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Missouri Lakes Feral Swine Eradication and Control Pilot Program Project

The Feral Swine Eradication and Control Pilot Program responds to the threat feral swine pose to American agriculture, landscapes and human and livestock health.

Project Area

The project area includes the counties of Bates, Barton, Benton, Camden, Cedar, Dade, Dallas, Henry, Hickory, Jasper, Phelps, Pulaski, Laclede, Lawrence, Polk, Greene, St. Clair, Texas, Vernon, Webster, and Wright covering 9,059,568 acres. The project area will encompass the areas currently occupied by feral swine and the areas where ongoing monitoring will continue. The project includes the Missouri Feral Hog Elimination Partnership (MFHEP) Elimination Areas 1 (EA1) and 2 (EA2) which encompass 3,730,378 acres (2,413,670 acres in 96 subwatersheds [HUC-12] in EA1) (1,316,708 acres in 50 subwatersheds in EA2).

This project crosses from the Central Plains to the Ozark Plateau geomorphic provinces, includes the Osage Plains and the Springfield and Salem Plateau sections, and is also situated in the Central Irregular Plains and the Ozark Highlands Level 3 Ecoregion. Agricultural uses are predominately row crop and livestock production in EA1 and livestock production and forestry in EA2. Private ownership accounts for roughly 86% of the project area counties and comprising 75% of EA1 and 65% of EA2. Three large lakes and one reservoir are included in the project area and are important for flood control, energy production and recreation. Stockton Lake, Pomme De Terre Lake, and Truman Reservoir are all owned and managed by the United States Army Corps of Engineers. Lake of the Ozarks is owned and managed by Ameren Missouri. The Paddy Creek Wilderness Area (7,019 acres) is located in the project area and is an important National Forest resource, known for its beauty and isolation.

Map(s)

The project area includes the counties of Bates, Barton, Benton, Camden, Cedar, Dade, Dallas, Henry, Hickory, Jasper, Phelps, Pulaski, Laclede, Lawrence, Polk, Greene, St. Clair, Texas, Vernon, Webster, and Wright covering 9,059,568 acres.
The project area includes the counties of Bates, Barton, Benton, Camden, Cedar, Dade, Dallas, Henry, Hickory, Jasper, Phelps, Pulaski, Laclede, Lawrence, Polk, Greene, St. Clair, Texas, Vernon, Webster, and Wright covering 9,059,568 acres. 


 

Anticipated Partner Activities

All partner activities will be guided by the goals/objectives/strategies of the “Statewide Strategic Plan for Feral Hog Elimination in Missouri” (updated June 2025) as adopted by the MFHEP. Activities would include, but aren’t limited to:

  • Purchase of equipment and supplies (e.g., traps, cellular trail cameras, cellular service, bait, etc.) to support the ongoing feral swine elimination program in the delineated project area. Equipment will remain property of the partner when the pilot project concludes.
  • Providing direct assistance to private landowners to protect their property from feral swine damage.
  • Use of existing partner staff to assist Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) with scouting private and adjacent public lands for feral swine.
  • Assisting in obtaining permission on private lands where feral swine elimination efforts can take place.
  • To the extent possible, using existing partner staff to trap and eliminate feral swine, further augmenting the elimination efforts currently underway.
  • Informing and assisting landowners with opportunities for restoration activities, such as Farm Bill funding, following successful elimination of feral swine from private properties.
  • Developing media such as articles, newsletters, and other educational materials.
  • Organizing landowner workshops and activities to facilitate transfer of information concerning feral swine elimination efforts in MO.
  • Maintaining and advertising availability of equipment (total of 7 pieces of equipment in EAs 1 and 2) that can be loaned to landowners for restoration activities following elimination of feral swine on their properties, further incentivizing landowners to cooperate with elimination efforts.
  • Working with adjoining states, particularly Arkansas and Oklahoma, using collaborative elimination efforts along the state borders when they do not have enough staff to address ongoing feral swine issues.

APHIS will be considered the subject matter experts for implementing feral swine removal and damage reduction activities. Partners will need to collaborate with APHIS personnel when removal activities are requested by participating landowners. All projects will be a collaborative and coordinated effort between the selected partner, NRCS, and APHIS. It is required that APHIS maintains operational control of feral swine management activities.

Monitoring/Evaluation Requirements of Partner

Spatial data for measuring and monitoring the pilot project effect on the feral swine distribution and occupancy of watersheds will be collected from public reports of feral swine activity and from each trapping/removal event location within the pilot project area. Evidence of project effects will be determined by analyzing differences in the total number of quartered watersheds (i.e., subwatersheds or HUC-12) occupied by feral swine after the initiation of direct control operations within the project area. Feral swine watershed occupancy will be monitored and evaluated every 6 months. New technologies and methodologies will be explored to measure success as they become available.

Partners are required to collect standardized information for trapping operations in accordance with APHIS procedures. Examples of data collected include trap location, number of pigs trapped, location of nearby resources, etc.

Training Expectations

Education will be essential aspects of the project to ensure landowners are educated on the need for removing feral swine, approved techniques, and methods for controlling feral swine populations. Partners are expected to assist with training and educational activities.

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