GOLDEN POND, Ky. (AP) — An increase in the number of wild hogs at Land Between the Lakes National Recreation Area on the Kentucky-Tennessee border has officials considering options to get rid of the animals, including aerial gunning.
Land Between the Lakes spokesman Chris Joyner told The Paducah Sun that the recreation area’s management was advised late last year that it needed a more intensive strategy than trapping the animals. He said crews trapped 70 hogs in 2018 and 26 in one week this year.
The feral swine are destroying crops, displacing native species and damaging cultural sites including graveyards.
Kentucky wildlife biologist Terri Brunjes says trapping and hunting won’t fully eradicate the animals, but aerial gunning has been used successfully in other areas.
Land Between the Lakes is still considering its options. There’s no timeline for a decision.