Photo: A mob of pigs on the move near Conimbia during last week’s aerial shoot. The contractor involved shot their daily record.
An aerial pig shooting operator says there’s been no lack of business in Coonamble with a shoot last week producing a record number of kills.
The helicopter operator was in the sky above properties belonging to 20 landowners in the Coonamble and Warren areas for a private seven-day shoot, where they shot almost 4300 of the pests.
The contractors, who has been contracting for about five years, said they shot a daily record of 1109 pigs during the week.
“Because of all these wet years, there’s been plenty of food, plenty of shelter,” he said.
“Peak numbers were a lot higher two years ago, then they sort of dipped and they’re on the rise again now, in my opinion.”
Similar to the pig cull north west of Coonamble the week before, a coalition of private landowners co-ordinated to organise the operation.
Kane Younghusband, who grows wheat, chickpeas, faba beans and canola, was one of the property owners involved in the shoot.
He said feral pig numbers are “the worst they’ve been in years” and control is becoming urgent as the damage to newly sown crops begins to climb.
“It’s very important that we try to reduce these numbers.
“As it is we’re already going to have to replant one block.
“Aerial shoots in conjunction with other control efforts are very important.
“The pigs are bad for farmers, but they’re also bad environmentally,” said Younghusband.
He estimates they shot approximately between 250 to 300 pigs on his property.
Nearby farmer Bill Mackay was also part of the shoot.
He said the pigs were “highly destructive” to fences and cropping.
In October 2023, the NSW Government announced a $13 million Feral Pig Program and set a target of controlling 87,000 feral pigs across the state.
In just over 8 months the LLS exceeded this target, controlling a total of 112,888 feral pigs.
Of these, 13,546 were culled through coordinated trapping programs and 99,342 were controlled during 49 FAAST aerial control programs.
There are no records available for the number of animals culled through privately-funded activities such as the recent local aerial shoots.
With the problem not abating, Local Land Services say it is important to “use all the tools in the toolbox.”
“Not all control methods are created equal,” they said.
They acknowledge that all pest control takes up precious time and money.
“Let’s get the most out of the time we are dedicating to controlling pests by selecting the best control techniques for the job.”
Local Land Services recommends primary methods of control be used every breeding cycle, such as ground baiting to target pigs every four months.
In between baiting events, shooting and trapping can be effective secondary methods.