Feral Pig Hunting in Kansas: What the Law Allows and Prohibits
November 11, 2026
Feral pig hunting in Kansas works differently than in almost every other pig-infested state, because sport hunting of feral swine is banned. While Texas and Oklahoma encourage hunters to shoot hogs year-round, Kansas took the opposite approach and reduced its wild pig population by closing the field to recreational hunters.
If you are searching for a guided hog hunt or a license to shoot pigs on public ground, you will not find one here. This article explains what the law says, who can legally kill a feral pig, what permits exist, and where your energy is better spent. You will also learn how to check the rules yourself, since wildlife regulations change.
Key Insight: Kansas treats feral swine as an agricultural pest, not a game animal. That means the Kansas Department of Agriculture, not just the wildlife agency, is your main point of contact.
Can You Hunt Feral Pigs in Kansas?
For sport, no. Kansas banned the practice with a law passed in 2006, but landowners or designated agents for landowners can hunt feral hogs on their properties after obtaining a permit from the Kansas Department of Agriculture’s Division of Animal Health.
The statute is blunt about intent. Under K.S.A. 47-1809, no person may engage in, sponsor, instigate, assist or profit from the killing, wounding or attempted killing of feral swine for sport, pleasure, amusement or production of a trophy.
The reasoning is practical. Hunters typically kill only three or four animals from a herd of perhaps 20, scattering the rest and letting them reproduce rapidly. Kansas officials concluded that sport hunting made eradication harder.
| Activity | Legal in Kansas? |
|---|---|
| Sport or trophy hunting of feral pigs | No |
| Landowner removing pigs from own land | Yes |
| Permitted designee removing pigs for a landowner | Yes, with an animal health commissioner permit |
| Guided or fee-based pig hunts | No |
| Hunting preserves with swine | No |
Feral Pig Status and Classification in Kansas
Kansas does not list feral pigs as wildlife or game. The statute defines feral swine broadly as any untamed or undomesticated hog, boar or pig, or swine whose reversion from the domesticated state to the wild state is apparent. Free-roaming swine with no tags or markings and no identifiable owner also fall under the definition.
The definition reaches beyond the animals most people picture. Feral swine includes the species Sus scrofa, including swine commonly known as Old World swine, Russian wild boar, European wild boar, Eurasian wild boar and razorbacks. Animals involved in domestic hog production are excluded.
The agency with the authority is the Kansas Department of Agriculture. Under the statute, the animal health commissioner or an authorized representative may destroy or require the destruction of any feral swine upon discovery.
Kansas has also been remarkably successful. Twelve of Kansas’ 13 isolated populations, some of which held more than 1,000 animals, have been totally eradicated. USDA feral pig biologist Curran Salter estimates the state’s wild pig population at 500 animals or fewer, according to the KLC Journal.
Feral Pig Hunting Season Dates or Year-Round Rules in Kansas
There is no feral pig season in Kansas, open or closed. Because sport hunting is prohibited, no season dates, hunting hours, or opening days apply. One older state-by-state summary lists the hog season simply as “No season.”
What exists instead is a standing exception. Landowners and their permitted designees may remove pigs found on the property year-round, because the goal is eradication rather than recreation. The statute says the ban does not prevent owners or legal occupants from killing any feral swine when found on their premises or when destroying property.
Do not confuse this with deer or turkey rules. If you want a regulated season, check the Kansas deer hunting season or turkey hunting season pages instead.
License and Permit Requirements for Feral Pig Hunting in Kansas
A standard hunting license does not authorize you to shoot a feral pig in Kansas. The only legal route is landowner authority, or a written permit from the state to act on a landowner’s behalf.
The statute spells out the designee rule. Designees must have a permit issued by the animal health commissioner in their possession at the time of killing the feral swine. If you are not the landowner, carry that permit with you.
An older regulation summary adds that a non-landowner needs a permit issued from the livestock commissioner at the request of the landowner for the specific purpose of removing feral hogs from private land. The same source lists the Kansas Animal Health Division at 785-296-2326, but that summary is dated, so verify the number with the department.
Important Note: Several summaries describe the permit as coming from the “livestock commissioner,” while the statute names the “animal health commissioner.” Both refer to the Kansas Department of Agriculture’s Division of Animal Health. Call before you act.
Bag Limits and Possession Rules for Feral Pigs in Kansas
No bag limit applies to landowners removing feral pigs, and no daily or annual tag system exists. Older summaries list the limit as “No bag limit” for landowner removals.
Possession is where hunters get into trouble. Kansas follows a “kill and let lay” approach. Current laws permit killing hogs on private land in every Kansas county provided the landowner does not use the hog for any purpose. That means no mounting, no trophy, and no taking the animal for sale or sport.
The ban on live possession is separate and strict. No person shall import, transport or possess live feral swine in this state. If you are unsure how to handle a carcass, ask the Division of Animal Health before moving it.
Legal Weapons and Hunting Methods for Feral Pigs in Kansas
Kansas does not publish a sport-hunting weapons list for feral pigs, because sport hunting is not allowed. Landowners generally use the tools they would use for any pest on their own property, and the state’s professionals use specialized methods.
The official eradication program leans on three main tools:
- Trapping: Trapping has become the most efficient method, according to Salter. Newer BoarBuster traps hang about four feet off the ground and are triggered remotely.
- Aerial gunning: With pigs concentrated during late winter when the landscape is barren, aerial gunning with shotguns was very effective.
- Rifles with night vision: Biologists occasionally use rifles, often with night vision capabilities, when seeking individual animals.
Hobbyist hunting can undermine these efforts. The KLC Journal reports that all the work could be for naught if a sport hunter took a few shots in the immediate area. If you spot pigs on your land, trapping or reporting is usually better than shooting at them.
For general rules on archery or other implements in Kansas, see the bow hunting laws in Kansas page. Those rules apply to game species, not to feral swine.
Private Land and Public Land Feral Pig Hunting Rules in Kansas
On private land, only the landowner, legal occupant, their employees, or a permitted designee may kill feral pigs. A friend with a hunting license and permission to hunt is not enough. The designee needs the state-issued permit.
Trusts and LLCs add a wrinkle in other hunting contexts. KDWP notes that land deeded in a Trust, LLC, or other entity does not qualify for landowner permits for deer. That language applies to deer permits, so ask the Division of Animal Health how it treats entity-owned land for feral swine.
On public land, there is no sport opportunity. KDWP warns that Kansas public lands like state fishing lakes and wildlife areas have special use restrictions that can vary by location. Shooting pigs on a wildlife area for recreation would violate K.S.A. 47-1809.
Federal land is the same story in neighboring states. A U.S. Attorney’s office once prosecuted a guide who ran feral hog hunts in a national forest, noting a possible sentence of up to six months in federal prison plus a fine up to $500. That case was in Missouri, but it shows that guides who ignore land rules face real penalties.
Transport, Release, and Live Possession Rules for Feral Pigs in Kansas
This is the part of the law with the sharpest teeth, because releases created Kansas’s pig problem in the first place. People bought captured wild swine in the south and released them in their home state to create huntable populations.
The statute closes every loophole it can find:
- No person may import, transport or possess live feral swine in the state.
- No person may intentionally or knowingly release any hog, boar, pig or swine to live in a wild or feral state on public or private land.
- No person may engage in, sponsor, or assist in operating a contained hunting preserve of swine, feral or otherwise.
Fences count. Any tract with a fence or other apparatus used to prevent free roaming of swine that are to be hunted, and not used solely for domestic production, is deemed a contained hunting preserve.
Common Mistake: Hunters sometimes assume a trapped pig can be hauled across a county line for a “trophy hunt.” Kansas law prohibits transporting live feral swine, and the state treats releases as a serious offense.
Where to Hunt Feral Pigs or Report Sightings in Kansas
You cannot hunt feral pigs for sport anywhere in Kansas, so your best move is to report sightings. Reporting helps professionals trap whole groups before they scatter. Salter has trapped entire herds of 20 or more with remote cameras and a button push.
Pig activity concentrates in a few areas. The only established population within the state is confined to the Bourbon and Linn county areas, and herds are eradicated every year as they come into Kansas from Oklahoma. Southeast and south-central counties along the border see the most incursions.
Cooperation is high. Salter estimates 99% of Kansas landowners contacted have allowed trapping and aerial gunning. If you see rooting damage, wallows, or tracks, contact the USDA Wildlife Services Kansas office. An older listing gives 785-537-6855, so confirm the number before calling.
If you still want to hunt pigs, you will need to travel. Oklahoma and Texas, which border Kansas, have much larger populations and different rules. Check their wildlife agencies for current regulations before you go.
For hunting you can do legally at home, look at coyote hunting laws in Kansas, pheasant hunting season in Kansas, or dove hunting season in Kansas.
How to Confirm Current Feral Pig Regulations With Kansas’s Wildlife Agency
Feral swine rules sit with two agencies, so contact both. The Kansas Department of Wildlife and Parks (KDWP) handles game and public-land regulations. The Kansas Department of Agriculture’s Division of Animal Health handles feral swine permits.
Here is a simple verification routine:
- Read the current statute at the Kansas Revisor of Statutes. The K.S.A. 47-1809 entry is the controlling law for feral swine.
- Check KDWP’s hunting applications and fees page and note that Kansas regulations can be found on the Kansas Secretary of State’s website.
- Call the Division of Animal Health and USDA Wildlife Services before shooting, trapping, or designating anyone to act on your land.
- Get any designee permit in writing and keep it on you.
Pair this with the general hunting laws in Kansas overview for licensing and hunter education basics that apply to other species.
Pro Tip: Take a screenshot or printout of the statute and your permit to the field. If a game warden asks questions, written authority settles things quickly.
Kansas has chosen eradication over recreation, and the numbers suggest it worked. “Kansas has pigs, and we may always have pigs, but we no longer have a pig problem,” says Salter. Your role as a hunter, landowner, or neighbor is to follow the law and report what you see.