>> OKAY...
LET'S GO....
>> IT'S ROUNDUP TIME AT KERR
WILDLIFE MANAGEMENT AREA...
>> OKAY, SHHHH.
>> ...NOT FOR CATTLE,
BUT FOR TRAPPED FERAL PIGS.
>> LET 'EM FIND THE HOLE.
>> HOLD BACK A LITTLE BIT,
JUST HOLD BACK.
(pig grunts)
EVEN THOUGH WE'RE WILDLIFE
BIOLOGISTS AND TECHNICIANS,
THIS IS NEW FOR US.
WE'RE LEARNING A LOT FROM THESE
PIGS ON HOW TO HANDLE THEM...
...AND WE'RE ALWAYS UPGRADING
OUR FACILITIES.
>> WHILE THESE ANIMALS HAVE
DESCENDED FROM DOMESTIC
LIVESTOCK, TODAY THEY ARE
COMPLETELY WILD, WHICH CAN
MAKE THEM A LITTLE DANGEROUS.
(crash)
>> THEY ALMOST ALWAYS TRY TO
GET AWAY FROM US, HOWEVER,
THEY CERTAINLY CAN HURT YOU
IF THEY DID CHARGE YOU.
WE CAN BOTH GO IN IF YOU WANT.
>> YEAH, LET'S GO IN.
>> CORRALLING WILD PIGS IS A
RISKY AND INEXACT SCIENCE...
>> NOTICE HOW CLOSE WE STAY TO
THESE FENCE POLES.
>> ...BUT THE SCIENCE OF FERAL
PIG CONTROL IS WHAT BRINGS
JUSTIN FOSTER AND CREW HERE.
>> THE RESEARCH THAT WE ARE
CONDUCTING HERE IS AN
INVESTIGATION OF SOME PIG
TOXICANTS FOR WILD PIGS,
FERAL HOGS.
>> A TOXIC BAIT, SUCCESSFULLY
TESTED, COULD HELP KEEP FERAL
PIG POPULATIONS IN CHECK...
>> HEPPA! HEPPA!
BETTER FIND A TREE!
(laughs)
IT WOULD CERTAINLY APPEAR THERE
IS EXPONENTIAL GROWTH GOING ON.
>> ...THE FACT THAT A HUMANE PIG
PESTICIDE IS EVEN BEING EXPLORED
IS A MEASURE OF THE PROBLEMS
THESE ANIMALS POSE,
ECONOMICALLY AND ECOLOGICALLY.
>> HERE THEY GO,
GOING INTO THE GATE.
>> CLOSE IT!
(pig charges into fence)
>> WHEW!
>> ALRIGHT.
>> FERAL HOGS HAVE PROVEN
TO BE A MAJOR PROBLEM
THROUGHOUT TEXAS.
YEARS AGO, FERAL HOGS WERE
MAINLY IN SOUTH TEXAS, ALONG
THE COAST AND IN EAST TEXAS,
BUT THEY'RE BASICALLY ALL
ACROSS THE STATE NOW.
(pig grunts)
>> TEXAS DEPARTMENT OF
AGRICULTURE ESTIMATES THAT PIGS
PRODUCE $52 MILLION A YEAR IN
AGRICULTURAL DAMAGE ALONE.
THOSE ESTIMATES GO WAY HIGHER
THAN THAT WHENEVER WE START
TALKING ABOUT ALL THE DAMAGE
THAT IS INCURRED ANNUALLY.
THE IMPACT IS VERY SIGNIFICANT.
>> AFTER A GOOD RAIN WHEN IT'S
NICE AND SOFT, THEY'LL COME
OUT HERE AND ROOT IT ALL UP.
THESE ARE PRETTY MINOR.
>> HOG HUNTERS,
LIKE PHILLIP KOGER,
HAVE SEEN IT ALL.
>> ONCE THEY DO THIS,
IT TURNS THE ROOTS UP
AND IT DOESN'T GROW BACK.
>> HELPING PREVENT DAMAGE TO
PASTURES, CROPS, AND FENCES
IS PART OF THE APPEAL
FOR PHILLIP...
>> CAN SEE WHERE THEY'VE TORN
THIS FENCE UP, COMING THROUGH.
TEAR UP YOUR FENCE, THEN YOUR
COWS GET OUT, THEN YOU'VE
GOT ANOTHER SITUATION.
>> ...BUT PURSUING PIGS ISN'T
JUST DAMAGE CONTROL.
>> STOP 'EM ALONG HERE.
>> THE THING THAT'S NICE
ABOUT HUNTING HOGS IS THAT
YOU CAN DO IT YEAR-ROUND.
THEY'RE GOOD ON THE TABLE,
THERE'S NO BAG LIMIT,
SO IT'S NOT LIKE YOU GET ONE
AND YOU'RE DONE FOR THE YEAR.
THEY'RE A WORTHY ADVERSARY.
>> ON THIS PARTICULAR MORNING,
THE ADVERSARY REMAINS HIDDEN,
WHILE PLENTY OF DEER
TAKE THE BAIT.
>> WRONG SPECIES.
>> BUT BY EVENING,
IN THE PASTURE NEARBY,
PHILLIP SEES A HOG.
>> OKAY, I'M GONNA TAKE A SHOT.
(rifle shot)
THAT'S A DEAD HOG.
(music)
>> PHILLIP ESTIMATES HE HAS
TAKEN TWO TO THREE DOZEN FERAL
HOGS FROM THIS PROPERTY,
ONE TIPPING THE SCALES
AT 265 POUNDS.
>> THAT'S A BIG HOG.
THEY DON'T HAVE ANY NATURAL
PREDATORS, OTHER THAN ME.
>> THAT MEANS FARMERS
AND RANCHERS NEED ALL THE
HELP THEY CAN GET.
>> THEY JUST WANT THEM GONE.
I'VE GOT ABOUT THREE OR FOUR
OTHER PROPERTIES I HUNT ON WITH
DIFFERENT OWNERS AND THEY ALL
FEEL ABOUT THE SAME WAY.
A FEMALE CAN HAVE THREE LITTERS
A YEAR, AND IF HALF OF THOSE ARE
FEMALES, IT GETS EXPONENTIAL.
THEY CAN DO SOME SERIOUS
DAMAGE OVERNIGHT.
(camera clicks)
>> EVEN DEDICATED HUNTERS
DON'T BELIEVE THEY ALONE CAN
OVERCOME THE AMAZING ABILITY
OF HOGS TO REPRODUCE.
(hog grunt)
>> THEY SAY THERE'S TWO KIND OF
COUNTIES IN TEXAS, THOSE WITH A
HOG PROBLEM AND THOSE THAT ARE
ABOUT TO HAVE A HOG PROBLEM.
AND UH, CENTRAL TEXAS
HAS A HOG PROBLEM.
IT DOESN'T HURT, BUT WE'RE
NOT GOING TO ERADICATE THEM,
HUNTING THEM.
NOT WITH TRAPPING
OR TRADITIONAL HUNTING.
>> ALTHOUGH TRAPPING CAN BE
SUCCESSFUL ON A LOCAL LEVEL,
UH IT DOESN'T REALLY HAVE
VERY WIDE IMPACTS.
(pig grunt)
>> AND THAT IS WHY THE
RESEARCH BEING DONE AT THE
KERR MANAGEMENT AREA COULD
BE SO IMPORTANT.
>> LET'S GO, PIGS.
(clapping)
NATIONWIDE AND INTERNATIONALLY
THERE ARE LOTS OF PEOPLE
WORKING ON THIS TOPIC.
AND WE ARE VERY OPTIMISTIC.
>> READY FOR PIG NUMBER TWO?
>> YES.
>> WHEN WE PUT THEM
IN THAT PEN...
>> SEND THAT ONE TO PEN 21.
>> ...WE TRY TO WORK THEM AS
EFFICIENTLY AS WE CAN TO
REDUCE STRESS ON THE ANIMALS.
(pig grunt)
OUR TECHNICIANS HAVE COME UP
WITH A WAY TO WORK THESE HOGS
INDIVIDUALLY.
>> THE ANIMALS ARE SEPARATED
INTO DIFFERENT RESEARCH GROUPS.
>> HE STAYS HERE.
>> TO IDENTIFY THEM,
SOME ARE ALSO MARKED
WITH A NON-TOXIC PAINT.
>> GIVE ME AN X ON THAT
FRONT ONE.
IT CAN BE QUITE A RODEO
AT TIMES.
(pig snaps)
>> OOOOH.
>> HOW ABOUT A "Y"?
>> WE'RE MARKING THESE HOGS
SO THAT WE CAN DETERMINE WHICH
HOGS ARE AT WHICH FEEDER
AND FOR HOW LONG.
(pig snaps)
>> TO DANIEL'S CREDIT IT IS KIND
OF HARD TO PAINT 'EM WHEN
THEY'RE FIXING TO SNAP
YOUR ARM IN TWO.
(clapping)
(squeal)
>> WHETHER IT BE A PLACEBO BAIT
OR AN ACTUAL TOXIC BAIT,
THE IDENTIFICATION OF THOSE
INDIVIDUAL PIGS HELPS US TO
EXPLAIN THE EFFECT OF OUR
TREATMENTS.
>> RIGHT NOW WE'RE ENTERING INTO
SOME TASTE TRIALS, BASICALLY
TO SEE IF THIS IS
SOMETHING THAT THOSE HOGS
WILL READILY EAT.
(opening and pouring feed)
WE HAVE REMOTE CAMERAS SET UP,
SO AS THEY COME INTO THOSE
FEEDING AREAS, THOSE CAMERAS
BEGIN TO TAKE PICTURES.
>> IT ALLOWS US TO GET SOME
SLEEP AT NIGHT, BUT IT ALSO
ALLOWS US TO SAMPLE THOSE PIGS
IN MORE OF A NATURAL SETTING.
THERE SHOULD BE A STRONG
CORRELATION BETWEEN THE AMOUNT
OF TIME SPEND CONSUMING THE
BAIT AND A LETHAL EFFECT.
>> IN MANY WAYS, THE ACTIVE
INGREDIENT BEING TESTED
APPEARS IDEAL.
>> INTOXICATION BY SODIUM
NITRITE WOULD BE CONSIDERED
CLINICALLY HUMANE.
THERE'S NOT LOTS OF
VOCALIZATION, IT'S VERY RAPID,
SUB-LETHAL DOSES DON'T REALLY
APPEAR TO HAVE ANY LONG-TERM
EFFECTS.
>> THE INGREDIENT IS ALSO
INEXPENSIVE, AND HARMLESS
ENOUGH TO HUMANS TO BE USED
AS A FOOD PRESERVATIVE.
BUT AT HIGH DOSES, IT BLOCKS
THE UPTAKE OF OXYGEN IN THE
BLOODSTREAM TO LETHAL EFFECT.
SO FINDING A WAY TO DELIVER
IT ONLY TO PIGS IS ALSO
PART OF THE STUDY.
>> TARGET-SPECIFIC DELIVERY IS
WHAT WE'RE TRYING TO ACHIEVE
WHENEVER WE'RE DELIVERING
A TOXIC BAIT.
THE HOG HOPPER KEYS ON THE
NATURAL ROOTING BEHAVIOR OF THE
FERAL PIG BY USING A VERTICAL
SLIDING DOOR.
AT THE SAME TIME THE WEIGHT OF
THE DOOR LIMIT OTHER NON-TARGET
SPECIES FROM ACCESS.
THIS PROJECT HAS LOTS OF
COLLABORATORS, THE TEXAS
DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE,
THE USDA, OUR COUNTERPARTS
IN AUSTRALIA.
>> THE RESEARCH CONTINUES, WITH
THE HOPE THAT, IN YEARS TO COME,
IT WILL PROVIDE A NEW MEANS
OF CONTROLLING FERAL PIGS;
MORE EFFICIENTLY
AND AFFORDABLY THAN EVER.
>> TRAPPING FERAL PIGS
CONSUMES A LOT OF TIME.
FLYING A HELICOPTER IS VERY
EXPENSIVE.
THAT IS THE ULTIMATE GOAL,
FOR PRIVATE LANDOWNERS
AND RESOURCE MANAGERS TO HAVE
ACCESS TO ANOTHER TOOL
IN THE TOOLBOX.
>> REGARDLESS OF RESEARCH
OUTCOMES, HUNTERS AREN'T LIKELY
TO RUN OUT OF LANDOWNERS LOOKING
FOR HELP CONTROLLING WILD HOGS.
>> THE WILD PIG IS CERTAINLY
HERE TO STAY.
>> SO FOLKS LIKE PHILLIP
CONTINUE TO DO WHAT THEY CAN,
ONE HUNT AND ONE BARBEQUE
AT A TIME.
>> IT'S A LOT MORE FUN THAN
GOING TO THE GROCERY STORE.
YOU ALWAYS HAVE LOTS OF FRIENDS.
NOT SO MUCH WHEN IT COMES
TIME TO CLEAN THEM,
BUT WHEN IT COMES TIME
TO PULL THEM OFF THE SMOKER.
THERE'S LOTS OF PEOPLE
WHO'LL SHOW UP THEN.