Ohio House declares an open season on feral pigs
Ohio lawmakers are worried about feral pigs becoming an even wilder problem and want to nip it in the snout.
The Ohio House passed House Bill 503 in a unanimous 89-0 vote on Wednesday, which would prohibit bringing wild pigs into the state and allow landowners to shoot them without a license and require them to report the harvest to state officials.
Co-sponsors of the bill warn that Texas already spends more than $320 million on its feral hog mitigation program and Ohio does not want to follow suit. Wild pigs’ foraging and wallowing habits cause soil and crop damage.
Feral swine are found in eight of Ohio’s 88 counties, mostly in the southeast part of the state. Rep. Don Jones, R-Freeport, said other states have been overrun by feral swine and Ohio wants to be proactive.
Rep. Bob Peterson, R-Sabina, said these animals aren’t like Porky Pig. “These are mean, wild, destructive animals.”
The bill also would outlaw feeding garbage − treated or untreated − to pigs in Ohio. Garbage feeding swine attracts feral swine. Bringing a wild pig into Ohio, possessing it or releasing it could result in a $500 fine, if the bill becomes law.
The bill would eliminate a current state license that allows for garbage feeding swine − no one holds it anyway.
The bill is backed by Ohio agriculture groups including pork producers, cattlemen, dairy farmers, poultry farmers and soybean, wheat and corn growers.
Reporter Jessie Balmert contributed to this article.
Laura Bischoff is a reporter for the USA TODAY Network Ohio Bureau, which serves the Columbus Dispatch, Cincinnati Enquirer, Akron Beacon Journal and 18 other affiliated news organizations across Ohio.