The Mingo National Wildlife Refuge in southeast Missouri will be closed for while conservation crews conduct a one-day aerial operation to kill feral hogs.

The Missouri Department of Conservation is conducting the hunt sometime between Monday and March 28. The closure includes all access to the refuge by foot, bicycle or horseback for public safety.

The department says the exact date hasn’t been determined because of weather.

The department says the wild hogs are an aggressive species that reproduce quickly and hurt native plants and animals at the refuge. The hogs, which are non-native, also compete with native species such as deer and turkey for food.