Research Methods for Wild Pigs

Abstract

This chapter highlights the state of research tools, emphasizing advancements in technologies and methodologies used to study wild pig ecology, management, and damage assessment. It focuses on research in North America, these technologies and methods are applied globally to study wild pigs. Capturing wild pigs for research is considerably different from capture for population control. Capture techniques vary widely and should be tailored to intended research or management outcomes. There are 2 basic types of gates most commonly used for trapping wild pigs, single-catch gates that remain closed once triggered and continuous-catch gates that are intended to allow additional captures once the gate is shut. Gate designs are shifting away from narrow side-hinged styles to larger overhead guillotine-style gates, although there is limited evidence to suggest a marked increase in trapping efficacy. Trap triggers typically include a gate retention mechanism that is released when a trip line is pulled.