OKLAHOMA CITY – The Oklahoma Conservation Commission will host a seminar about the state’s feral hog problem at 1 p.m. February 24.
The event will be conducted as a virtual webinar, agency officials said. Registration and attendance are fee.
Long a problem in Oklahoma, feral hogs cause about $2 million in damages to land and crops each year, officials report. The Oklahoma Department of Agriculture estimates about 1.6 million feral hogs can be found throughout the state.
Scott Alls, Director of Wildlife Services for the Ag Department, said they have been working for more than a decade to reduce the feral hog population. “The numbers are just exploding because of their reproductive capabilities,” Alls said in an interview with The Oklahoman.
Next week’s program will focus on the Feral Swine Eradication and Control Pilot Program in Cotton County. Trey Lam, the Conservation Commission’s executive director, said reductions in the wild hog population are a local priority for the agency.
“Assessing hog damage and identifying landowners needing feral hog control is a job ideally suited to the locally led conservation districts,” he said. “The OCC looks forward to working closely with districts to deploy many electronic traps for state trappers to use in this battle.”
Commission officials said the webinar will give ag producers and landowners the opportunity to swap and share information.
“These webinars are a way that information can be passed along virtually to farmers and ranchers and serve as a way to address their questions and concerns regarding available assistance and any upcoming new opportunities,” said Jeff Davis, a district conservationist.
The webinar, which is also sponsored by the Natural Resources Conservation Service and the Oklahoma Tribal Conservation Advisory Council, is open to the public. Those wishing to attend should register in advance. A link to the meeting will be emailed following registration.
For more information or to register, visit: https:// us02web.zoom.us/webinar/ register/WN_tB2k315To6P7g6nzfSTjw. Those who need accommodations should contact Dr. Carol Crouch of the NRCS, Carol. Crouch@ok.usda.gov.