Public Service Announcement - Kentucky Fish and Wildlife Seeking Wild Pig Information

​​FRANKFORT, Ky. (May 30, 2025) — The Kentucky Department of Fish and Wildlife Resources is asking the public to report wild pig sightings in Printer, Kentucky, and surrounding areas in Floyd County after a group of wild pigs was found and reported to the department in April.

Wild pigs displace game species like deer and turkey, negatively affecting hunter harvest. They also destroy crops and food plots, and they consume an ample amount of acorns in the fall, which many wildlife species heavily rely on as a food source.

Wild pig populations did not naturally expand into Kentucky. Populations are the result of the illegal release of wild pigs. Misguided hunters have intentionally released them in the past in an effort to create new hunting opportunities.

Wild pig hunting is now prohibited in Kentucky. Kentucky Fish and Wildlife asks hunters to report wild pigs to arrange for capture instead of hunting them. Shooting into a group of pigs, also known as a sounder, scatters them. They leave the area and become nocturnal, making them very difficult to find again. By the time they are found, their numbers have doubled or even tripled.

Kentucky Fish and Wildlife has successfully eradicated several populations of wild pigs in the state by working in partnership with the U.S. Department of Agriculture Wildlife Services (USDA WS). Together, we are committed to finding any wild pigs in the area before they spread. Free trapping services are available to anyone with a wild pig presence on their property. Trapping is the recommended and best method to remove groups of wild pigs.

Anyone with information about wild pig sightings, damage to property, forest crops or illegal release is encouraged to submit a report online at squealonpigs.com or via the app (available from the Apple Store or Google Pay), or at fw.ky.gov/wildpigs, or contact Terri Brunjes, wild pig biologist with Kentucky Fish and Wildlife, at 502-892-4548 or at terri.brunjes@ky.gov.

For more information about nuisance wildlife, visit the department website at fw.ky.gov. For questions, please call 1-800-858-1549, 8 a.m. – 4:30 p.m. (ET) weekdays, excluding holidays.

Did You Know? Wild pigs are an invasive species prevalent in the United States and Canada considered "ecosystem engineers" due to their ability to change their environment. They damage native ecosystems including wetlands, forests and prairies. They cause a decrease in biological diversity and facilitate the spread of invasive plant species. Wild pigs can also cause extensive damage to agricultural crops, food plots, and hayfields. They can destroy many acres overnight, devastating agricultural producers, and they can transmit diseases to livestock, kill young livestock, and contaminate livestock feed. Their rooting behavior can also create holes or ruts in fields that damage farm equipment, cause soil erosion, and lead to stream sedimentation. Wild pigs cause billions of dollars in damages and control costs in the U.S. every year.