Gunning District Landcare hosted a very informative day at Dalton Anglican Church Hall recently. Speakers from Local Land Services included biosecurity Officers Scott Schlunke and Gina Guinane who explained feral pig biology and behaviour, as well as early warning signs indicating if pigs are active in your area. Local Land Services District Veterinarian Alex Stephens discussed important health concerns we all need to be aware of and simple precautions we can take like wearing eye protection, face mask and gloves when handling feral animal carcases.

Mick Calleja from the Rural Police squad explained where a landholder stands in regard to illegal hunting, the use of CCTV cameras and trespassing. Mick also gave some tips to help protect your property from thief. Peter West from the Invasive Animals CRC (DPI), and the developer of FERALSCAN, explained how FERALSCAN can be used to track and monitor feral animal populations and options to restrict this information to a private group. Monitoring cameras were also discussed in detail, including what models suit what purpose, placement, and others tips and tricks for successful use.

Participants learnt what methods of control are available and saw some practical demonstrations explaining how to bait and trap effectively.

A jam packed morning that delivered some excellent and practical information. If we work together as a community, we can keep pigs in low and manageable numbers.