Texas Feral Hog Control Programs | Texas Ranch & Residential

Controlling the Texas Feral Hog Population. Start Protecting Your land.

The Texas State Soil and Water Conservation Board launches new program providing learning opportunities and management strategies to landowners battling feral hogs.

Background

The feral hog population in Texas includes European wild hogs, feral hogs, and European-feral crossbreeds. Feral hogs are domestic hogs that either have escaped or were released for hunting purposes. With each generation of hogs bred in the wild, the specie’s domestic characteristics fade as they develop traits needed to survive in the wild. Feral hogs pose a threat to our state’s hardworking landowners, farmers, and ranchers who aim to protect their crops and land. Feral swine are not only destructive but can spread disease to livestock endangering the well-being of our nation’s food supply and overall ecosystem.

According to Texas Parks & Wildlife, feral hogs are distributed throughout much of Texas, generally inhabiting the white-tailed deer range, with the highest population densities occurring in East, South and Central Texas. North and West Texas have very low or no populations. However, reports indicate that populations are beginning to expand and increase in these areas. Currently there is an estimated population of 1.5 million feral hogs occupying Texas.

“Feral swine are a threat to waterways and ecosystems as their numbers rapidly increase daily across the state. Texas is a private-land state, with 83% of its land mass in family owned farms, ranches and forests, making education and awareness of wild pig damage a priority for maintaining healthy ecosystems.”

– Texas A&M AgriLife Today
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Initiative

The program aims to educate landowners on the prevention, management, and smart trapping techniques used to reduce feral hogs on their property. Workshops will be held this fall to Texans across the state. Landowners in participating counties may be eligible to enlist in the smart trap loan program to use the device on their property.

Participating organizations working on this program include: The Texas Sate Soil and Water Conservation Board (TSSWCB), USDA-Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS), Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS), Soil and Water Conservation Districts, Texas A&M Natural Resources Institute (NRI), and the Texas Wildlife Damage Management Association.