Montana Invasive Species Council prepares to keep feral pigs out of state

HELENA, Mont. — Data from the Department of Agriculture shows feral swine have yet to make their way into Montana, but that doesn’t mean the state is letting its guard down.

That’s why the Montana Invasive Species Council spoke with officials from Saskatchewan who have been dealing with the problem for years.

These pigs from Canada, deemed “super pigs” are a crossbreed of domestic and wild swine. The non-native species are prolific breeders, destroy agricultural land and spread diseases – including swine brucellosis and pseudorabies.

“Honestly, if left to its own. It would be a huge issue for us for sure but it’s that we’re almost 10 years into this control program already,” said Darby Warner, the executive director of insurance for Saskatchewan Crop Insurance Corporation.

The feral swine spread throughout the southern United States. According to Texas Parks & Wildlife, they do an estimated $2.1 billion in damages annually.

Wednesday’s meeting wasn’t just about managing the pigs but understanding who to talk to in the worst-case scenario.

“The advantage that we have is going to be rapid response so if we ever get to a position where we have to react, we’re going to know the people to contact and make sure that reaction happens quickly and thoroughly,” Warner said.

He warned that people shouldn’t hunt the pigs instead calling officials is key, so they don’t learn to adapt.

According to The Montana Department of Livestock said all reports of feral swine investigated in Montana have proven to be domestically owned pigs.

According to the state’s Invasive Species Department, there are populations as close as North Dakota.

“If you ever see a pig report it. Domestic pig. Wild pig. Whatever it is,” Warner said. "Make sure the authorities know about it so we can get out and do that investigative work and make sure we deal with those problems. The sooner we get to this problem the better off we are."