Texas Pig Hunting
Mention the state of Texas to a hunter and one of two animals comes to mind--either trophy white-tailed deer or feral hogs. Hogs cause damage to crops, livestock and native wildlife in the Lone Star State, leading many landowners to welcome hunters who want to hunt during the offseason, usually for a price to help recoup some of the losses.
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History
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Wildlife biologist Rick Taylor believes hogs first appeared in Texas with Spanish explorers in the 1600s. Settlers followed with their own livestock, but during the fight for Texas independence, many of the hogs escaped or were released. More settlers arrived in the mid-1800s and let their livestock roam freely.
Geography
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Feral hogs inhabit nearly all of Texas. In 1990, the animals covered all of Texas except for the extreme western part of the state. Population estimates from 2007 indicate more than 1.5 million feral hogs in the state.
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Habitat
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Hogs can be found in most every habitat in the state from the pine woods in the east to the south Texas brush. They'll be close to a food source, which can be anything from acorns to crops. They also feed on insects and worms as well as reptiles, amphibians and dead animals. Hogs have been known to feed on live animals, including deer fawns, goats, lambs and chickens.
Regulations
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Feral pigs are considered a nuisance animal in Texas and can be hunted year-round with no bag limit. A hunting license is required to hunt hogs. Baiting and night hunting are legal, but the local game warden needs to be notified before night hunting as some jurisdictions have laws against spotlighting.
Hunting Methods
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Stand hunting, still hunting and dog hunting are common methods of pursuing feral hogs. Stand hunting is done from a fixed position, usually near a baited area. For still hunting, a hunter slowly moves through an area that hogs frequent. Dogs are used to find a trail a hog uses until it is brought to bay, and the hunter moves in for the kill.
Warnings
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Some of the diseases carried by feral hogs are transmissible to livestock and humans. Hunters should wear disposable gloves when field dressing and butchering wild pigs. Afterward, the gloves and entrails should be burned or buried followed by a hand washing with soap and hot water. Diseases are not the only concern when dealing with feral hogs. An injured hog or a sow with young can be aggressive. The razor-sharp tusks can cause considerable damage to human flesh.
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References
Resources
- Photo Credit wild boar image by Budai Károly from Fotolia.com
