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Home » Gov. Newsom Signs Bill Into Law Addressing California’s Wild Pig Problem

Gov. Newsom Signs Bill Into Law Addressing California’s Wild Pig Problem

by CLAYCORD.com
20 comments

A bill addressing how to handle up to 400,000 wild pigs that are roaming across California, including Contra Costa County, has been signed into law by Gov. Gavin Newsom.

Senate Bill 856, authored by state Sen. Bill Dodd, D-Napa, will loosen regulations and lower hunting fees for killing the wild pigs, which have been found in 56 of the state’s 58 counties, excepting only San Francisco and Alpine counties.

The bill passed without any votes in opposition in both the state Senate and Assembly and was sent in late August to the governor. SB 856 allows someone to kill an unlimited number of wild pigs as well as prohibiting someone from intentionally releasing a pig to live in the wild, among other changes in state law.

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Newsom approved the bill Thursday, the same day that the California Department of Fish and Wildlife and the state’s Fish and Game Commission held an online forum on the issue of wild pigs and possible solutions to mitigate the damage and danger they pose around the state.

The growing number of the pigs isn’t just a California problem — they were found in 544 counties nationwide 40 years ago, but are in 1,915 counties as of 2020, said Ari Cornman, wildlife advisor for the Fish and Game Commission.

Their numbers have grown quickly because the pigs reproduce quickly and are “incredibly intelligent,” Cornman said. The animals are nocturnal, can find ways to elude control methods, and they also “eat just about anything and live in just about any habitat,” he said.

Eric Sklar, a member of the state’s Fish and Game Commission, described the wild pigs as “a complicated problem and the solutions are complicated.”

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Despite provisions of SB 856 that will make it easier to hunt wild pigs in California, including allowing the use of artificial lights to hunt them at night, Roger Baldwin, a professor at University of California, Davis specializing in human-wildlife conflict, said some other states don’t allow wild pig hunting at all, finding that the pig numbers grew and popped up in new places because people were transporting the animals around for hunting opportunities.

Other states use methods banned in California, like in Texas where they use “aerial control,” in which crews go up in helicopters and shoot the wild pigs from above, said Dennis Orthmeyer, state director with the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service, Wildlife Services.

Orthmeyer said he had seen an instance of 2,600 wild pigs being removed from a Texas property in a week, but the practice of aerial control of a game mammal is banned in California.

20 comments


S September 23, 2022 - 2:22 PM - 2:22 PM

looking for good substitutes for Banana Leaves; they are quite expensive

Old Timer September 23, 2022 - 2:38 PM - 2:38 PM

Kill the pigs because we are overrun and they are tearing up our state.Maybe they are coming over the border free for all.Something doesn’t make sense to me.

Ricardoh September 23, 2022 - 2:50 PM - 2:50 PM

Where pigs gather you build a coral and feed them there until they are all in. Then close the gate and do whatever you want. Preferable take them to a slaughter house.

AUnt Barbara September 23, 2022 - 2:57 PM - 2:57 PM

Sounds like he is addressing obesity from the Pandemic..

Randy September 23, 2022 - 3:28 PM - 3:28 PM

I don’t see much change – what did I miss? We still can’t “eradicate” them ourselves on our property – right?

LocalAntiLib September 23, 2022 - 3:35 PM - 3:35 PM

I think what needs to be addressed here in California now is the wild feral Democrat problem.
It’s out of control and needs to be dealt with. The voters can no longer be trusted to vote in competent people any longer.
But thinking more.. Democrats and pigs.. pretty sure those can be lumped together and dealt with.

Gittyup September 24, 2022 - 8:05 AM - 8:05 AM

Newsom might righteously devote some of his energy to all the feral criminals he has released doing much worse than rooting up lawns in our cities.

...---... September 23, 2022 - 4:00 PM - 4:00 PM

Many years ago all that was needed to hunt pigs was your license and follow basic hunting laws which was keeping the numbers in check.

Good old Fish and Game saw the increase of hunters taking advantage of the lower cost hunting as compared to deer, and decided to start going with pig tags at 5 bucks each and sold in blocks of 5.

This put a big damper on things and the population took off pretty much unchecked.

Check out youtube for all the pig hunting and capture vids out there ( yawt yawt videos , pork choppers ).

With an estimated population of 400,000 out there it is going to take one hell of a lot of shooting and trapping to make a dent.

As to the shooting of the pigs I would assume that even if it is considered pest control and not hunting, the state will still require lead free ammo.

I can see a big issue with allowing night hunting with lights a poachers will say they are after pigs when they are really going after deer and elk.

RB September 23, 2022 - 4:12 PM - 4:12 PM

Spot on! The feral dem pigs are doing massive damage to our state!

Ancient Mariner September 23, 2022 - 4:13 PM - 4:13 PM

Violence is never the answer – it’s obvious to me that the pigs need counseling, therapy and birth-control education.

Badge1104 September 23, 2022 - 5:17 PM - 5:17 PM

Well, I think the word ‘pig’ should be banned! Because it’s cruel, insulting and racist. (I’m being real woke today!)

HMNMT September 23, 2022 - 5:59 PM - 5:59 PM

Maybe we should give them pronouns, too?

S September 23, 2022 - 6:23 PM - 6:23 PM

HMNMT,

You put lipstick on a Pig, it’s still a Pig…

I heard that somewhere,

🙂

Disclaimer: The above comments do not indicated a political or social preference by the contributor or this publication.

It’s just funny !

The Fearless Spectator September 23, 2022 - 8:04 PM - 8:04 PM

Probably some gender study also, just to be fair.
I mean, was it fair they were born this way?
Justice for the pigs.
Reparations for the pigs.

Original G September 23, 2022 - 4:38 PM - 4:38 PM

Hmm, could it be some RICH folk had their yards, gardens and vineyards torn up by the little 4 legged rototillers ? ? ?

Now just remains for unelected unaccountable bureaucrats to mess it all up.

Ancient Mariner, . . . excellent post.

Dr. Jellyfinger September 23, 2022 - 5:03 PM - 5:03 PM

@ OG, You spelled “bluereaucrats” wrong.

John McCluskey September 23, 2022 - 4:53 PM - 4:53 PM

While he is at it, can he dress up as a wild pig a bit earlier than Halloween?

After all, he has gone hog wild destroying what was once a wonderful state to both live and raise a family in!

Sqeeeeaaaaallll like the pig you are, Newsom!

The Wizard September 23, 2022 - 7:37 PM - 7:37 PM

Funny and true.

Martinezmike September 23, 2022 - 5:58 PM - 5:58 PM

Mark Desaulnier probably planning a meeting about this. He loves to hog the spotlight

ON DA September 23, 2022 - 8:30 PM - 8:30 PM

Sounds like a very complex issue. I am glad to hear there are steps being taken. Forward.


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