by Anna Mitterling, Wildlife Cooperative Coordinator, MUCC When I was in college, I worked for the DNR Wildlife Division as a Student Assistant. This position formulated a lot of my early views on hunting, management, and the purpose of a State Agency. I had the opportunity to learn a lot about the views of various hunting groups over the years I worked for the Division. I also had the opportunity to see what decision making and management issues look like from the inside of DNR. One of the major issues that came to light while working for the Division was feral swine, according to Wildlife Chief Russ Mason, the Asian Carp of the forest and field. While there was a lot of initial activity and response to the issue when DNR initially promoted this issue, and the threats these swine create, the activity has since drastically declined, and public interest seems to have waned. Feral swine are a problem for two main reasons: they can host many parasites and diseases that threaten humans, domestic livestock and wildlife; and they can cause extensive damage to forests, agricultural lands and Michigan's water resources.