A. Species
Scientific name: Sus scrofa
Common name(s): Wild boar, Wild pig
Global IUCN Red List Threat Status: Least Concern
B. Location of use
Geographic location(s):
- Texas
Country/Region: Texas
C. Scale of assessment
Scale of assessment: Sub-national / Sub-region / Sub-State
Name/Details of location: Texas
D. Timescale of use
Start Year: 2018
End Year: 2019
E. Information about the use
How is the wild species sourced?: Wild species sourced from its natural habitat and Wild species sourced from significantly modified habitat
Type of use: Extractive
Practice of use: Hunting and/or Trapping of live terrestrial and aerial animals
Lethal or non-lethal: Lethal
Does this use involve take/extraction of: The whole entire organism
Purpose(s) of end use: Food and feed, Collection/display, Recreation and Conservation Management
Motivation of use: Basic subsistence, Recreational and Population/Area Management
Is this use legal or illegal?: Legal under national law
F. Information about the Users
Which stakeholder(s) does the record primarily focus on?: Local people and National external
G. Information about the sustainability of use
Is there evidence that the use is having an impact on the target species?: Wild species sourced from its natural habitat and Wild species sourced from significantly modified habitat
Has an assessment (or judgement) of sustainability of the use of the target species from an ecological perspective been recorded?: Yes, considered sustainable
Details of assessment carried out: This study refers to wild pig population status data available from the U.S. Department of Agriculture [USDA] 2018), and used hunting/harvesting data collected by the Texas Parks and Wildlife Department (TPWD).
Brief summary on why the use has been assessed/judged to be sustainable or unsustainable: Wild pig invasive range is expanding (the species was found in all but 1 county in Texas). Interestingly, hunters selectively harvesting large mature males (trophies) failed to reduce recruitment rates, whereas young female wild pigs were often desirable quarry for hunters highly motivated by the ability to use the meat of wild pigs. The study concludes that the wild pig population in Texas continues to grow in abundance and range, despite widespread hunting of the species over the last several decades, thus hunting alone is not effective in wild pig population management efforts.
Has an assessment (or judgement) of sustainability of the use of the target species from an economic perspective been recorded?: Yes, considered sustainable
Details of assessment carried out: this study
Brief summary on why the use has been assessed/judged to be sustainable or unsustainable: The study explains that wild pigs cause an estimated $25 million in losses and medical expenses each year to Texas livestock production. Therefore, landowners and managers often employ management-focused hunting in an attempt to reduce wild pig abundance and mitigate damage. In this sense the social activity of recreational hunting is economically welcome.
Has an assessment (or judgement) of sustainability of the use of the target species from a social perspective been recorded?: Yes, considered sustainable
Details of assessment carried out: this study
Brief summary on why the use has been assessed/judged to be sustainable or unsustainable: The study explains that wild pigs cause an estimated $25 million in losses and medical expenses each year to Texas livestock production. Therefore, landowners and managers often employ management-focused hunting in an attempt to reduce wild pig abundance and mitigate damage. In this sense the social activity of recreational hunting is economically welcome.
Has an assessment (or judgement) of sustainability of the use of the target species from a human health perspective been recorded?: No, sustainability not determined
Details of assessment carried out: wild boar eaten world-wide
Brief summary on why the use has been assessed/judged to be sustainable or unsustainable: wild boar eaten world-wide
Has an assessment (or judgement) of sustainability of the use of the target species from an animal health/welfare perspective been recorded?: not recorded
Details of assessment carried out: study does not consider animal welfare
Brief summary on why the use has been assessed/judged to be sustainable or unsustainable: study does not consider animal welfare
Recommendations provided in the record to maintain or enhance the sustainability of the use of the target species
The study recommends that the use hunter harvest to manage wild pigs, especially on private lands, must further examine the forces that drive hunters to remove wild pigs, and more importantly, those that limit their take or give incentive to maintain wild pig populations. Rather than reliance on hunter harvest alone, those concerned with the effects of wild pigs on natural resources, agriculture, and human health and safety, should work to both increase the adoption of diverse management methods to remove more wild pigs while fostering a hunter culture that supports the conservation goal of widespread removal of wild pigs. More detailed information on hunter wild pig harvest, including age and sex ratios, is necessary to better understand the current population-level impact of recreational, meat, and trophy hunters on wild pig populations in their invaded range.
Record source
Information about the record source: scientific_pub
Date of publication/issue/production: 2021-01-01T00:00:00+0000
Source Reference(s):
Date of record entry: 2022-11-25