Feral hogs and wild hog hunting in Florida

Feral hogs in Florida: where they are

Few states have had wild hogs as long as Florida. The Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC) says hogs have been here for centuries and may have arrived with Spanish explorer Hernando de Soto in 1539. Today FWC reports wild hogs in all 67 counties. That's up from a 1975 statewide survey that found hogs in 66 of 67 counties, with only heavily urbanized or intensively farmed areas left out. FWC does not publish a statewide head count, and we won't make one up.

If hogs are in every county, they're in your backyard too. Suburban edges are not immune. Manatee County, on the south side of Tampa Bay, has run its own control work after hogs tore up neighborhoods and green space. Public landowners also step in. The Southwest Florida Water Management District holds managed hog hunts that have taken hundreds of hogs off its tracts, and FWC opens spring and summer hog hunts on a number of wildlife management areas.

The damage looks the same as anywhere in the Southeast: rooted-up pasture and sod, torn lawns and golf courses, wallows in wetlands, and competition with deer and turkey for acorns. Wild hogs can also carry brucellosis, so wear gloves when you field dress one. Our guide to wild boar vs. feral hog explains why Floridians use both names for the same animal.

Feral hog status	Present in all 67 counties (FWC)
Hunting license on private land	Not required, with landowner permission
Season / bag limit on private land	Year-round; no bag, possession or size limit
Night hunting	Allowed on private land with a gun and light, with landowner permission
Public land (WMAs)	Specified seasons only; area permit, method and bag rules apply
Dogs	Allowed year-round on private land with written permission; tracking collars required
Live transport	Not allowed without an FDACS Feral Swine Dealer Permit

Hog hunting and trapping rules in Florida

As of 2026, FWC rules make Florida one of the simplest states for wild hog hunting on private property and one of the more detailed ones on public land.

Private land

With the landowner's permission, wild hogs may be hunted year-round, day or night, with no bag, possession or size limit, and no hunting license or permit is required. That includes taking hogs at night with a gun and a light. You can also trap hogs year-round on private land with the same permission.

Hog dogs are a long Florida tradition, and the rules account for them. Wild hogs are one of the species that may be chased with free-running dogs all year. Dogs need written landowner permission to pursue hogs on private property. Any dog that isn't physically restrained has to wear a collar with remote tracking (GPS or telemetry) and behavior correction.

Wildlife management areas

On public land, wild hogs can be taken on WMAs only during specified seasons, and permit, method-of-take and bag-limit rules can apply area by area. FWC lists only a couple of areas open to hog hunting all year, the Kissimmee Chain of Lakes Area and the Rolling Meadows Unit. It also runs spring and summer hog hunts on other WMAs. Read the brochure for the exact WMA you plan to hunt, because no two are quite the same.

Trapping and moving live hogs

You can trap hogs, but you cannot transport them alive without a Feral Swine Dealer Permit from the Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services (FDACS, 850-410-0900). If you don't hold that permit, plan to dispatch hogs at the trap. Our trapping guide covers corral traps that catch a whole sounder instead of one or two pigs.

For anything not covered here, call your FWC regional office before you go.

Cooking wild hog, Florida style

Florida's signature pork dish is Cuban: lechón asado, pork marinated in mojo (sour orange, plenty of garlic, oregano and cumin) and roasted low and slow. Wild boar is a natural fit, because the citrus works on lean meat. Marinate a shoulder roast for 12–24 hours, roast it covered at 300°F (149°C) until it pulls apart, and serve it with black beans, rice and the pan juices.

For Nochebuena or a big family party in Miami or Tampa, roast a skin-on whole wild boar in a caja china or over coals. Our whole hog roasting guide walks through the timing. Check that the thickest part of the shoulder reads at least 160°F (71°C).

Wild boar meat delivery to Florida

We ship wild boar from our plant in Hubbard, Texas to every part of Florida — frozen, vacuum sealed and packed with dry ice. Estimated transit: 3–4 days by ground; 2-day air recommended (estimate), including Jacksonville, Miami, Tampa, Orlando and St. Petersburg. Orders over $199.00 ship free; smaller orders ship for a flat $39.95.

Estimate from Hubbard, TX; the Panhandle usually arrives sooner than South Florida. We ship Monday through Wednesday so boxes don't sit in a hot terminal over the weekend.

Feral hogs in Florida: FAQ

Sources

1. FWC — Wild hog
2. Florida Hunting Regulations (eRegulations) — General information: wild hogs, dogs, Feral Swine Dealer Permit
3. FOX 13 — Hog hunt registration opens in Florida (FWC on de Soto, 1539)
4. SEAFWA (1976) — Distribution, relative abundance and management needs of feral hogs in Florida
5. Southwest Florida Water Management District — Hunts help the District control the wild hog population
6. ABC Action News — Manatee County officials work to control wild hog population
7. USDA APHIS — Feral swine distribution maps

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