Evidence of wild hog damage in Central Alberta

There is clear evidence of wild boar (wild pig) presence and damage in parts of central and north‑central Alberta, but most documented, established populations and intensive damage are concentrated north of you, especially in the Highway 16 / parkland belt and adjacent counties.producer+3​

Where wild boar are established

• Provincial and federal/NGO sources consistently describe established wild boar populations in north‑central Alberta, especially a band from roughly Whitecourt–Mayerthorpe–Lac Ste. Anne across to the Lloydminster / Highway 16 corridor in the parkland and mixed forest–cropland zone.canadianhogjournal+3​

• A published mapping study of wild pigs in Alberta and a 2021–2024 provincial control‑program update both show sounders mainly in north‑central counties (Woodlands, Lac Ste. Anne, Two Hills, Strathcona and nearby), with trapping focused there and most removals coming from Woodlands County.alberta+2​

Documented damage types

• Alberta and university sources describe typical damage in Alberta as: rooting and turf‑flipping in crops and pasture, trampling and wallowing in wetlands and riparian zones, depredation on ground‑nesting birds and small livestock, and serious risk of disease transmission (e.g., African swine fever) to domestic pigs and wildlife.alberta+4​

• These impacts are already significant enough that the province now formally lists wild boar at large as an agricultural pest, has a dedicated Wild Boar Control Program, and prohibits possession or movement of wild boar without a permit as of December 2025.cbc+4​

Evidence specific to central Alberta

• News and municipal discussions referencing Clearwater County and surrounding central‑Alberta municipalities frame the area more in terms of risk management and bylaw debates than as a current hotspot, suggesting that large, persistent sounders have not been documented there at the same level as in the core north‑central zone.producer+1​

• Provincial mapping and control‑program summaries do not show central Alberta (Red Deer / Clearwater / Rocky–Sylvan corridor) as a primary focus of trapping, but all sources stress that wild boar at large are under‑reported, highly mobile, and capable of rapid range expansion, so occasional animals or small sounders in central Alberta would not be surprising and should be treated seriously.cwbm+3​

How to verify damage locally

• Alberta’s “Squeal on Pigs” / Wild Boar Control Program asks landowners to report any suspected sign (rooted sod patches, wallows, tracks, trail‑cam images, or carcasses) through 310‑FARM, EDDMapS, municipal contacts, or the dedicated wildboar@gov.ab.ca address so crews can investigate and, if needed, trap entire sounders.abinvasives+5​

• Because sport hunting and ad‑hoc shooting tend to scatter and educate pigs, current guidance is to avoid opportunistic hunting and instead document sign, report precise locations, and work with the provincial trapping team if boar are confirmed in your area.afsc+3​

Practical field indicators for your surveys

• Typical field indicators in central Alberta landscapes would include: elongated patches of freshly turned sod in hay or tame pasture, rooting in cereal or silage crops, churned wetland margins, and distinctive cloven tracks and muddy rubs on trees or posts at about knee height.ucalgary+2​

• If you capture evidence (drone imagery, photos, GPS tracks), pairing that with immediate reporting will help determine whether what you are seeing is isolated transient animals or the beginnings of a resident sounder in your portion of central Alberta.albertaanimalhealthsource+3​

1. https://www.producer.com/news/wild-boar-called-major-disease-risk-in-alberta/
2. https://canadianhogjournal.com/2024/12/16/wild-boar-present-a-pain-for-producers/
3. https://www.alberta.ca/agri-news-wild-boar-control-program-update
4. https://cwbm.ca/wp-content/uploads/2022/05/4-Villeneuve-et-al.-11-1_2.pdf
5. https://abinvasives.ca/wp-content/uploads/2024/04/Hannah-McKenzie.pdf
6. https://www.alberta.ca/about-wild-boar-at-large
7. https://ucalgary.ca/news/ucalgary-student-tracks-albertas-invasive-wild-boar-population
8. https://afsc.ca/news/squeal-on-pigs-tackling-albertas-feral-pig-problem/
9. https://albertaanimalhealthsource.ca/content/wild-boar-alberta-what-you-need-know
10. https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/calgary/wild-boar-pest-nuisance-alberta-9.7001770
11. https://abinvasives.ca/squeal-on-pigs/
12. https://agriculturalserviceboards.com/2025/04/16/wild-boar-in-alberta-understanding-the-risks-and-potential-changes/
13. https://www.producer.com/news/alta-county-says-no-to-bylaw-banning-wild-boar/
14. https://calgaryherald.com/news/local-news/alberta-looking-to-step-up-the-fight-against-destructive-wild-boars
15. https://animalhealthcanada.ca/canadian-invasive-wild-pig-report-faqs
16. https://www.nationalhogfarmer.com/livestock-management/alberta-continues-to-mitigate-the-spread-of-wild-boar-at-large
17. https://animalhealthcanada.ca/pdfs/2023-CANADIAN-INVASIVE-WILD-PIG-REPORT-FINAL.pdf
18. https://calgaryherald.com/news/local-news/us-alberta-immigrunts-destructive-wild-boars
19. https://www.facebook.com/61554666299575/posts/breaking-i-alberta-introduces-stricter-rules-on-wild-boar-farming-and-huntingsta/122246369426155543/
20. https://www.ctvnews.ca/calgary/article/wild-boar-bounty-ends-in-four-alberta-municipalities-with-zero-submissions/