Get reliable science

The geographical extent of wild pig damage on rangeland in California and elsewhere is currently unknown, making it difficult to mitigate and manage losses, and estimate the economic impact on private landowners. Capturing the geographical extent of wild pig damage would allow land managers to more effectively mitigate wild pig damage by allowing identification of specific areas that are conducive to wild pigs. Our team decided to take an innovative risk to capturing the data needed. We believed that through the development of a mobile app for use on Android and Apple devices (smartphones, tablets, etc.) that land managers could quickly assess the type, nature, and extent of wild pig damage occurring on their properties. The app allows the capacity to reach a variety of different types of land managers, including a diverse set of natural resource managers and agricultural producers who are affected by wild pig damage on their property. Results from this project could revolutionize wild pig management by allowing landowners to identify and target control efforts in habitats heavily used by pigs, or by allowing landowners to alter habitats to make them less suitable for this invasive species. Our team can�use the data�as a basis to estimate economic losses and impacts on natural resources on private or public property. The data is used to develop materials like newsletters, trade magazine articles, public brochures, presentation materials, and a website for land managers to learn more about impacts of wild pigs. Results create tools for managers to assess the relative costs and benefits of control actions for wild pig management. The app was launched in September of 2016, based on a prior survey (See http://ucanr.edu/survey/survey.cfm?surveynumber=16522). It is available at the ITunes App Store and the Google Play site by searching for the term wild pig damage. It is free.