Twenty-one people turned out to hear the latest word in feral hog management at the Kerr Center’s August 27 evening workshop.

Kerr Center Vice-President David Redhage opened the event with a welcome and introductions, and briefly outlined the Kerr Center’s experiences with feral hogs on the ranch. Over the past decade, he said, feral hogs have gone from being an occasional nuisance to an ever-present disruption. The animals’ numbers skyrocketed four to five years ago.

Josh Gaskamp, Wildlife & Range Consultant with the Noble Foundation, came on after Redhage. The Kerr Center’s experience with feral hogs mirrors that of many Oklahoma landowners, he said.

“The best time to control feral hogs is when you first see them,” he said, noting that by the time hog sightings become common, their population may well already be too large for easy control.

After a brief indoor session, Gaskamp led the group outside for a demonstration of several common methods of feral hog control and management. As the sun set, the group moved back indoors for a presentation by Strategic Consultation Manager Russell Stevens, also of the Noble Foundation.

Stevens, who literally wrote the book on “The Feral Hog in Oklahoma,” gave a brief overview of the animals’ biology and ecology.

Local game warden James Williams closed out the evening with a review of the regulations relating to feral hog management in Oklahoma, focusing on the options legally available to landowners for dealing with the animals on their property.