ABOVE: John Kinsey from Pig Brig Trapping demonstrated the Pig Brig Trap to Agriculture Victoria, Forest Fire Management and Parks Victoria staff.
A new mesh trapping system developed in the US is increasingly being used by land managers in Australia as another humane management tool to remove feral pigs from the landscape.
The Pig Brig trapping system was developed in 2019 out of need during a feral hog eradication project on the Pacific Island of Guam.
The biologists were restricted from driving posts into the ground or conducting any work that would disrupt the soil due to unexploded World War II ordnance.
The Pig Brig Trap was therefore designed to be hung from trees or posts.
It is lightweight in design, easy to transport, can be set up by one person in about an hour and utilises the pig’s natural rooting behaviours to facilitate its entry into the trap.
There is no need to set or activate a trap door as is required for steel traps.
Groups of pigs can continuously enter the trap and, due to its net skirt, find it difficult to leave.
The design of this trapping system makes it much easier for land managers to take the trap to locations where pigs are present, rather than taking the pigs to the trap.
As with all trapping and baiting systems, it’s important to set up multiple free-feeding sites in the landscape.
These sites can be identified by looking for feral pig sign or using camera traps.
Once you have decided where best to set the trap, it’s imperative to allow sufficient free-feeding time to acclimatise the feral pigs to the trap and trap materials.
A sufficient free-feeding time aims to attract as many feral pigs as possible to free-feeding stations and ensure that enough food is available for the number of pigs present.
The time dedicated to free feeding can range from several days to three to four months.
It is recommended to free feed for at least 14 days.
If alternative food sources are available, free-feed intake can plateau after about 21 days.
Offer the best food available as free feed and, if needed, adapt free feed to the feed preferences of the local pigs.
To attract feral pigs to free-feed sites, products including molasses and Carasweet can be used.
Once feral pigs are accustomed to coming to these sites for feed, traps can then be introduced.
Feral pig movements and numbers can be monitored coming to free-feed sites and the Pig Brig by using camera traps.
With the Pig Brig trapping system, free feed can be placed inside the trap with the net raised to enable feral pigs to enter and leave the trap before slowly lowering the net to accustom the pigs
to feeling it against their backs.
The net can then be fully lowered to trap the pigs as they will freely access the feed by rooting underneath the net.
This feral pig trapping system is now being utilised in Australia with good results.
For example, 74 feral pigs were captured in a Pig Brig system by Greater Sydney Local Land Services as part of their feral pig management program being conducted in the Blue Mountains.
This was discussed by Annaliese Geddes, a GSLLS Senior Biosecurity Officer, at the National Feral Pig Action Plan’s Stakeholder Forum held in June.
You can visit feralpigs.com.au/stakeholder-forum/#ForumJune24 for more information on the forum.
In the August 2024 edition of the National Feral Pig Action Plan’s newsletter, the Peel Harvey Biosecurity Group from Western Australia provided practical insights and tips and tricks on using the Pig Brig system.
The full article, prepared by Lacey Ford, PHBG Field Officer, can be found at feralpigs.com.au/wp-content/uploads/2024/08/Pig-Brig-tips-and-tricks-PHBG-August-2024.pdf
Feel free to contact me on heather.channon@feralpigs.com.au or call 0423 056 045 to discuss your feral pig management issues or for more information relating to this article.
For more details on the Pig Brig trapping system and other tips and tricks on feral pig trapping, visit pigbrig.com and their YouTube channel youtube.com/@PigBrig