When trying to remove a massively reproductive invasive species you look at all the tools on the table.
Where habitat and terrain allows, aerial operations are without a doubt the quickest way to achieve the greatest
drop in invasive feral swine numbers.
When I was still with the agency we utilized judas hogs, in conjunction with corral trapping, making aerial hunting even
more effective in our state where density and distance between populations was greater than it is in many states that
are currently overrun by this top notch invader.
Factually the best example of a successful operation that removed feral hogs rapidly utilizing multiple methods in a coordinated
campaign was done by "pro hunt" now going by "native range." These folks are out of NZ and perform large scale projects on a
variety of levels. I remember seeing this talk at a national hog conference back then, very impressive work, not cheap, but they
were basically agreeing to a price up front and thus if they finished early, they kept more income.
Since I know "wildlifeus" (cody) is interested in talking about private versus govt. work and removing WS from the equation, here
is an example of feral hog control done by a private entity for more funds than I've seen spent on any single project in the continental
United States for them.
http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0006320709004935I had the pleasure of pursuing this invasive species in multiple states and most of my time here in NM when still a fed was coordinating
a program that is now close to achieving their complete eradication utilizing some of the most innovative methods available for detection
of remaining populations currently.
Have seen folks try to shoot their way out using hunters and dogs (takes hogs but scatters hogs all over and onto property without access
leaving refuges along the way for them to hold up and repopulate before returning.
Trapping with corral traps and repeating doors takes large numbers, and when used with remote monitoring systems is a great way to extend
funds though initial investment is high.
Flying into a valley or over a drainage and being able to remove an entire sounder of 30-40+ hogs in moments is by far the most efficient way
if you have the numbers to not have you covering too much ground to find them, or have judas hogs to track on to enable detection.
I get that you argue for the private industry that I'm a part of and that WS (my former shop) isn't needed, but with hogs and aerial hunting I'd probably
avoid talking about a waste of funds when it is absolutely effective and against an invader that is one of the worst ecological disasters ever released by
humans on the landscape.