Introduction
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An 88-year-old woman’s property is being destroyed by feral hogs, ruining her efforts to improve the appearance and leaving holes for her to trip over.
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The hogs came from adjacent property owned by the city of Sanford.
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A professional hunter said he asked the city to remove the pigs from their property to protect the elderly woman, but the city refused.
Seminole County, Florida – An 88-year-old Seminole County woman says feral hogs are tearing up four acres of her property, leaving deep holes and widespread damage that she fears could cause her to fall.
Mary Pressley, who has lived at the property since 1967, said the problem is worse this year than ever before.
Homeowner
what are they talking about
Mary Presley’s husband died six years ago. Since then, she has had to maintain her four acres of land in Seminole County. Now, however, she has an old enemy: the wild boar. This year, she said, they’re causing more damage than ever before.
“They started tearing up and destroying everything,” Presley said. “It breaks your heart when you work so hard for it.”
pigs
The Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC) states that each sow can give birth to 26 piglets per year. They can grow up to six feet long and weigh up to 200 pounds. When threatened, they can attack with their sharp fangs.
The pigs took root in the ground, leaving huge holes, and she worried she might trip over them. Presley does have barbed wire, but it doesn’t stop the feral hogs.
hunting
Presley’s friend Daniel Levesque was a professional hunter. He runs a company called Rare Breeds Fishing Charters.
“I’m not going to eradicate these things,” Levesque said. “But we can definitely thin them out and keep them out of her yard.”
He went out with a compound bow. Another friend set several traps.
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After that, Presley said, she thought they could breathe a little easier.
“But then they were worse off than ever,” she said.
Hiccups
The FWC says they do not provide feral hog removal services, but feral hogs can be harvested and hunted year-round without a hunting license as long as they have permission from the landowner.
Trail cameras showed the pigs came in through the woods, which is land owned by the city of Sanford. He needed their permission to hunt there.
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Levesque said he went to the city of Sanford last September and asked for permission to kill hogs on their land. They turned him away. This meant he had to wait until they reached Presley’s property and began destroying it before he could take action.
what’s next
Levesque said the offer to step in and help City remains valid.
“If they specifically need something from me, I’m sure I can provide it,” he said. “Whether it’s a retained injury or some level of insurance or even some form of rental agreement.”
Pressley said she doesn’t care how things are done:
“I hope the remaining pigs are taken care of.”
city ​​reaction
FOX 35 News reporter Marie Edinger contacted the city of Sanford about this story. They said they are investigating the matter. Ettinger did see one of their trucks returning to the residence while speaking with Presley.
source
FOX 35’s Marie Edinger spoke with Mary Pressley, who says feral hogs are tearing up four acres of her property, the city of Sanford, the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC) and Rare Breeds Fishing Charter owner Daniel Levesque.
