What is feral swine?

Simply put, it's any formerly captive pig that's reverted to the wild.

Most of Michigan's feral swine are Eurasian boars and other exotics escaped from game ranches.

For a Flint Journal story about feral pigs spotted in Genesee, Lapeer, Shiawassee and northern Oakland counties click

here

.

"The problem is their fences are up to code for deer and elk, but you can't keep pigs fenced in. They'll tear up the fence or go under them. And there really aren't any regulations for these facilities to have enhanced fencing," said Kristine Brown, a wildlife biologist with the state Department of Natural Resources.

Some are domestic hogs or hybrid breeds. There have even been reports of Vietnamese pot bellies and other pets gone feral.

"Any pig that gets out can revert back in a matter of months to a state where it can exist in the wild," said Brown. "It will get hairy, grow tusks and get aggressive. They're so good at adapting, and with their scavenging nature, they can get by pretty much anywhere."

Feral swine tend to follow creeks and drainages between food sources and favor agricultural crops. Once the crops come down in the fall, they turn to acorns and other mast foods. But their voracious appetites don't stop there.

"They'll eat anything they can fit in their mouths. They'll scavenge off deer carcasses, raid bird nests, eat amphibians. We're now getting lots of reports of fawns being killed," said Brown. "They'll also go after bird feeders, cat food, dog food, uncovered garbage.

"Pretty much all they do is eat and breed, and they do the same thing in the winter as they do in summer."

A working group composed of the DNR, Michigan Pork Producers Association, state Department of Agriculture, Michigan United Conservation Clubs and others are recommending changes in the law to increase hunting opportunities and heighten restrictions on game ranches that import boars for hunting -- the main source of escaped pigs.