Pick up know-how for tackling diseases, pests and weeds.
Farm bill, farm marketing, agribusiness webinars, & farm policy.
Find tactics for healthy livestock and sound forages.
Scheduling and methods of irrigation.
Explore our Extension locations around the state.
Commercial row crop production in Arkansas.
Agriculture weed management resources.
Use virtual and real tools to improve critical calculations for farms and ranches.
Learn to ID forages and more.
Explore our research locations around the state.
Get the latest research results from our county agents.
Our programs include aquaculture, diagnostics, and energy conservation.
Keep our food, fiber and fuel supplies safe from disaster.
Private, Commercial & Non-commercial training and education.
Specialty crops including turfgrass, vegetables, fruits, and ornamentals.
Find educational resources and get youth engaged in agriculture.
Gaining garden smarts and sharing skills.
Timely tips for the Arkansas home gardener.
Creating beauty in and around the home.
Maintenance calendar, and best practices.
Coaxing the best produce from asparagus to zucchini.
What’s wrong with my plants? The clinic can help.
Featured trees, vines, shrubs and flowers.
Ask our experts plant, animal, or insect questions.
Enjoying the sweet fruits of your labor.
Herbs, native plants, & reference desk QA.
Growing together from youth to maturity.
Crapemyrtles, hydrangeas, hort glossary, and weed ID databases.
Get beekeeping, honey production, and class information.
Grow a pollinator-friendly garden.
Schedule these timely events on your gardening calendar.
Equipping individuals to lead organizations, communities, and regions.
Guiding communities and regions toward vibrant and sustainable futures.
Guiding entrepreneurs from concept to profit.
Position your business to compete for government contracts.
Find trends, opportunities and impacts.
Providing unbiased information to enable educated votes on critical issues.
Increase your knowledge of public issues & get involved.
Research-based connection to government and policy issues.
Support Arkansas local food initiatives.
Read about our efforts.
Preparing for and recovering from disasters.
Licensing for forestry and wildlife professionals.
Preserving water quality and quantity.
Cleaner air for healthier living.
Firewood & bioenergy resources.
Managing a complex forest ecosystem.
Read about nature across Arkansas and the U.S.
Learn to manage wildlife on your land.
Soil quality and its use here in Arkansas.
Learn to ID unwanted plant and animal visitors.
Timely updates from our specialists.
Eating right and staying healthy.
Ensuring safe meals.
Take charge of your well-being.
Cooking with Arkansas foods.
Making the most of your money.
Making sound choices for families and ourselves.
Nurturing our future.
Get tips for food, fitness, finance, and more!
Understanding aging and its effects.
Giving back to the community.
Managing safely when disaster strikes.
Listen to our latest episode!
By Mary HightowerU of A System Division of Agriculture
Fast Facts:
(419 words)
(Newsrooms with art at www.flickr.com/photos/uacescomm/16762731639/ and www.flickr.com/photos/uacescomm/16947636912 )
LITTLE ROCK – Feral hogs are smart, omnivorous and highly adaptable, three characteristics that underlie their successful expansion into northern Arkansas, said Becky McPeake, professor and extension wildlife specialist for the University of Arkansas System Division of Agriculture.
Feral hogs have been part of Arkansas’ landscape for more than a century, she said, and while they were generally apt to stick around in the bottomlands of south Arkansas, they’re expanding.
“Their expansion faster than what we would expect normally from a naturally dispersing population,” she said. “Many experts guess that sports hunters have released domestic hogs in other areas of the state to expand their hunting opportunities, which is an illegal practice today.”
While some may enjoy hunting these hogs, farmers and homeowners whose land has been overrun are less than thrilled.
A 2013 study done by Texas A&M estimated the cost of feral-hog damage to Texas agriculture alone to be $52 million plus another $7 million for repairs and control methods. (http://overton.tamu.edu/files/2013/06/Wild-Pig-Damage-Abatement-Education-Applied-Research-Activites.pdf )
Arkansas provides an ideal place for the highly adaptable hog to thrive, with plenty of water, food and shelter. McPeake said a pregnant feral sow can produce an average litter of six, and with rapid maturity rates, “you could potentially have 31 pigs on your property from just one sow in a little over a year.”
A survey conducted a year ago found that most agents were receiving reports of feral hog damage to livestock pastures.
Nov. 6 hog workshop
Because of growing interest in controlling feral hogs, the University of Arkansas System Division of Agriculture Cooperative Extension Service and the Arkansas Forest Resources Center have teamed up with the USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service to provide materials and workshops for landowners interested in alleviating damage to their property.
The next workshop is set for Nov. 6 from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. at the Livestock and Forestry Research Station just outside Batesville.
"Removing feral hogs isn't easy,” McPeake said. “It takes planning and developing a strategy; in other words, preparing a course of action based on what we've learned from science and research, adapting it to your circumstance, and sticking to it."
Although shooting and hunting can remove a few hogs, the primary strategy discussed at the conference is corral trapping. Representatives from the Division of Agriculture and Arkansas Game and Fish Commission will give presentations and set up trapping demonstrations.
Registration is $5 to cover lunch. Seating is limited, so attendees are encouraged to register early. Contact your local county Extension office or the state office at 501-671-2329 to register, or register online at www.uaex.uada.edu/feralhogs.
A miscellaneous publication titled "Feral Hog Control in Arkansas" can be found on our website by searching for "feral hogs” or by downloading from: www.uaex.uada.edu/publications/pdf/MP534.pdf. Other publications about feral swine brucellosis, and feral hog laws and regulations, are also available.
Arkansas Cooperative Extension Service is an equal opportunity/equal access/affirmative action institution. If you require a reasonable accommodation to participate or need materials in another format, please contact your County Extension office (or other appropriate office) as soon as possible. Dial 711 for Arkansas Relay.
The Arkansas Cooperative Extension Service offers its programs to all eligible persons regardless of race, color, sex, gender identity, sexual orientation, national origin, religion, age, disability, marital or veteran status, genetic information, or any other legally protected status, and is an Affirmative Action/Equal Opportunity Employer.
# # #
Media Contact: Mary HightowerDir. of Communication ServicesU of A Division of AgricultureCooperative Extension Service(501) 671-2126mhightower@uada.edu
Related Links