Feral pigs cause extensive damage to crops, pastures, water sources, and infrastructure. Our professional feral‑pig control programs use safe, effective, and compliant methods to reduce populations and protect rural properties. We help landholders minimize soil disturbance, prevent disease spread, and restore land productivity.
Feral pigs are one of the most destructive invasive pest animals in New South Wales, causing widespread damage to agricultural land, natural ecosystems, and rural infrastructure. Their rooting behaviour leads to severe soil disturbance, erosion, pasture loss, fence damage, and contamination of water sources. Feral pigs also pose a serious bio-security and disease risk, with the ability to spread parasites and livestock diseases across large areas due to their mobility and rapid breeding rates.
Under the NSW Bio-security Act, landholders have a general bio-security duty to manage and reduce the impacts of pest animals on their land. When left unmanaged, feral pig populations can quickly expand, increasing damage to neighbouring properties and the wider landscape. Effective and timely control is essential to protect livestock, cropping systems, and long‑term land condition.
Successful feral pig control in NSW requires a planned, lawful and strategic approach. No single method is effective on its own; instead, Davrac delivers integrated management programs using a combination of approved techniques selected according to terrain, pig activity, seasonal conditions and landholder objectives.
Our licensed controllers utilize NSW‑approved, best‑practice methods including:
Program Timeline
Initial Assessment (Week 1)
Property inspection, mapping, and identification of pig pressure
Review of water points, feed availability and seasonal drivers
Control Phase (Weeks 2–6)
Integrated baiting, trapping and shooting operations
Neighbour coordination to maximize long‑term impact
Monitoring Phase (Ongoing)
Camera traps and follow‑up patrols
Adjustments based on seasonal movement
Compliance & Welfare
All control activities are conducted with a strong focus on animal welfare, safety and regulatory compliance, meeting NSW legislative and biosecurity requirements. Full reporting is provided for landholder records.
Planned for long-term impact
Davrac focuses on reducing livestock losses, lowering pest activity, limiting damage and improving long-term productivity — not just delivering a once-off visit and hoping for the best.
Licensed, insured and compliant
All operations are conducted lawfully, safely and in line with NSW requirements. Davrac is fully licensed and carries $20 million public liability insurance.
Property-specific programs
Every property is different. Programs are tailored to property size, terrain, activity levels, seasonal conditions and landholder objectives.
Clear reporting and better visibility
Operations are backed by structured planning, GPS mapping/reporting and on-ground assessment, with aerial drone surveying also used to better understand pest activity where relevant.
Coordinated control where possible
Neighbour-aligned and group control programs can help suppress re-infestation and produce stronger landscape-level outcomes than isolated one-off work.
Feral pigs leave highly distinctive ground disturbance, rooting, tracks, wallows, and scats, making them one of the easiest invasive pest species to detect. Their impact on the landscape is often severe, widespread, and rapid, which is why NSW Government identifies feral pigs as a priority biosecurity threat due to environmental damage, agricultural losses, and disease‑spread risk.
Rooting is the clearest and most common sign of feral pig activity.
Typical features include:
Pigs root for tubers, worms, fungi, grubs, crop seed, and pasture roots.NSW Government notes that rooting contributes to erosion, waterway degradation, and weed spread.
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Pig tracks are rounded, wide, and blunt, unlike the pointed shape of deer.
Key characteristics:
Common locations:
Tracking is especially useful for estimating mob size and movement patterns.
Pig scats vary significantly depending on diet.
Typical features:
Often found:
Scats help identify feeding behaviour and seasonal food sources
Feral pigs wallow to cool down, hydrate, and control parasites.
Signs of active wallows:
Wallows are often reused, expanding over time and damaging wetlands and riparian zones, a key NSW environmental concern.
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After wallowing, pigs rub against solid objects to remove mud and parasites.
Look for:
This is a high‑confidence indicator of regular pig movement.
Feral pigs are opportunistic predators, especially during lambing or drought.
Evidence may include:
NSW Government identifies predation as a major cause of lamb losses in pig‑affected regions.
Feral pigs cause significant agricultural losses across NSW.
Common signs:
Damage is often worst near crop edges, water sources, and high‑cover areas.
Pigs create well‑defined movement corridors.
Features include:
These trails are often used daily, making them ideal for monitoring or trapping.
In high‑density areas, pigs can be detected by:
While less reliable than physical signs, these cues assist during spotlighting, thermal imaging, or night surveillance.
Engaging professional feral pig management services can help landholders to:
Across New South Wales, effective feral pig control relies on property‑specific management programs rather than one‑off treatments. Each property presents different challenges, and successful outcomes depend on using the right mix of control methods at the right time.
Tailored feral pig management programs ensure landholders receive practical, results‑driven solutions that align with their operational needs, while meeting their responsibilities under NSW biosecurity legislation.