Feral swine have been called the “rototillers” of nature. Their long snouts and tusks allow them to rip and root their way across America in search of food. Unfortunately, the path they leave behind impacts ranchers, farmers, land managers, conservationists and suburbanites.
Photo provided by NASA
CADIZ, Ky. — The U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service eradicated more than 1,800 wild pigs in Land Between the Lakes in 2026. A local official explained the benefits of ridding the area of feral pigs.
Feral swine are a non-native and invasive species found across the country, including in LBL. Scott Raymond, public affairs officer for LBL, said the feral hogs in the region are due to others illegally releasing them from Tennessee. He said hogs have created issues for years.
“They do not serve any benefit for us here… They don’t have any predators, so they have been running rampant for so long, damaging the cultural sites (and) and interrupting recreation. Those are the two biggest things stopping crops from being able to be planted,” Raymond said. “Hogs have created problems for us to be able to continue to have these open lands, these crops and that landscape that we’re used to here.”
He said most of APHIS’ operation was conducted in the southern part of LBL near Tennessee, resulting in a potential 90% reduction to the wild pig population.
“90% estimated reduction means a lot to us because, number one, it’s a safety issue for our visitors. Number two, it’s cultural damage. They are damaging the cemeteries and cultural historical sites,” Raymond said.
Found in at least 35 states with a population of more than 5 million, feral swine cause approximately $1.5 billion in damages and control costs in the U.S. each year, with at least $800 million of this estimate due to direct damage to agriculture.
USDA APHIS photo: Tyler Campbell
Raymond said the wild pigs root in the ground, creating deep holes, which makes it difficult for crops to grow and affects wildlife, such as turkey nests. According to USDA’s APHIS website, the minimum annual cost of feral swine damages in the country is $3.4 billion.
“These are non-native, invasive species that eat everything that you see around me,” Raymond said.
Raymond said each year, APHIS eradicates more pigs. He said they were so successful in 2026 because the agency expanded operations with more helicopters and more time.
“Normally, it’s just in January and February. We were able to expand that a little bit into March this year, and obviously, number one is because of lower visitation. We don’t have as many people out in the woods. It’s a lot easier to see the pigs,” Raymond said. “One of the helicopters had a forward-looking infrared camera. Everybody kind of knows that that kind of (camera) sees the heat on the ground (showing) the different animals.”
After the Kentucky Department of Fish and Wildlife Resources — which provides a support and guidance role in the eradication — made a Facebook post, local hunters commented that they want to participate in the operation as well. However, wild pig hunting was prohibited in Kentucky in 2024 and in Tennessee in 2011.
In just a few nights, feral swine can decimate lawns, native habitats and pasturelands. Common feral swine damage includes rooting, wallowing and trampling of sensitive vegetation.
Raymond said although the hunters could potentially help reduce numbers, there are cons.
“There’s no way that, in our research on it, that they would be able to get the numbers that APHIS is able to do through aerial gunnery and trapping,” Raymond said. “If you start shooting them, they scatter. Sometimes the sounders, a grouping (of pigs), will come back together, but ultimately, if you start shooting them, the sounders break apart, and it’s hard to track them,” Raymond said.
He said the pig carcasses will be left in LBL, letting “nature take its course.”
“They carry diseases — you have no idea what’s in their system,” Raymond said. “Experts have told us — wildlife biologists (and) hunters — you do not want to eat these. That goes from here across the country into Missouri, Arkansas (and) Texas. It’s not something you want to put on your plate.”
He said they continue to see decreases in the population each year, and they’re already seeing positive results.
“We have been wanting to plant fields here in LBL, which has been a tradition for decades, and farmers have not seen signs of any hog damage. As you see behind me here is a crop that’s been planted recently, and it’s successful. That’s a sign right there. It’s proof that the reduction is there,” Raymond said.
Although the population is decreasing, Raymond said he understands if locals might not think so.
USDA APHIS Wildlife Services field specialists help to reduce feral swine damage by trapping, hunting, installing fencing/barriers and modifying habitats.
“We understand that feral hogs on Land Between the Lakes have been a decades-long problem. We understand that it’s a very sensitive issue. We understand the outcry for people that want to hunt them. We are following the advice of the experts, and we are doing the best thing for the land,” Raymond said.
He also said they have received lower-than-average reported sightings and encourages people to report any sightings of wild pigs to help decrease the population.
“Those sightings are extremely important,” Raymond said. “We’re going to let APHIS know, and they’re going to go after it as soon as they possibly can.”
For more information about wild pigs and APHIS’ operations, click here. To report a sighting of a wild pig at LBL, click here.