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Effects of simulated removal activities on movements and space use of feral swine

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Abstract

Abundance and distribution of feral swine (Sus scrofa) in the USA have increased dramatically during the last 30 years. Effective measures are needed to control and eradicate feral swine populations without displacing animals over wider areas. Our objective was to investigate effects of repeated simulated removal activities on feral swine movements and space use. We analyzed location data from 21 feral swine that we fitted with Global Positioning System harnesses in southern MO, USA. Various removal activities were applied over time to eight feral swine before lethal removal, including trapped-and-released, chased with dogs, chased with hunter, and chased with helicopter. We found that core space-use areas were reduced following the first removal activity, whereas overall space-use areas and diurnal movement distances increased following the second removal activity. Mean geographic centroid shifts did not differ between pre- and post-periods for either the first or second removal activities. Our information on feral swine movements and space use precipitated by human removal activities, such as hunting, trapping, and chasing with dogs, helps fill a knowledge void and will aid wildlife managers. Strategies to optimize management are needed to reduce feral swine populations while preventing enlarged home ranges and displacing individuals, which could lead to increased disease transmission risk and human-feral swine conflict in adjacent areas.

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Acknowledgments

We thank the many coworkers and volunteers who assisted with the project design and data collection, especially C. Arias, J. Blair, and other staff from the Missouri Department of Conservation. Research was funded in part by the Missouri Department of Conservation, USDA/APHIS/Wildlife Services (MO), and the National Wildlife Research Center.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. United States Department of Agriculture, Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service, Wildlife Services, National Wildlife Research Center, 4101 LaPorte Avenue, Fort Collins, CO, 80521-2154, USA

    Justin W. Fischer, Chad R. Blass & Kurt C. VerCauteren

  2. United States Department of Agriculture, Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service, Wildlife Services, 1714 Commerce Ct Suite C., Columbia, MO, 65202, USA

    Dan McMurtry

  3. US Geological Survey, Pennsylvania Cooperative Fish and Wildlife Research Unit, The Pennsylvania State University, 403 Forest Resources Building, University Park, PA, 16802, USA

    W. David Walter

  4. Missouri Department of Conservation, 1110 S. College Ave, Columbia, MO, 65201, USA

    Jeff Beringer

Authors
  1. Justin W. Fischer
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  2. Dan McMurtry
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  3. Chad R. Blass
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  6. Kurt C. VerCauteren
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Corresponding author

Correspondence to Kurt C. VerCauteren.

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Study procedures were approved by a review board of Missouri Department of Conservation staff.

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The authors declare that they have no competing interests.

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Fischer, J.W., McMurtry, D., Blass, C.R. et al. Effects of simulated removal activities on movements and space use of feral swine. Eur J Wildl Res 62, 285–292 (2016). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10344-016-1000-6

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10344-016-1000-6

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