The Missouri Department of Conservation has cleared large numbers of wild pigs from many regions in the state. In Southeast Missouri alone MDC crews removed 3,849 feral hogs. This is the region were the most hogs reside in the state. Last year the Department of Conservation along with the help of other agencies established regulations against feral hog hunting on lands owned and managed by these three organizations.  Other agencies have passed regulations similar to MDC’s to eliminate hog hunting on land they own. Feral hogs have expanded their range in the U.S. from 17 to 38 states over the past 30 years. Their populations grow rapidly because feral hogs can breed any time of year and produce two litters of one to seven piglets every 12 to 15 months. These animals are also known to carry the diseases of swine brucellosis, pseudorabies, trichinosis and leptospirosis, which are concerns to Missouri agriculture and residents.