License to kill: hog-dog hunting registration starts Oct. 3
Hog-hunting enthusiasts will have a chance to remove some of the invasive species during a series of three-day hunts on lands owned by the Southwest Florida Water Management District.
Starting Oct. 3 at 9 a.m., hunters can go online to register for one of the 129 permits available per each month-long, six-hunt phase on district lands from Hillsborough to Marion counties. The first hunt will begin on Nov. 1 on the Alonso Tract at the Upper Hillsborough Preserve.
The closest Swiftmud tract of land to Manatee County is the Nov. 15 hunt in the Lower Hillsborough Wilderness Preserve.
Read More: Ed Chiles Talks Wild Hog Recipes
Permits are transferable, according to the Swiftmud website, and cost $75 each. Registration ends when the last permit is sold, but the second phase of registration begins at 9 a.m. on Dec. 19 for hunts that begin January 2017. A third hunt will be added if more management is needed.
“Permitted hunters may kill as many hogs as they would like,” said Swiftmud public information officer Susanna Martinez Tarokh.
View Phase 1 of Swiftmud Hog Hunt in a full screen map
The phrase “hog-dog” means that hunters can bring dogs. In the case of these hunts, each hunter can bring along two assistants and up to three dogs.
The two hunters that kill the most hogs per hunt will receive a free, non-transferable registration for the next phase of hunts.
Feral hogs, which can grow up to 200 pounds, are considered an invasive exotic species by Swiftmud because they root up the soil, prey on native wildlife, transmit diseases and help spread exotic plant species.
The Centers fpr Disease Control advise hunters to be careful when handling wild hog carcasses, as there is risk of swine brucellosis.
“As long as all permitted hunters abide by the rules, we will continue to have successful hunt programs,” Martinez Tarokh said.
To register, view the rules or to learn more about the hunts, those interested can visit hoghunts.watermatters.org.
This story was originally published September 30, 2016 at 3:02 PM with the headline "License to kill: hog-dog hunting registration starts Oct. 3."