The feral hog is an exotic invasive species that is wreaking havoc on the
native ecosystems of Texas
and causing extensive damage to native plants,
animals, people, and our economy.
They're generalists and eat many different things.
Due to abundant resources, feral hogs have been successful
at spreading throughout the United States, including Texas.
With an estimated population of over 2.5 million,
Texas is home to more hogs than any other state.
Feral hogs high reproductive rate, lack of natural predators,
and generalist approach to habitat and diet
has allowed them to successfully spread.
If left unchecked, a feral hog population can triple in just one year.
Feral hogs often use their snouts to dig for food in the soil.
This behavior, called rooting, is one of their most destructive habits.
Rooting destroys vegetation, disrupts soil processes,
increases erosion, degrades water quality, and is costly to landowners.
Wallowing is another negative behavior.
Feral hogs wallow in wet areas around water bodies
to cool off and to get relief from biting insects.
This behavior damages sensitive vegetation and displaces soil around the waterbody.
To stop the damage, feral hogs must be removed through lethal control efforts.
Estimates show that in order to prevent the feral hog population from increasing,
66% of the population must be removed each year.
Using all currently available control methods,
Texas is removing approximately 29% of the feral hog population.
Feral hogs are highly adaptable and able to survive in a wide range of habitat conditions,
so it's not surprising that they're also able to invade urban areas.
In cities, feral hogs use our green spaces as refuges and movement corridors.
Due to the high concentration of people,
managing feral hogs in cities presents unique challenges.
Control methods must carefully consider public safety,
municipal regulations, and public perception.
Exclusionary fencing can be a viable option for small areas.
For large acreages, fencing can be expensive
and is typically not sustainable or effective long-term.
However, fencing does not address the underlying issue,
as feral hogs are still left alone to reproduce
and cause damage to areas that are not fenced in.
Furthermore, hunting is not logistically feasible in urban areas.
Overall, trapping in conjunction with humane euthanasia
is the most effective control method for feral hogs.
Box traps can be used to catch individual pigs, such as solitary males.
Corral traps are ideal for trapping feral hogs because they allow
you to trap an entire sounder, or group of hogs, at one time.
Efforts should be made to catch the entire sounder at once
because hogs are very smart and become trap-shy easily.
Animals that escape will learn to avoid traps
and become much harder to capture in the future.
Every effort should be made to ensure humane treatment of animals during trapping.
Traps must be placed in secure areas to prevent tampering.
They should be frequently monitored to ensure hogs aren't being kept in the trap too long.
Many traps have video cameras that send an alert when an animal has entered the trap.
The trap can then be remotely triggered to trap the animals.
This allows users to see how many animals are inside of the trap
and what type of animal is inside the trap,
preventing the capture of non-target species
and helping to ensure the entire sounder is in the trap.
Feral hogs may be smart, but they don't recognize political boundaries.
Successful trapping efforts should consider involving multiple regulatory authorities in the area.
Coordinated and carefully planned removal efforts tend to be more effective.
When developing a feral hog control program, it is important to have an open and detailed discussion
with the community so that residents are aware of what is happening and why.
Residents concerned about feral hogs should consider talking to their local community leaders
to see what types of control options may be available.
Texas Parks and Wildlife biologists are able to provide
technical guidance to communities hoping to manage feral hogs.
Controlling feral hogs is an important step to take to protect
our native plants and animals, our green spaces, and our water quality.
For further information on how to manage urban feral hogs in your area,
contact your local Texas Parks and Wildlife biologist.
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