Last week, a tip was sent into the Squeal on Pigs Hotline that a wild boar was spotted running loose on the Fort Belknap Indian Reservation near Three Buttes, MT. However, after further investigation, it was determined the hog was a domestic pig which was captured and returned to its owner.
Northern News Network’s Cody Ross spoke with Montana State Veterinarian Tahnee Szymanski, DVM at the Montana Department of Livestock (DOL) who said the investigation was in coordination with USDA Wildlife Services and a local district investigator since the DOL does not have authority on the Fort Belknap Reservation.
“We do not [have wild pigs in Montana], this was just another case of an owned animal that escaped,” said Szymanski. She added, “Some domestic pigs can have similar resemblances to wild hogs, and it may be hard for some to determine domestic from feral.”
Szymanski said DOL is trying to keep Montana free of feral swine and timeliness of reporting any sightings is key to keeping that status.
“We need to get those reports of potential feral swine activity reported to a single location in a timely manner so we have a single phone number folks can call to give those reports,” according to Szymanski. The hotline is staffed 24/7 with a live operator which helps coordinate the investigation efforts rapidly.
In addition, and despite what was published in the original PSA from the Fort Belknap Indian Community, wild pigs should not be shot at if spotted in Montana. Szymanski says that thought might be counterintuitive of keeping feral pigs out of Montana, however, hunting feral swine is illegal for several reasons.
“The key reasons are that hunting tends to pressure animals to become nocturnal, it spreads them around the landscape, and more often than not, it’s not successful in getting them all,” said Szymanski. She added, “Every report of potential feral swine since 2015 has been a domestic pig.”
Everyone is encouraged to call the Squeal on Pigs hotline, 406-444-2976, if they see a pig roaming free in Montana.
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Northern Ag Network – 2024
