Pigs are killed inside the trap enclosure because it is illegal in most states to transport feral swine alive or sell the meat. The US Department of Agriculture does not allow wild pork donations directly to food banks due to swine brucellosis and the pseudorabies virus. Feral swine can be eaten, but it is very important to thoroughly cook wild pork to 165 degrees. Most feral pigs harvested by JAGER PRO® Hog Control Operators™ are either processed by guests or donated to local families and churches for food. However, there is another perspective to consider. Mission success is based solely on removing the entire sounder from each property since whole-sounder lethal control prevents any pig from escaping, surviving, reproducing or being educated to the removal process. Whether a non-native, agricultural pest is eaten or not has no value in the “damage management” decision-making process. Just as removing all termites, rats and cockroaches from your home to stop future residential damage is more important than ensuring all captured pests are eaten. Insect versus mammal makes no difference to the legal definition of a pest or the Best Management Practices needed to control them. The total number of wild pigs we successfully donate has no bearing on the number of animals we must euthanize. The United States cannot BBQ our way out of the feral swine problem. Any carcasses NOT used for food are buried per Department of Agriculture regulations.
Last Update: 03.10.2020