Baiting reducing feral pigs

BEFORE July Flagstone Creek grazier Bruce Greer was seeing 15 wild pigs on his property every day.

Bruce Greer on his property at Flagstone Creek, has seen a decrease in wild pigs since he started baiting. Picture: Contributed

BEFORE July Flagstone Creek grazier Bruce Greer was seeing 15 wild pigs on his property every day.

But after participating in the Lockyer Valley Regional Council's (LVRC) baiting program, he said most had disappeared.

"I had more of a pig problem than a wild dog problem," Mr Greer said.

Mr Greer participated in the LVRC baiting program in July and distributed 20 baits across his 460 acre property.

As part of the baiting rules and regulations, graziers are required to pick up and destroy any uneaten baits seven days after distributing them across the property.

"Out of the 20 baits I put out I only collected four," Mr Greer said.

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"I've got working dogs of my own and I don't want to knock one of them off."

During the baiting program the LVRC distributed 2500 baits to property owners in the Lockyer Valley.

But he wished more people would get involved.

"Before I started shooting, trapping and baiting, I was seeing 15-20 pigs per day," he said.

The council's baiting program is available to those living on properties larger than 100 acres. However, there is a provision for smaller adjoining properties to combine to meet the size requirements.

Lockyer Mayor Steve Jones said there was no doubt the reports of feral animals had increased in the region. "In fact, the number of complaints about these animals being reported to council has risen by about 30%," he said.

"In July council oversaw the latest baiting program which recorded an increase in resident uptake by about 25%."."

Cr Jones said that with the increase in participants, the council had increased their program from twice a year to five times a year.

He said the biggest complaint areas were near national parks.

"This is because the Queensland State Government aren't playing their part in feral animal control. All they have to do is work with council to bait known hot spots."