Wild pigs invade sportsplex

FLORENCE - This wasn't what city leaders had in mind when they touted the inclusiveness of the sportsplex.

It has turned into a nightspot - for hogs.

In recent weeks, feral hogs have battered the grounds along the fence at the western border of Coffee-O'Neal Park. City officials said the hogs had previously stayed in nearby woods, a buffer zone between the $12.5 million facility and residential areas.

Now they're creeping closer to the park, which has raised concerns that they will mangle sports fields and the retaining pond and its pricey liner.

Well, the hog heap may be in its final days.

The city has obtained a permit from the Alabama Division of Wildlife and Freshwater Fisheries to "eliminate" the problem.

"These creatures are non-native, mean, destructive and a nuisance to farmers and property owners," said Todd Nix, Florence community services director. "Nature has a balance, and these wild pigs disrupt that balance greatly."

Nix said the hogs have been drawn to acorns along the property line. He said the swine are taking food away from white-tailed deer and squirrels.

A team headed by Florence police Lt. Eric Nichols has set up cameras to determine when to take out the pigs.

"We're putting out bait and trying to look for a pattern to figure out when they're going to show up," he said.

He has counted as many as 20 hogs digging up the ground throughout the night.

Essentially, the strategy is to lure the hogs with bait and pounce when a large pack shows up. Nichols said they will use rifles to kill as many as possible in hopes of scaring away others.

The officers, he said, are doing this on their own time. The hunters will either take the meat home or donate it to local food banks.

And they don't want any help from the public.

Nichols advised interested hunters to stay away so as not to mess up the work they are doing.

Using night as their cover, hogs have converged on the fence sometime between 8 p.m. and 4 a.m.

The feral hog population continues to grow throughout the Southeast thanks to rapid reproduction rates. State wildlife officials say the animals threaten food sources for native animals and destroy habitats, among other nuisances. Females begin breeding at 6 months old and continue to do so every six months, producing as many as 14 piglets in a litter.

Nichols said this type of stakeout is new to him.

"This is my first experience with something like this," he said. "I've hunted off and on all my life, but this is something else entirely."

Brian Hughes can be reached at 740-5720 or brian.hughes@TimesDaily.com.