“Wild boars are generally a threat to our animals and the environment, as well as a carrier of diseases such as African swine fever,” Agriculture Minister Nate Horner said in a statement on Tuesday.
“We are taking action to get rid of this threat and help those affected by it before it gets worse.”
The donation is valid in Stettler County and the Peace District.
Hunters who kill animals in these areas can request $ 75 per set of ears delivered to the government.
Government-approved trappers can win $ 75 per ear set, with the expectation that they will eliminate entire sonar or herds.
Landlords working with trappers can also receive $ 75 per ear set.
“They were introduced to the countryside in the ’70s and’ 80s as a means of diversifying animal labor,” said Bruce Hamblin of Alberta Agriculture, Forestry, Rural Economic Development.
There were few regulations at the time and it was thought that the animals could not survive in Alberta wildlife, Hamblin explained.
It turned out that the species not only survived, but now seems to be thriving.  The government has since classified the animals as “parasites”.
“The wild boars managed to escape and we do not have a real number of wild boars in the county,” Hublin said.

“IT REALLY IS A TASTY MEAT”

Brandon Berry has been hunting wild boar for 15 years.  His family owns a ranch in southern Texas, where wild boars destroy fences and land.
“We chase them a lot like deer. We take out some bags of corn. They will come to the corn from about eight miles away. And you sit in a truck or a blind man and try to get as much as you can.”  Berry told CTV News Edmonton.
“I can get 10 in one night. I can get 15 in one night.”
Brandon Berry, a breeder hunting wild boar in Texas, in an interview with CTV News Edmonton on April 5, 2022.
Farmers and ranchers in Texas have reported animal problems since the 1980s, and a recent estimate estimates there are 2.5 million wild boars in the state.
Invading animals are becoming harder to kill, Berry said, as they know the sounds of vehicles and people.
“They are really smart. The first time you chase a certain group of them, they will not know what is going on. But eventually they will understand the sound of the truck, the sound of knocking on a door,” Barry explained, adding that it is easier to be trapped.
“I eat most of what I kill. It’s really delicious.”
  The government has an information page on how to identify boar activity evidence.
Photo of damage to crops caused by wild boar.  (Source: Government of Alberta)
People who have boar damage to their property or trapping areas may also be eligible for government money.
The trapping program is already in progress and lasts until March 31, 2024.
The hunting program is scheduled to end on March 31, 2023.
Both will be re-evaluated and possibly extended if successful.
With archives from the Associated Press and Alison MacKinnon of Edmonton CTV News