Feral Hog Hunt On Cumberland Island National Seashore Ends Tragically

By

NPT Staff
January 15, 2026

A hunt for feral hogs on Cumberland Island National Seashore led to the death of an Illinois man/NPS file.

A “managed hunt” for hunters 14 and over ended tragically at Cumberland Island National Seashore in Georgia with the death of a 52-year-old Illinois man.

According to the National Park Service, the man was shot on January 8 about 10:30 a.m. EST on the last day of a three-day hunt for feral hogs, an invasive species

“National Park Service rangers, park staff and responding local and state partners provided immediate assistance and transported the individual for medical care. All hunt activities were halted, and the area was closed as rangers investigate the incident,” Interior Department officials said in an email Thursday.

Georgia Department of Natural Resources spokesman Mark McKinnon told The Current GA newspaper that the victim was Jason Wallin, 52, of Coal Valley, IL.

Further details of the incident were unavailable, though weather conditions were described as very foggy.

The hunt was for hunters aged 14 and over. They were allowed to use  rifles or handguns, .22 caliber or larger, or shotguns 20 gauge or larger loaded with slugs.

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