Flying Eagle Nature Center in Inverness, FL will be closed, Jan. 9-11, for Hog Hunts

Southwest Florida Water Management District (SWFWMD)

The Flying Eagle Nature Center, located at 12650 East Boy Scout Road in Inverness, Florida will be temporarily closed to the public on Jan. 9, 10 and 11, 2024, for feral hog hunts. Only permitted hunters will be allowed on the property during these dates. All 20 permits for these hunts have been sold.

This activity is one of a series of feral hog hunts being held on Southwest Florida Water Management District (SWFWMD) lands to control the damage being caused to the natural habitats.

SWFWMD allows hogs to be controlled through hunts when the damage they cause exceeds acceptable levels, and damage is occurring more frequently and with increasing severity.

Feral hogs live throughout Florida in various habitats, but prefer moist forests, swamps, and pine flatwoods. They are omnivorous (meaning they feed on both animal and plant matter). They feed on the ground by rooting with their broad snouts, which can cause extensive damage to the natural habitats. Their foraging can leave an area looking like a plowed field.

Feral hogs are not native to Florida. It is believed that they were introduced to Florida by explorer Hernando DeSoto as early as 1539. They can weigh more than 150 pounds, measure over 5 feet in length, and travel in herds with their offspring.

For more information, please call SWFWMD's Land Management section at (813) 375-0665 or visit WaterMatters.org/HogHunts.

For information about the Flying Eagle Nature Center preserve, visit
https://www.swfwmd.state.fl.us/recreation/flying-eagle-preserve.