Hogs have been in Texas since the late 1600s, brought initially to North America by Spanish Explorers. They were an important source of food and materials for early settlers who often allowed them to roam free. Either through venturing away from settlement, escape, or through abandonment as settlers fled wars or moved on, hogs had to adapt to survive and became feral. Feral hogs today are often a result of the interbreeding between these wild European hogs, domestic hogs that have escaped, and Russian boars introduced in the 1930s by ranchers for hunting. Consequently, feral hogs on the wildland properties, as well as around the state, can vary greatly in color and size. On average, male hogs can weigh 130 pounds and females 110 pounds, though hogs weighing in excess of 300 pounds have been documented on the wildlands.

Primarily they feed at night or during twilight, but will change to daylight hours in colder seasons. These hogs are generalist omnivores and are known to consume an incredible variety of foods including lizards and other small vertebrates, all sorts of insects, eggs of ground-nesting birds, carrion, grasses, forbs, mast (oak acorns), and roots. In the latter case, hogs will use their snouts and tusks to loosen and dig into soil. This behavior is very destructive to the land and can result in erosion of soil, impacts to water quality in creeks and streams, and damage to native plants seedlings. Unlike other mammals, a single hog can cause a significant amount of damage. Thus, an overabundance of these animals can result in broad impacts to landscapes. Staff installs fencing around sensitive springs and rare plants to protect them from the damage that hogs can do. Beyond this visible damage to the quality of the habitat, hogs are direct competitors with native wildlife for food.

Feral hogs tend to prefer areas with dense cover that is near water and available food. They will seek out wet areas, be it a small spring, a man-made water tank, or the banks of a perennial creek or river. In addition to their rooting activities, they will create wallows by trampling and rolling in moist soils, shallow creeks and springs. Coating themselves with mud can help cool their bodies and provide protection from irritating insects. This activity can greatly impact and destabilize sensitive wetland areas.

This disturbance is all the more serious due to their astounding reproductive rates. Female hogs can begin breeding between six and 10 months of age, depending on availability of food. Young sows produce small litters of piglets but as they grow older they can ultimately have 10 to 13 piglets. Not only are they capable of producing large litters, they can do so twice every 12 to 15 months. While drought and other less favorable conditions reduce litter size, frequency of litters, and survival of piglets, it is possible for a feral hog population to double in as little as four months when conditions are good.

Both male and female hogs possess tusks and can become aggressive when cornered or if they feel threatened. Aggressive behavior is more likely among females with young piglets, though any feral hog encounter can be potentially dangerous. For this reason, it is important to be aware of your surroundings and listen as you hike in any wild area where they may be present. The best strategy is to avoid encounters with them, backing away to allow them to pass and not putting yourself in a position to appear threatening to them or their young.

It is important to note that the javelina (Tayassu tajacu), or collared peccary, that is sometimes confused with feral hogs is not related to them at all. Javelinas are native mammals to the southwestern U.S. as well as south all the way to Southern America that belong to a completely different family grouping. Javelina are smaller and possess different physical characteristics from feral hogs, two of the most notable being an unnoticeable tail (feral hogs have long straight tails) and a white band of hair around the shoulder or "collar".

Managing Hogs

On specific program lands, the Wildland Conservation Division uses a combination of trapping and lethal means to remove feral hogs from the properties.

Reporting Hog Damage on Your Property

Especially during times of drought, hogs may come into neighborhoods to find water and forage for food. Call 3-1-1 to report feral hog problems or damage on your property. City of Austin is tracking hog damage location, hog number estimates, and property damage information. This information is reported to Texas Cooperative Extension - Wildlife Services’ hog specialists who use the information to initiate management actions.

References and Sources for More Information:

http://wildlife.tamu.edu/publications/B6149FeralHogs_low.pdf

http://www.tpwd.state.tx.us/huntwild/wild/nuisance/feral_hogs/