The Perry County Conservation District Quarterly

Volume 1, Issue 4 January 2014

Upcoming Events:
January 1- PCCD will begin Poultry Registration. All county poultry producers are required to register with our office no later than March 15th. Jan 13 through Feburary 18- Annual Tree and Shrub Sale Feb (to be announced) - First Quarter Beaver Bounty Day. Date will be announced in the Petit Jean Headlight and via our mailing list.

Change of Leadership, New Member on the PCCD Board

The Perry County Conservation Districts board has recently undergone several changes. In September, Bill Growns announced his retirement as PCCD board president. Mr. Growns has served on the PCCD board since 1974. He has always been an amazing asset to the PCCD board and the cause of conservation in Perry County and he will be greatly missed. The board appointed Lee Nutt to replace Mr. Growns as board president. Mr. Nutt has been with the PCCD board since 1966 and previously served as the boards vice president. Bills departure left a vacant seat on the PCCD board, for which Karla Bull was appointed during the October board meeting. Ms. Bull is currently a teacher at Perryville High School. ***********************************

DISTRICT DIRECTORS AND STAFF

LEE NUTT- PRESIDENT RAYFORD WINDLE- SECRETARY KAREN BRAZIL- MEMBER CONRAD GUNTHER- MEMBER KARLA BULL - MEMBER CRISTIN DAVIS- OFFICE
MANAGER

PCCD Poster Contest

In November, PCCD sponsored a poster contest with the theme Dig Deeper: Mysteries in the Soil in order to bring our message of soil conservation to the youth of Perry County. A first prize of $50 was awarded to Jenna Starks. A second prize of $25 went to Seth Rounsavall. Both students attend Anne Watson Elementary.

CONTACT THE PERRY COUNTY CONSERVATION OFFICE: PO BOX 266, PERRYVILLE,AR, 72126
PHONE:(501)

889-2715

EMAIL:
PERRYCOUNTYCD@YAHOO.COM

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The Feral Hog Problem: Perry County

Theyre smart, theyre destructive and they are taking over! Although Arkansans harbor a love for our state mascot, the razorback, the reality is that feral hogs are becoming a statewide problem and costing us a lot of money. Not native to Arkansas, the feral hog is an invasive species that can decimate native wildlife populations and cause untold damage to pasture, crop and forest land in addition to roads and levees. Feral hogs can spread disease to both wildlife and livestock and, in rare cases, humans. One 2012 study found that anywhere from 10 to 52% of Arkansas feral hog population were infected with swine brucellosis and pseudorabies. In addition, the population tested positive for swine fever, foot and mouth disease, hepatitis E, swine influenza virus and toxoplasmosis. The National Feral Swine Mapping System shows an alarming increase in the distribution of feral swine across Arkansas over the past decade. Officials believe this is primarily due to illegal transportation of feral hogs for hunting purposes. Feral hogs have been reported in every county in Arkansas. It is illegal to transport a live feral hog and Arkansas lawmakers recently introduced strict new legislation to combat the problem. According to Act 1104, anyone caught transporting a live feral hog will face fines of up to $5,000 per hog. In addition, anyone caught releasing a feral hog on public land faces not only the $5,000 fine but also felony charges and up to 2 years imprisonment while release on private land will result in the same fine, misdemeanor charges and up to 30 days in jail.

Pictured Above: Wild hogs causing damage to pastureland.

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Feral Hog continued from page 2

Poultry Edition

Although Arkansas laws regarding the transport of live hogs are strict, hunting regulations are not. Since it is not a native species the feral hog is not *Arkansas is 2nd in the nation for total pounds of subject to the same rules applied to native Broiler meat produced, yielding over 5.7 billion pounds. wildlife.
*Poultry is the largest agricultural product in Arkansas,

in terms of cash receipts, providing 40% of the total.

*Poultry accounts for 1 in 4 agricultural jobs in Arkansas. *Over 6,000 farms in Arkansas produce some type of

poultry.
*Arkansas

is 10th in the nation for egg production , producing over 3 billion eggs per year. ITEMS FOR SALE
IN

OUR OFFICE

The Perry County Conservation Districts offers several items for sale here in our office to help Perry county residents. These items can be purchased during office hours every week: Whole Jumbo Cashews (roasted and salted) 1 lb bag $10 White Chocolate Pecan Halves 1 lb bag $7.50 Dark Chocolate Pecan Halves 1 lb bag $7.50 Praline Pecan Pieces 1 lb bag $7.50 Plat Books $40.00 Wall Maps $30.00 Topographical Maps $7.00 Marking Flags Bundle $6.00 Each $0.06

According to Arkansas Game and Fish, on private land feral hogs may be killed or trapped yearround, day or night, by a landowner or anyone with the landowners permission. Hunters do not need a hunting license to kill feral hogs on private land, but anyone who has had his or her hunting license revoked may not hunt them. In addition, feral hogs can be hunted during daylight hours on Wildlife Management Areas during any open hunting season with any weapon that is legal for that particular hunting season. Dogs, bait and traps are not allowed on WMAs although they are allowed on private land. It is not necessary to remove or process a feral hog once it is killed and they can be left where they were shot if the hunter has no use for them, even on WMAs. Private landowners who suspect a hog infestation are encouraged to eliminate the animals using whichever method they deem fit, including hunting and trapping. If you see one or two feral hogs there are most likely more. A single sow can produce 2 litters of an average of 3-10 piglets per year and by the time the second litter is produced the piglets from the first litter will be reproducing litters of their own. Once feral hogs reach maturity they have few natural predators. In addition, they learn quickly and adapt to avoid certain traps and areas where they have previously been hunted. This combination of factors often results in a damaging population explosion in a short period of time. It is vitally important that Perry County landowners and wildlife enthusiasts do their part to keep the feral hog problem contained. For more information or ideas on how to eliminate a feral hog problem, contact the Perry County Conservation District at 501-889-2715.

Flagging Tape $2.00 Acreage Scale $3.00 Firestar Fire Ant Bait 2 lb. canister $7.50/25 lb. bag $75.00

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