In late 2021, the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC) published proposed changes to their trapping regulations. Many of the changes would have proven detrimental to farmers’ and ranchers’ ability to control feral hogs and other nuisance wildlife. After extensive public comment received from Florida Farm Bureau Federation (FFBF) and others, the FWC postponed its planned trapping regulations update.
In January of 2024, the FWC established a Trapping Rules Technical Assistance Group (TAG) to act as a sounding board and provide feedback on proposed trapping rule changes. Since then, FFBF has been representing agriculture as a member of the group.
Over the course of several lengthy meetings, the FWC has proposed suggested changes and solicited input from the TAG. Recently, potentially detrimental changes were proposed regarding closed-top hog traps. Initially, FWC proposed specific size requirements and an opening at the top of all closed-top hog traps. However, after discussion and input from FFBF and other agricultural interests, the proposal has been changed to allow for any size completely closed-top hog traps with specific door/opening size requirements.
FWC is planning one or two more meetings of the TAG with the earliest draft proposals of rule updates to be brought to the commission in August 2025.
FFBF staff will continue to provide input to FWC on how best to protect agriculture from the extensive physical and financial damage done by feral hogs and other nuisance wildlife.
According to the University of Florida Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences (UF/IFAS), “In citrus groves, wild pigs use their snouts to root up the ground in search of food, including plant roots, fungus and other items. They are also known to eat fruit of the lower branch scaffolds. Their rooting behavior overturns and tills the soil, uprooting plants, exposing bare soil and creating opportunities for weeds to invade.”
Sources: FFBF and UF/IFAS
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