Online registration for 2023-2024 water district hog hunts begins Oct. 3 - first come, first served
SWFWMD photo.
Land managers for the Southwest Florida Water Management District (SWFWMD) plan to hold a series of hog hunts on water district lands throughout the upcoming year to help reduce the feral hog population.
Prospective hunters can purchase permits for Phase I hunts beginning at 9:00 a.m. on Tuesday, October 3, 2023 on the district’s website at WaterMatters.org/HogHunts. Permits will be available on a first come, first served basis until they are sold out. The cost is $75 for each permit. A complete list of hunts with locations and dates is also available online.
The District has a three-phased hunting system. The first two phases of hunts will have separate registration processes. The single top producer from each Phase 1 and Phase 2 hunt will be asked to participate in hog management activities for Phase 3.
All hunts will adhere to the hog-dog format. No still hunts will be available. The program works like this:
Phase 1 Hunts
★ Registration will open on Tuesday, Oct. 3, 2023, at 9:00 a.m.
★ Includes 5 hunts that will occur during October and November 2023.
★ A $75 nonrefundable fee must be paid for each permit.
★ Permits are transferable.
★ The top producer on each Phase 1 hunt will be placed on the District’s ‘top producer’ list and will be awarded participation in our Phase 3 hunts, free of charge. We no longer award free admission into Phase 2 for our top two producers of the Phase 1 hunt.
★ Failure to follow regulations, or poor behavior issues will disqualify registrants for incentive consideration at the sole discretion of water district staff members. Participants will be provided the opportunity to refute the decision.
Phase 2 Hunts
★ Registration will open on Tuesday, Dec. 5, 2023, at 9:00 a.m.
★ Includes five hunts that will occur during January and February 2024.
★ A $75 nonrefundable fee must be paid for each permit.
★ Permits are transferable.
★ The top producer on each Phase 2 hunt will be placed on the District’s ‘top producer’ list and will be awarded participation in our Phase 3 hunts, free of charge. We no longer award free admission into Phase 2 for our top two producers of the Phase 1 hunt.
★ Failure to follow regulations or poor behavior issues will disqualify registrants for incentive consideration at the sole discretion of District staff. Participants will be provided the opportunity to refute the decision.
Phase 3 “As-Needed” Management Hunts
★ Includes management hunts that can occur during March through October 2024.
★ Only registrants who qualify as top producers following the Phase 1 and Phase 2 Hunts will be contacted to take part in management hunts during this period.
★ Management hunts offered to top producers will be free of charge and non-transferable.
★ Phase 1 and Phase 2 top producers, without rule violations, will be offered participation on a minimum of 4 management hunts that will occur during March through October 2024.
During the hog hunts, district-managed properties where they occur will be temporarily closed to the public. Only permitted hunters will be allowed access to these properties during the hunts.
Feral hogs, which are not native to Florida, can cause damage to land with their broad snouts and can leave an area looking like a plowed field. They also prey on native wildlife, compete with native species for food, and transmit diseases to other wildlife, livestock and humans. Feral hogs may also facilitate the spread of exotic plant species by transporting seeds and/or providing germination sites through rooting.
This is the 15th consecutive year for the hunts. Last year’s hunts removed 523 hogs on 9 different tracts of land throughout the water district.