Files
Abstract
Wild pigs (Sus scrofa) are a nuisance species for private landowners and to native wildlife and natural resources. In accordance with the National Feral Swine Damage Management Program, USDA APHIS Wildlife Services implemented pig reduction methods across the region. We assessed responses of natural resources to pig removal using a trail camera and line transect survey. Responses of white-tailed deer (Odocoileus virginianus) and eastern wild turkey (Meleagris gallopavo) were analyzed using linear regression and activity analyses. We quantified wild pig presence and damage with linear regression and chi-squared tests. During pig removal we saw a reduction in wild pig observations and damage on our study sites. Wild pigs influenced deer and turkey activities in areas where pigs were not managed for. We did not observe a positive or negative impact on deer and turkey while wild pigs were being removed. Our results suggest that wild pigs caused temporal displacement of turkeys and increased competition between deer and turkeys.