How to identify it
Hairy, brown, black or gray coat. [1][2][3]
Long pointed head, narrow snout, upright ears and tusks. [1][2][3]
Long straight tail with a tuft at the tip. [1][2][3]
Piglets light brown with tan stripes that fade with age. [1][2][3]
Feral domestic pigs and hybrids can look nearly identical; genetics may be needed to tell them apart. [1][2][3]
Compared with the feral domestic pig and hybrids: Escaped domestic pigs become hairy and grow tusks; visual separation from wild boar is often impossible. [1][2][3]
Species it is confused with
Check these before deciding what you are looking at. If you are not certain what it is, do not shoot.
- Collared peccary · Pecari tajacu
Where it lives
Extreme habitat generalist: forests, swamps, brushlands, grasslands and farmland, preferring to stay near water. [1][2][3]
How it behaves
Lives in family groups called sounders, generally 2–20 animals; adult males often solitary [1][2][3]
Breeds from about 6 months old with litters of 2–12, possibly several a year [1][2][3]
Roots up the ground while feeding, damaging plants, crops and habitat, and eats ground-nesting birds and other small animals [1][2][3]
Quickly learns to avoid people and traps; usually flees rather than fights [1][2][3]
Where it is listed for removal or nuisance take
These authorities list this species as nuisance, invasive or unprotected wildlife that may be taken. This is not a game season.
Where legal take is listed
- British Columbia — hunting, invasive species removal · 2026-2028 Hunting and Trapping Regulations Synopsis
- Manitoba — hunting, invasive species removal · Manitoba Hunting Guide 2026
- Saskatchewan — hunting, invasive species removal · Saskatchewan Hunters Guide 2026-27
- Alabama — hunting, nuisance or unprotected take, trapping · Bobcat, Coyote, Feral Swine, and Fox Seasons 2026-2027 (ADCNR)
- Alaska — hunting, invasive species removal · 2026-2027 Alaska Hunting Regulations: Fur Animals, Small Game, Unclassified Game, and Deleterious Exotic Wildlife (pp.140-142)
- Arkansas — hunting, invasive species removal, trapping · 2026-27 Arkansas Hunting Guidebook (PDF)
- California — hunting · 2026-2027 California Mammal Hunting Regulations (updated July 1, 2026)
- Colorado — hunting, invasive species removal · 2 CCR 406-0 Chapter W-0 General Provisions (05/06/2026)
- Delaware — invasive species removal · 2026-27 Delaware Hunting & Trapping Guide: General Hunting Information
- Florida — hunting, nuisance or unprotected take · 2026-2027 Florida Resident Game and Furbearer Hunting Season Dates and Bag Limits (FWC) · Wild Hog (FWC)
- Georgia — hunting, invasive species removal · Non-Native & Invasive Species | Georgia DNR WRD
- Hawaii — hunting · HAR Title 13 Chapter 123, Rules Regulating Game Mammal Hunting (summary, revised May 2015)
- Illinois — hunting, invasive species removal · Illinois Digest of Hunting and Trapping Regulations 2026-2027 (PDF read from cached copy of the digest linked on this page)
- Kansas — invasive species removal · Kansas Hunting & Furharvesting Regulations Summary, Fall 2025-Spring 2026
- Louisiana — hunting, invasive species removal, trapping · Feral Hogs (LDWF)
- Mississippi — hunting, nuisance or unprotected take, trapping · Wild Hog Program (MDWFP)
- Missouri — hunting, invasive species removal · A Summary of Missouri Hunting and Trapping Regulations 2026
- Nebraska — invasive species removal · Neb. Rev. Stat. 37-524.01
- New Mexico — hunting, invasive species removal · NMDOW Unprotected Species
- North Dakota — nuisance or unprotected take · NDCC ch. 36-26 Feral Swine
- Ohio — invasive species removal · Ohio Hunting and Trapping Regulations 2026-27 (effective 1 Sep 2026-31 Aug 2027); PDF read from cached copy
- Oklahoma — hunting, invasive species removal, trapping · Hog (Feral Swine) Regulations
- Oregon — hunting, invasive species removal · 2026 Oregon Big Game Hunting Regulations (official ODFW booklet, eRegulations host linked from myodfw.com)
- Pennsylvania — hunting, invasive species removal · 2026-27 PA Hunting & Trapping Digest
- South Carolina — hunting, invasive species removal, trapping · 2026-2027 South Carolina Hunting & Fishing Laws and Regulations Guide
- Tennessee — invasive species removal, nuisance or unprotected take · Wild Hog | TWRA
- Texas — hunting, invasive species removal, trapping · Outdoor Annual: Nongame, Exotic, Endangered, Threatened & Protected Species
- Utah — hunting, invasive species removal · Utah Code 4-25-303 Feral swine (effective 2025-05-07)
- Virginia — nuisance or unprotected take · General Hunting Regulations | Virginia DWR
- West Virginia — hunting · West Virginia Hunting and Trapping Regulations Summary July 2026-June 2027
- Wisconsin — nuisance or unprotected take · 2026 Wisconsin Hunting and Trapping Seasons PUB-CS-076-2026 (updated 06/08/2026)
Being listed is not an open season. Seasons, zones, licences, methods and limits decide whether this animal may be taken on a given day and place — check Hunt or the authority before you go. Listings read 2026-09-30.
Where it is found
Eurasian and North African species. Free-ranging feral swine (wild boar, escaped domestic pigs and hybrids) are reported in at least 35 U.S. states, most commonly in the South, and in Canada mainly in the Prairie Provinces.
Sources
Every claim above is attributed to one of these published sources.
Minnesota Department of Natural Resources · reviewed 2026-09-30
Minnesota Department of Natural Resources
- BIOLOGICALWild Boar
U.S. National Invasive Species Information Center (USDA) · reviewed 2026-09-30
U.S. National Invasive Species Information Center (USDA)
- BIOLOGICALFeral Swine
North Carolina Wildlife Resources Commission · reviewed 2026-09-30
North Carolina Wildlife Resources Commission