PUXICO — A multi-day aerial operation to help control feral hogs is expected to close Mingo National Wildlife Refuge in January.
The operation is expected to be conducted between Jan. 16-212, but the actual closure dates have not been determined, according to a press release from the Refuge. The dates may be impacted by weather conditions or other factors, officials said.
The closure will impact all access to the refuge, including vehicle, foot, bicycle and horseback traffic.
“This management action will involve a helicopter flying over the refuge with personnel targeting and shooting feral hogs,” the Refuge reported.
The effort is conducted by the U.S. Department of Agriculture Animal and Plant Inspection and Health Service.
“This refuge management operation, paired with a larger eradication plan utilizing multiple tools, will substantially decrease the feral hog population on the refuge. Feral hogs are a non-native species that can proliferate quickly and negatively impact the native plants and animals of the refuge,” officials said.
Feral hogs are opportunistic feeders and will forage on the eggs of ground nesting birds and will even eat reptiles, amphibians and small mammals. They also compete with native species like deer and turkey for important food sources such as acorns. Their rooting and wallowing behavior heavily alter the native habitats of the refuge, thus impacting the refuge’s primary missions of protecting bottomland hardwood forest habitat and serving as an inviolate sanctuary for migratory waterfowl.
If planning to visit Mingo National Wildlife Refuge January 16-21, 2023, please check our website fws.gov/refuge/mingo for updates on this activity. You can also call the refuge office at 573-222-3589 to get an update on the timing of the closure(s).