Feral Pig Hunting in Vermont: What the Law Allows and What to Do Instead
November 10, 2026
Feral pig hunting in Vermont looks nothing like it does in Texas or Georgia. There is no hog season, no bag limit, and no established population to chase, and the state treats every confirmed pig as a problem to remove quickly.
That does not mean the topic is simple. Vermont law defines feral swine in specific terms, requires anyone who kills one to report it, and bans moving live hogs around the state.
This article walks through each rule you need to know, from classification and licensing to weapons, land access, and who to call. If you hunt in Vermont, Vermont’s broader hunting laws still apply to everything below.
Important Note: Vermont’s feral swine rules have been amended several times, and a 2025 bill (H.230) proposes more changes to Title 10. Treat this article as a starting point and confirm details with Vermont Fish and Wildlife before you head out.
Can You Hunt Feral Pigs in Vermont?
Technically yes, but in practice there is almost nothing to hunt. Vermont has no established feral pig population, and the state’s goal is to keep it that way. As the Vermont Fish and Wildlife Department’s David Sausville told WCAX, the state has never had an established feral pig population and has been able to remove animals when reports come in.
The few pigs that show up are usually lone animals. In the 2023 Tunbridge case, USDA specialists working with game wardens baited and killed a wild boar. USDA Wildlife Services’ Brendan Popp said it was the fourth feral swine in four years.
Many of these animals trace back to Corbin Park, a private hunting preserve across the state line in New Hampshire. According to VTDigger, most pigs found in Vermont turn out to be escaped Russian boars from that preserve.
Feral Pig Status and Classification in Vermont
Vermont does not manage feral pigs as game. A Vermont Fish and Wildlife wildlife director once explained that they are not a game animal or a protected species. They are an invasive, non-native animal handled through state and federal removal efforts.
The legal definition matters because it decides whether the animal in front of you is feral swine or someone’s escaped livestock. Under 10 V.S.A. § 4709, a feral swine is any one of three things:
- A domestic pig that has been outside an enclosure for more than 96 hours and is free roaming on public or private land
- An animal with specific skeletal traits, such as an elongated snout, a steep ridge along the back (a “razorback”), small hindquarters, or visible tusks
- An animal that genetic testing shows to be a Eurasian wild boar or a boar-domestic hybrid
The species behind most sightings is the wild boar (Sus scrofa), often mixed with the domestic pig (Sus domestica). Seven Days noted that Vermont’s feral pigs are probably a mix of the two rather than pure boars.
Common Mistake: Shooting any pig you see in the woods. A pig that escaped a farm last week may be livestock, not feral swine, and the owner could hold you responsible. The same Vermont wildlife director warned that hunters should confirm what they are shooting before taking a shot.
Feral Pig Hunting Season Dates or Year-Round Rules in Vermont
Vermont does not publish a feral pig season. Because the animal is neither a game species nor a protected one, there are no opening or closing dates for it in the state’s hunting regulations.
Even so, that does not turn Vermont into an open-season hog state. The reporting and carcass requirements covered below apply every time a feral swine is killed, regardless of the month. Older state-by-state compilations such as Hogman Outdoors list Vermont’s hunting season, limit, and license fields as not applicable and ask that sightings go to wildlife officials.
If you want to be in the woods anyway, the regular seasons are your real calendar. Deer, bear, and turkey seasons shape when other hunters are afield and what orange requirements apply. See our guides to deer hunting season in Vermont, bear hunting season in Vermont, and turkey hunting season in Vermont.
License and Permit Requirements for Feral Pig Hunting in Vermont
The licensing picture is less clear than for regulated game. A Vermont wildlife official has said a feral pig can be taken without special permission, though the hunter must still have a license. That comment dates to a roughly 2014 news report, so verify it before relying on it.
Vermont’s statute also states that a person generally cannot take wild animals or fish without first obtaining a license. For most people, the safe move is to carry a valid Vermont hunting license if you plan to hunt anything, and to call a game warden before touching a pig. Details on costs and hunter education are in our Vermont hunting license requirements guide.
One thing that does not require a permit is a transport or possession permit, because the state will not issue one for live feral swine. That is covered in the live possession section below.
| Situation | What Vermont Expects |
|---|---|
| Killing a feral swine | Report to a state game warden and present the carcass |
| Hunting other game | Valid Vermont license and season rules apply |
| Possessing a live feral pig | Not permitted; no permit can be issued |
| Spotting a pig | Report it to wildlife officials |
Bag Limits and Possession Rules for Feral Pigs in Vermont
Vermont sets no published daily or season bag limit for feral pigs. The more important rule is what happens after a pig is down. Under 10 V.S.A. § 4709, anyone who kills a feral swine in Vermont must report it to a state game warden, and the statute continues with requirements for presenting the animal.
A Bennington Banner column quoting the state’s guidance describes the same rule: report to a game warden and present the carcass within 24 hours so officials can test the animal for disease. The columnist notes he found this online and could not fully confirm the original post, so check the current statute text for the exact wording.
The reason is practical. Officials want to learn whether the pig carried disease and where it came from. In the Tunbridge case, the animal went to a lab to find out whether someone had trucked pigs in from elsewhere.
Pro Tip: Do not field-dress, butcher, or move a feral pig before you speak with a game warden. Take photos of the animal and location, note the time, and call right away.
Legal Weapons and Hunting Methods for Feral Pigs in Vermont
No feral-pig-specific weapon list exists in Vermont. Since the state does not run a hog season, there is no published rule on night hunting, baiting, dogs, or thermal optics for pigs the way southern states publish them. Do not assume practices legal in Texas or Wisconsin carry over.
What you can count on is that Vermont’s general hunting rules still shape what is lawful. For example, Vermont’s bow hunting laws and firearm restrictions apply, and baiting is a method where Vermont’s rules for game animals are strict. When USDA Wildlife Services baits a feral pig, they do so as an authorized agency working with wardens, not as a private hunter.
If you ever do get a legitimate chance at a pig, caliber matters. American Hunter’s guidance on feral swine is that if a cartridge is legal and adequate for deer, it will work on hogs with the right projectile. Pigs are tough, so shot placement and bullet construction count.
Private Land and Public Land Feral Pig Hunting Rules in Vermont
On private land, you need the landowner’s permission just as you would for any other animal. Vermont does allow landowners some latitude to protect their property. A New Hampshire official quoted in a regional study report said people may protect private property from animal damage, and a license was not required for a pig rooting in a backyard garden. That comment was about New Hampshire, so Vermont landowners should ask a warden how it applies here.
Public land follows normal state rules. Some online guides say a hunting license covers both public and private land and that the Department of Forests, Parks and Recreation oversees public land use, though those pages are not official sources and give prices that may be out of date. Check with the agency managing the parcel before you go.
Also, do not go looking for a pig on your own after a confirmed sighting. In the Randolph Center case, a USDA specialist asked residents not to interfere, because trying to locate the animal could scare it away and undermine trapping efforts.
Transport, Release, and Live Possession Rules for Feral Pigs in Vermont
This is the strictest part of Vermont’s swine law. Under 10 V.S.A. § 4709(a), no one may bring into, transport within, or possess any live wild animal, including any manner of feral swine, without authorization from the Commissioner.
The statute goes further. It says the Commissioner shall not issue a permit for importing or possessing live feral swine, a list that covers wild boar, wild hog, feral pig, feral hog, razorback, and Eurasian or Russian wild boar. In plain terms, you cannot get permission to keep one.
That ban has a history. Vermont law now prohibits keeping wild pigs for hunting, which followed an escape from a private hunting facility in East Charleston, as reported by Vermont Public. So fenced boar hunts are not an option in the state.
Releasing animals is also restricted. The statute includes a section on releasing domestic pets into the wild, and live trapping and relocating a pig yourself is not a safe workaround.
- Do not trap, cage, or tow a live feral pig.
- Do not move a carcass across the state line without checking both states’ rules.
- Do not release any pig, domestic or otherwise, onto public or private land.
- Call wildlife officials and let USDA Wildlife Services handle live animals.
Where to Hunt Feral Pigs or Report Sightings in Vermont
There is no place in Vermont where you can reliably hunt feral pigs. Population estimates reflect that. A-Z Animals’ state table lists Vermont’s feral hog population as none. Older estimates from a researcher quoted by Seven Days put the number at fewer than 100 animals.
Reporting is where hunters can actually help. The USDA initiative described by Vermont Public asks residents to watch for rooting, wallows, and tree rubs, and officials use that information to estimate numbers. Feral swine often leave tracks similar to deer, though hooves are rounder and more splayed with blunt tips.
Federal USDA APHIS staff based in Berlin respond to feral swine reports in Vermont, according to the White River Valley Herald. When you see signs, record where and when you saw them and contact Vermont Fish and Wildlife or USDA Wildlife Services.
If you want to chase hogs, you will have to travel. States with established populations run regular seasons, though each has its own rules. For Vermont-based hunting, coyote hunting is a more realistic predator option at home. You can also read about Vermont’s endangered animals to understand why invasive species control matters.
How to Confirm Current Feral Pig Regulations With Vermont’s Wildlife Agency
Because the rules change, go to the source. Start with Vermont Fish and Wildlife (vtfishandwildlife.com) and ask to speak with a game warden or the regional wildlife office. For live animals or sightings, USDA APHIS Wildlife Services is the responding federal agency.
Read the actual text of 10 V.S.A. § 4709 on the Vermont legislature’s site. Also look at any pending changes, such as the H.230 bill text, which proposes amendments to the same section and to the Commissioner’s authority over wildlife.
A short checklist keeps your call efficient:
- Ask whether a hunting license is required to take a feral swine on your parcel
- Ask how and where to present a carcass, and how fast
- Ask whether any method restrictions apply to your weapon or setup
- Ask who to notify if you see a pig on a neighbor’s land
Key Insight: For Vermont, the useful question is not “how do I hunt hogs” but “how do I help remove one fast.” Reporting quickly, preserving the carcass, and staying out of the way of trappers is the legal route that works.
Feral pig hunting in Vermont is really a reporting and removal issue. Know the definition, never keep a live pig, report any kill to a game warden, and confirm details with the agency before you act. Pair this with the state’s overall hunting regulations and you will stay on the right side of the law.