Opinion
As a Texan, I’ve grown up hearing countless stories about the destruction caused by feral hogs.
These invasive pests are no joke – they root up crops, contaminate water sources, destroy property, and spread diseases that threaten livestock and even humans. With their rapid breeding and zero natural predators, traditional hunting methods just can’t keep up. That’s why us Texans have had to get creative in our approach to hog control.
Let’s start with the numbers – it’s estimated there are 6-9 million feral hogs across the country, with Texas housing the biggest population. The damage they cause adds up to a whopping $1.5 billion annually nationwide.
On my family’s ranch alone, we’ve seen thousands in crop losses from these rooters.
Enough is enough – we need to fight back against this onslaught. While hunting is a tried-and-true method, technological advances like night vision and thermal optics have been game-changers, allowing us to take out whole sounder faster and more efficiently than ever before. Hog hunting videos circulating online show the awesome power of these tools in skilled hands.
For large-scale operations, helicopter hog hunts have become a vital solution. Texans can now pay to hunt hogs this way – it’s a win-win, allowing landowners to protect their property while hunters get an adrenaline-filled experience. You’d better believe I’ll be first in line when I can afford one of those hog hunts!
Other control methods like trapping are also essential in the hog war. Experienced trappers like the legendary Bobo Ortiz have made careers studying hog behavior and psychology to catch them effectively. The dude has literally trapped hundreds in San Antonio city limits! The USDA is even working on a new hog poison, since we need every possible tool.
At the end of the day, we have to be relentless. Feral hogs are eating up the very land and wildlife we want to protect as Texans and Americans. Using the latest technologies and hunting tactics is just common sense conservation to me. You can bet I’ll be doing my part to defend our state from these destructive invasive pests – locked and loaded.
More information on Ecology and Management of Wild Pigs can be found online at the Texas Parks and Wildlife Department.
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About Tred Law
Tred Law is your everyday patriot with a deep love for this country and a no-compromise approach to the Second Amendment. He does not write articles for Ammoland every week, but when he does write, it is usually about liberals Fing with his right to keep and bear arms.
I hate to see all that meat wasted! But then again, Buzzards need to eat too!
Feral hogs! One of my favorite responses whenever any anti-gunner idiot asks their routing question… “Why do you need a 30 round magazine?”
I don’t feel sorry for the ranchers a bit. The prices they try to charge people to come in and hunt them are freakin crazy. Who the heck can afford to rent a chopper or pay a rancher $1000+ to hunt? If they really want help getting rid of them, how about allowing free hunts?
When Spanish explorers landed in a place they thought they might visit again, they’d drop off a few pigs ensuring there’d be some “pork on the hoof” available on their next visit. As a result, we here in Florida also know a bit about feral pigs.
Good luck with your war on the descendants of those Spanish pigs, but I suspect our descendants will be hunting their descendants when we are as long gone as those Spanish explorers.
Heck yeah!
I would do my part if I could find a place to hunt them. Moved to Johnson County and have not found a place. Can’t afford to pay $200 to help another eliminate their problem.