Feral hogs in Texas
An exotic that's home on the range
By DR. BILLY HIGGINBOTHAM Texas Cooperative Extension Wildlife Specialist

Photo courtesy of Texas Cooperative Extension Service PERFORMED CORRECTLY, trapping can help landowners keep troublesome feral hog populations in check. The practice works best when multiple traps and adjacent landowners are working in unison.

"At a camp near Crockett, we were annoyed by hogs beyond description..... These animals proved indeed, throughout Texas, a disgusting annoyance". Aquote from a group of deer hunters trying to enjoy a deer season in Houston County? Well, it could have been, but this quote was attributed to Frederick Law Olmstead some 150 years ago!

Although it seems like feral hogs "just showed up" throughout much of the state over the past 20 years, they have been around for much longer. "Vast herds of hogs, estimated at 18,000 head, roamed the woods and lived off bountiful acorn crops" (History of Cherokee County-circa 1850).

Feral hogs have been here since the mid-1500's, thanks first to explorer Hernando de Soto, and then due to settlers trying to carve out a niche which would one day become our beloved Texas. However, it does seem that hog populations have exploded (estimated population of 1 to 2 million) in recent years.

Not Just a Texas Thing

This phenomenon has just not occurred within our borders. At least 29 states admit to having feral hog populations present while several other states remain in denial! As recently as 1988, 462 counties in the United States supported feral hog populations. Just 16 years later (2004), 1,042 counties reported feral hogs - a whopping 125% increase!

The Population Explosion

So how did we get so many feral hogs so quickly? First, the success of indiscriminate stockings by wellintentioned landowners and hunters interested in having an additional big game species or extending their hunting season expanded the feral hogs range. In 1992, the Texas Animal Health Commission made it illegal to trap and release feral hogs without first testing them for swine brucellosis and pseudo rabies within 30 days of their release.

Furthermore, many Texas landowners and hunters have increased the nutritional plane of feral hogs by supplementally feeding other wildlife. In Texas, we feed 300 million pounds of wildlife corn every year. Although meant for species such as deer and turkeys, non-targets including feral hogs and raccoons probably benefit from the handouts more than any species.

The final reason is the feral hog's tremendous intrinsic rate of reproduction. An average litter size of 4 to 6 pigs doesn't take long to substantially increase the porker population. A hog population has the ability to go from one bred sow to over 1,000 head in only 5 years, given if all offspring survive and reproduce at the average rate!

The People Speak

How do Texas landowners feel about this bourgeoning population of what has become the mammalian equivalent to fire ants?

A study conducted by the Department of Wildlife and Fisheries Science at Texas A&M University says most consider them a costly nuisance.

The study, headed by Dr. Clark Adams, collected landowner surveys from 775 landowners in 115 different counties during 2003- 04.

Approximately 95 percent of the survey respondents considered themselves to be either ranchers or farmers, with the vast majority living on their property throughout the year. Only 20 percent reported that feral hogs had not caused any damage on their property.

Over 70 percent believed that feral hog populations were on the increase, and respondents consider feral hogs to be an agricultural pest (89 percent), an economic liability (50 percent), an environmental liability (45 percent) and a disease hazard (34 percent). Only 30 percent of the respondents considered feral hogs to be a recreational asset for hunters.

Monetary Values

If there is a silver lining to our feral hogs dilemma in Texas, it is their value for hunting and as a meat source. A 1993 study estimated the average price paid for a feral hog hunt was $169. However, numerous outfitters have been successful at marketing high-end package hunts for feral hogs that attract resident and non-resident hunters in ever increasing numbers.

The market for feral hog meat also continues to increase and represents a means for landowners to recover some of the costs associated with hog damage and control.

The Losses

The types of damage most often reported by respondents included rooting damage (87 percent), wallowing (65 percent), and crop damage (53 percent). Fence damage and loss of supplemental feed for livestock and wildlife was reported by 47 percent and 49 percent of the respondents, respectively.

The average economic loss due to hog damage was $7,515 per landowner since hogs first appeared on their properties. The average economic cost for feral hog control and repair of damages averaged $2,631 per landowner.

Bottomline: An annual damage estimate in 2004 of $51.7 million statewide, with an additional $7.7 million spent that same year on feral hog control and damage repair.

Van Zandt County adopted an innovative bounty system by paying $7 per hog in order to reduce the porcine populations causing significant damage to the local hay and sweet potato crops. However, 2,062 hogs in 14 months quickly depleted the budget allocated resulting in an indefinite suspension of the bounty program in 2004.

Control Measures

How else can landowners address this exotic pest that is wreaking havoc on Texas agriculture? The survey revealed that landowners need to adopt some more efficient strategies to try and manage feral hog populations if the damage is to be curtailed.

Hog control was an incidental process for 63 percent of the survey respondents. Only 23 percent conducted intensive hog control programs.

The second most common control method employed was trapping, but we need to significantly alter our trapping efforts to maximize efficiency. The use of dogs was a distant third among the most commonly employed control methods.

Trapping Tips

In 20-plus years experience, I have learned much about the art and science of trapping hogs. Probably the most revealing fact has been that trap size does matter! If only a few hogs are present, the small and portable box traps will work just fine.

For example, the trap we currently used at Texas A&M-Overton consists of sheep and goat panels that form a "tear-drop" shaped pen containing a perimeter 260 feet long. T-posts are set every 5 feet around the perimeter and the trap contains no hard corners that would allow hogs to pile up and go over the top.

The gate can be hinged along the top or employ a pair of "saloon doors" that are spring loaded to allow additional hogs to push into the trap without allowing them to leave. The gate or door is propped open to allow hogs free access to the trap. The trap is then prebaited with shelled corn outside and inside the trap all the way to the back of the trap until consistent hog activity is visible.

Once hogs are entering the trap with regularity, the trigger at the far end of the trap is set. This technique allows the entire group of hogs to enter the trap and slowly feed their way back to the trigger. This greatly increases the likelihood of catching the entire sounder of hogs at once.

Other Control Measures

Landowners have other options available including the use of wire snares. Snares can be effective when placed at fence crossings but care must be taken to avoid the take of non-target species.

Although toxicants may be used in some countries, there are no products that are legal to use to poison feral hogs in the United States. The fines are severe if caught doing so.

Numerous private trappers will make their services available to landowners at a reduced or no fee if they are allowed to keep the hogs they catch. Just make sure the hogs are not destined to be released again on another property to create more havoc in the future.

These "four-legged fire ants" are here to stay. However, judicious and sustained control efforts using effective means and in cooperation with adjoining landowners offer the opportunity to manage the damage that has largely gone unchecked in many regions of the state.

NOTE: Special thanks to Texas Wildlife Association Magazine for granting permission to reprint this piece originally published in the March 2006 issue.