By: Lloyd Sowers, FOX 13 News
Watch the news report
TAMPA (FOX 13) -
They came with Spanish explorers centuries
ago, and now they're one of the most destructive nuisance animals out there:
Wild hogs destroy the land and push out native wildlife.
There are an estimated one million of them
in Florida alone. "They can have three litters in a 14-month period, with six to eight per litter," explained Will Vangelder, land management supervisor for the Southwest Florida Water Management District (SWFWMD). "A wild hog is thinking of two things. One is food and the other is reproduction."
Vangelder says the hogs damage flood control structures and water recharge areas. They also attack lawns and parks in subdivisions near the woods.
SWFWMD is holding a series of hunts this fall on district land to try and reduce the population.
"For the taxpayer dollars that we spend, it is the greatest opportunity to reduce the hog population," said Vangelder.
He expects many hunters to register beginning October 7.
Read more: http://www.myfoxtampabay.com/story/23581406/2013/10/01/state-plans-feral-hog-hunts#ixzz2gbEIPzzS
