Wild hogs are present in Tennessee, representing a major conservation and agricultural challenge. Feral swine, also called wild hogs, razorbacks, or wild boars, are an invasive species not native to the Tennessee ecosystem. The state officially classifies them as a destructive, non-protected nuisance animal due to the extensive damage they inflict on property, agriculture, and natural habitats. The Tennessee Wildlife Resources Agency (TWRA) views their presence as an epidemic requiring aggressive management focused on eradication rather than sustainable hunting.
Defining the Feral Hog and Its History in Tennessee
The feral hog population in Tennessee belongs to the species Sus scrofa, composed of free-ranging domestic swine, Eurasian wild boar, and hybrids of the two. Feral hogs possess characteristics that allow them to thrive in the wild, including a leaner body, a coarse, thick coat of hair, and a straight tail, contrasting with their domestic counterparts. They are intelligent, adaptable, and lack the natural predators needed to control their numbers effectively.
The establishment of these populations occurred through two distinct routes. The earliest introductions trace back to the early 20th century, involving the intentional stocking of Eurasian wild boar for hunting in the mountainous regions of East Tennessee. The primary driver of the current widespread expansion was the illegal practice of “trap-and-transfer,” where individuals captured and intentionally released swine into new areas to establish local hunting opportunities. This illegal translocation accelerated the spread in the late 20th and early 21st centuries.
Geographic Distribution and Population Trends
Feral swine have expanded across the state, spreading from isolated populations in approximately 15 counties to being documented in over 80 of Tennessee’s 95 counties. While no exact population count exists due to their elusive nature, their distribution is considered virtually statewide. Higher concentrations of activity and damage are found in regions with dense cover and suitable habitat, such as the river bottoms of West Tennessee and the rugged terrain of the Cumberland Plateau and eastern mountains.
The high reproductive capacity of these populations makes eradication difficult. Sows can become sexually mature as early as six months old and produce multiple litters per year, with a gestation period of about 115 days. A single sow gives birth to an average of four to eight piglets per litter, and populations can effectively double within a single year. This reproductive rate means removal efforts must consistently eliminate more than 70% of the population annually just to prevent the numbers from increasing.
Ecological and Agricultural Destruction
The rooting and foraging behaviors of feral hogs inflict destruction on agricultural operations and native ecosystems. Using their snouts, they churn up soil in search of roots, tubers, and invertebrates, causing significant soil erosion and destroying plant communities. This rooting can destroy entire planted crop fields, flatten commercial row crops like corn and soybeans, and turn productive pastures into plowed ground, contributing to millions of dollars in agricultural losses annually.
Their feeding and wallowing near waterways increase the sediment and nutrient load in streams, leading to water quality degradation. Ecologically, feral hogs act as opportunistic predators, consuming the eggs and young of ground-nesting birds, such as wild turkeys and quail. They also prey on vulnerable young mammals, including white-tailed deer fawns, and compete with native species like bears and squirrels for hard mast. Furthermore, feral swine are vectors for numerous diseases and parasites, including pseudorabies and brucellosis, which pose a transmission risk to domestic livestock, pets, and humans.
Control Measures and Legal Regulations
Tennessee’s official strategy focuses on the eradication of feral swine, reflected in the state’s classification of the animals as a destructive nuisance species, not a game animal. This classification means landowners face no closed season, no bag limit, and no license requirement to remove hogs on their own property. Landowners are permitted to shoot hogs year-round during daylight hours and use live traps, provided the animals are humanely dispatched before being removed.
The most effective control method is systematic trapping, particularly using large, remotely monitored corral traps designed to capture entire family groups, or “sounders,” at once. Recreational hunting is generally ineffective for population control because it often scatters the sounder, making remaining hogs trap-shy and more difficult to capture. To combat illegal translocation, Tennessee law treats the transportation or release of feral swine as a Class A misdemeanor, carrying significant fines and potential jail time for each animal moved. The TWRA works closely with the USDA Wildlife Services to coordinate large-scale removal efforts and provide technical assistance to landowners.