Caves and Hogs of Bankhead

[Uncle Wayne]

I've already shared this with a few of you but just so everyone else knows:

 I was invited to a meeting last Thursday night at the Bankhead Ranger office in Double Springs.  They were discussing the White Nose Syndrome that is killing bats all up and down the Appalachian Mountain chain.  They are not for sure how the disease is being spread but they fear it is by cavers entering an infected cave and then visiting another cave with the same equipment, clothes etc.

We were told the Fish and Wildlife division have already closed all caves in the Refuges around the state.  The Forest Service is going to do the same within a couple of weeks.  That will include all the caves in Bankhead.  Or at least that is what the Double Springs headquarters  is recommending.  They expect a decision by the first of May.  They have already printed signs to post at the various trailheads.   

They asked everyone to not enter any more caves until an answer to the White Nose Syndrome is found.  They have installed detection devices in two caves where the endangered Indiana  and Gray bats are nesting and posted signs warning people not to enter.  No confirmed case of WNS in Alabama yet so they are taking precautions to protect our bats and caves until they have a better idea what is causing the disease and it's spread.

That was a very informative meeting and , as I found out, open to the general public.  The next one is in July.  The agenda changes according to the needs of the forest and everyone had an opportunity to speak on any subject related to the forest.

They noted that the Forest Service had just finished it's annual burn and had burned over 16,000 acres.  They reported good results from this in controlling unwanted brush and an increase in quail and Turkey where the burns were completed.

Another thing they discussed was hogs.  So far they have trapped over 150 hogs and hunters have turned in 95 killed during the two week season prior to Turkey Season.  They are building some portable traps that can be moved to locations of fresh activity.  They currently have 12 fixed traps located through out the forest. They estimate the hog population at 1700 + in the Bankhead.  He admitted that was a “SWAG”.

[Cuffs]

Did they happen to say what they were doing with the trapped hogs?  They are non native and considered and invasive species, I hope they are not just releasing them elsewhere...  In FL, we did trap them, but there were released at either big game hunt camps (we were paid by the pound and the boars with tusks paid even more!) or they were cleaned and given to a group that used them for needy families.. Hunters for the Hungry (and that program is supported by the NRA)  It put alot of good meat on the table for lots of appreciative families.

[Nalgene Ninja]

In Conecuh NF they donate the meat (they said so during a presentation Saturday), I'd guess its the same in Bankhead.

[Uncle Wayne]

I'll just say that the hogs they trap won't invade anywhere else.  Good riddance.

[Joshua Szulecki]

Good riddance...and tasty!