Laws not clear on dealing with feral pigs

There's still no sign of those feral pot-bellied pigs supposedly roaming western Minnesota near Big Stone Lake, but it turns out the law is pretty fuzzy about what the Department of Natural Resources can do about them.

That's because the pigs, though roaming wild, are considered domestic animals and not wildlife.

"There aren't clear laws and policies to deal with this kind of thing," said Ed Boggess, deputy director of the DNR's Fish and Wildlife Division. The DNR is considering drafting legislation that would more clearly allow it to deal with feral pigs.

But in the meantime, Boggess said the DNR will act -- if it finds the pigs.

"It's not going to stop us from trying to do something about this situation," Boggess said. "If we can locate them and get authorization from the land owner, we'll do what we can to remove them."

Normally, if domestic animals were running wild, the owner would be asked to round them up. But obviously no owner has come forward for the estimated 25 to 50 feral pigs. They are a concern because they can spread disease to wild and domestic animals, and they damage wildlife habitat. Release of them into the wild is illegal, Boggess said.

Anyone with any information on the whereabouts of the pigs is asked to call the DNR at 320-752-4394.

But Park Service officials also said a lead ban for visitors might come eventually. They agreed the agency's news release, which sparked nationwide interest and concern, was confusing at best.

"It was unclear," said Jody Lyle, NPS spokeswoman from Washington. "What we were announcing is that we are embarking on an effort to clean up first our own in-house practices. And then we do hope in the future to look at the potential to also transition away from recreational use of lead ammunition and fishing tackle."

National groups representing the hunting, shooting and angling industry protested the plans. But Lyle said the agency also got positive responses, too.

Meanwhile, Voyageurs National Park Superintendent Mike Ward said there would be public meetings and input before any lead ban for park visitors.

"I think the intent may be to move toward banning lead, but it will have to go through a process," he said.

Dove hunting ban?

It's been five years since mourning dove hunting was reinstated in Minnesota after a nearly 60-year absence, but the effort to reinstate the ban arises almost yearly at the Legislature. This year is no exception. Bills have been introduced in the House (HF1321) and Senate (SF1710). Chief authors are Rep. Karen Clark, DFL-Minneapolis and Sen. Scott Dibble, DFL-Minneapolis. But at least one key legislator says passage is a very long shot.

"I wouldn't give it any chance of passage," said Sen. Satveer Chaudhary, DFL-Fridley, chairman of the Senate Environment and Natural Resources Committee.

The bill likely would have to go through Chaudhary's committee, and he opposes it.

"We did hear extensive testimony on this bill two years ago, and it really didn't have support," he said.

• A bill (SF1657) introduced at the Senate would abolish the DNR, the state Pollution Control Agency and the Board of Water and Soil Resources, with an aim to combine those agencies.

• Kim Hennings, longtime head of the DNR's wildlife land acquisition program, suffered a stroke last week. Hennings, 56, of White Bear Lake, is recovering at Regions Hospital in St. Paul. "His fingerprints are all over this state's wildlife management area system," said C.B. Bylander, DNR outreach coordinator. Hennings has been a key player as the state has accelerated its land acquisition program recently. Updates on Hennings' condition is available at www.caringbridge.org. • The snow goose migration is in full form in South Dakota, and light geese have been spotted in western Minnesota, too.