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1 September 2009 Survival and Habitat Use of Feral Hogs in Mississippi
Robert Hayes, Sam Riffell, Richard Minnis, Brad Holder
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Abstract

Sus scrofa (Feral Hog) can cause extensive damage to agricultural crops and native vegetation, is a potential disease vector, and competes with other wildlife for food resources. Without site-specific information about survival and habitat use, habitat management and control efforts may not be effective. We examined home-range size, habitat use, and survival of 29 Feral Hogs in central Mississippi using radio telemetry. Dry-and wet-season survival rates were 80.8% and 41.4%, respectively. Hunting (primarily during the wet season) was the major cause of mortality. Dry-season home ranges were larger (6.4 km2) than wet-season home ranges (3.0 km2). During the dry-season, Feral Hog home ranges (2nd-order selection) were associated with dense vegetation types (seasonally flooded old fields, old fields, and managed openings). During the wet season, old fields and agricultural fields were selected, but seasonally flooded old fields and managed openings were not. Within home ranges (3rd-order selection), hogs selected old fields and managed openings during the dry season. All habitats were used randomly within home ranges during the wet season. Flooding of preferred habitats, changes in food availability, and hunting pressure likely caused these changes in habitat use and home-range placement.

Robert Hayes, Sam Riffell, Richard Minnis, and Brad Holder "Survival and Habitat Use of Feral Hogs in Mississippi," Southeastern Naturalist 8(3), 411-426, (1 September 2009). https://doi.org/10.1656/058.008.0304
Published: 1 September 2009
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