennessee have faced a similar concern with wild pigs. In fact, the situation has become so problematic, it is estimated that damage caused to agriculture from these animals is in the $1.5 billion range.

While damage can’t be completely quantified, a new survey is being sent to some state farmers to help gather more information about these wild pests. The University of Tennessee (UT) is conducting the survey, which is sponsored by the Tennessee Wild Hog Eradication Action Team (WHEAT), to estimate statewide economic damage from wild hogs.

Neelam Poudyal, a UT assistant professor, is helping coordinate the survey. He said populations of these wild hogs, which are not native to the state or the Southeast, have grown rapidly.

"This has been a headache to wildlife agencies not only in Tennessee but other areas, so they are trying to come up with some eradication programs to get rid of them," he said. "Land owners, particularly farmers, are having to pay a lot of money to use different types of control techniques because wild hogs damage crops, gardens and landscapes."

Poudyal added that, on a nationwide basis, the feral hogs are causing damages in the "multiple" billions of dollars.

He said the WHEAT coalition, which is comprised of multiple partner agencies, is trying to understand the statewide economic damage that is being caused by wild hogs, but they are also looking at ways to control the animals. "This information will help the WHEAT partners come up with programs and policies, and perhaps convince state legislators, to some extent, to come up with programs to eradicate wild hogs," Poudyal said.

WHEAT Coordinator Chuck Yoest said the wild hog problem is a huge problem for landowners in Tennessee, and there are a couple of main reasons the populations have grown so large.

"A lot of it relates to the biology of these hogs and how hard it is to control them once they are established in an area," he said. "The second reason is they’ve been placed in different areas of the state illegally, and as a result, they’re established in new areas."

It is estimated that as many as 80 of the 95 counties in Tennessee have established wild hog populations.

There are many ways available to landowners looking to eradicate wild hogs, but there is no normal hunting season set aside to take these animals. Yoest said a regular hunting season proved to be futile in keeping populations under control. "They are considered a nuisance animal in our state and are marked for eradication. Unfortunately, hunting is counter-productive for that," he said. "You can’t kill enough of them through traditional hunting methods to make any kind of difference. In fact, it just complicates true control."

While damage to crops is great, livestock owners have their own concerns as these wild hogs have been known to be disease carriers, including brucellosis and pseudorabies, two ailments that can affect both animals and humans. Yoest said the biggest concern with livestock is disease transfer.

In finding out just how much money is being lost from destruction caused by these animals, Yoest said it can help evaluate the current wild hog program in deciding if something needs to change or if more funds should be allocated to make this a higher priority. Poudyal said he hopes to have surveys back in during the next two months. For more information, visit www.tn.gov/twra/article/wild-hog-regulations