An article in the All American Patriots and also on the Missouri Department of Conservation's website describes the growing challenge of Missouri Public Land Managers to control feral hog populations. These wild hogs can carry diseases, destroy crops and devastate ecological areas. Ecological damage includes: native plants and wildlife by rooting up roots and eating anything they can catch, including quail and turkey nests and young mammals, including deer fawns. Indirect damage includes competition for food, such as acorns, and erosion that takes place after hogs root up large tracts of ground. Feral hogs seek out springs, seeps and fens destroying ground cover and contaminating streams with their feces.
Weighing in between 100 and 500 pounds, these piggies are not easily intimidated and the article states that several hunters have been treed by hogs. While I haven't heard of any hikers being chased by wild hogs I have heard hiker reports of individual and groups of feral hogs around Taum Sauk and Johnson's Shut-Ins. The Missouri Conservation Department has seen signs of hogs at popular areas as Lake Wappapello, Pomme De Terre Lake, Fort Leonard Wood, Johnson's Shut-Ins State Park, Table Rock Lake and recently, north of the Missouri River. The Missouri Conservation Department has more information about these hog populations here. If you do see feral hogs or signs of them you are urged to contact wildlife officials at (573) 449-3033 ext. 13.
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