The Tottenham branch of NSW Farmers undertook a feral pig bounty trial in January and their huge haul is buoying hopes the bounty debate will be elevated to the top of the pig management agenda.

The trial was a joint operation involving NSW Farmers Tottenham branch and the Australian Pig Doggers and Hunters Association (APDHA).

It yielded 1427 pigs from a 51,869 hectare trial site in the Tottenham area.

NSW Farmers member Ben Nicholls said the trial had shown a bounty system had real potential to complement the success of Local Land Services programs by actively ramping up pressure on feral pigs simultaneously across the state.

He said a bounty of $20 per pig snout would “invigorate people already out there, who know the area where the pigs are and how to catch them.

“There is an army of such people out in the regions, let’s make use of them.”

Member for Barwon, Roy Butler threw his support behind the idea and said the results were fantastic.

“I have been advocating a collaborative and holistic approach to pest control for a long. This is a perfect example of that approach,” Mr Butler said.

“Two peak bodies with the same interests at heart, working together to achieve a fantastic outcome for agriculture and biodiversity in NSW.

"Along with the effort from LLS at controlling pig numbers, I think we have something good going on here.”

Recent pig bounty trials in Tottenham are hoped to raise interest in introducing this feral pig control method.

Locally based APDHA hunters were asked to hunt as if a bounty was on the table ($20 per snout) and provide data on the number of pigs killed, whether they were male or female and whether or not the pigs were of breeding age.

Information was sought on whether pigs were shot, caught with dogs or trapped.

“Data collection in 2024 showed the average yield per hunter per month settled at 17.06 pigs.

"During the Tottenham bounty trial, that average settled at 158 pigs per hunter for the month,” Mr Butler said.

The trial was prompted by an October 2024 NSW Farmers State Executive resolution “that the NSW State Government, through the LLS, initiate a feral pig bounty of $20 per pig…to incentivise professional and licensed recreational hunters to help

dramatically reduce the feral pig population”.

Mr Nicholls said many of the pigs killed in the trial were in the same area as a Local Lands Services helicopter shoot 14 months ago (2290 pigs shot on 300,522 hectares or one pig per 131 hectares).

“This emphasises, without continual hunting pressure the pigs breed up or move in from surrounding areas to repopulate helicopter-controlled areas quickly,” he said.

APDHA National President Ned Makim said the organisation welcomed the chance to support NSW Farmers but emphasised the project was not an attack on existing control methods.

“Hunters aren’t the solution but are demonstrably part of the solution and have the capacity to maintain constant pressure on populations, especially with a small payment to help cover their costs," Mr Makim said.

Mr Nicholls said a bounty would allow participants to invest in better equipment including thermal imaging gear and trapping materials.

Mr Makim agreed saying APDHA research had estimated an average cost to hunters of $60.67 per pig.

“We are convinced a $20 bounty return on each pig would increase hunter activity and effectiveness,” he said.