Feral Hogs – Here They Come
Wild Hogs Are Coming to a Town Near You
 Editor's
Note: You may find hogs the next major wildlife threat
to farmers.
According to Dr. Steve Ditchkoff, associate professor
of wildlife at Auburn
University, "If you don't have 'em, you'll get
'em. Once you get 'em, more
than likely, you can't get rid of 'em. As soon as you
think you're rid of
'em, they will return." Dr. Ditchkoff headed-up
the first national
conference on wild pigs in Mobile, Alabama, in May,
2006, with 32 U.S. and
Australian researchers attending. Their findings may
surprise you.
How the Ford Ranch Got Rid of Feral Hogs:
Forrest Armke, the manager of the 30,000-acre Ford Ranch
near Melvin, Texas, conducted a highly-effective feral-hog
eradication program there. When Armke first came to
the ranch 20-years ago, the entire ranch had a huge
hog population that killed and ate the fawns and livestock
newborns and also disturbed turkey nests and ate turkey
eggs. Armke went to war against the hogs. Armke recalls,
“For about 8 years, we shot hogs as hard and heavy
as we could, trying to get the ranch’s hogs under
control. Anyone who sees a hog on our property today
is to shoot the hog immediately.” 
The Origin of Wild Pigs:
In the original Thirteen Colonies, settlers brought
pigs with them from England and often allowed them to
run free where they mated and increased their numbers,
particularly in swampy areas. California’s wild
pigs originated from free-ranging domestic pigs brought
by Spanish settlers in the 1700s and also stockings
of Eurasian wild boars made by hunters in the 1920s
and again in the 1950s.
When Wild Hogs Come to Town:
Some urban areas today have feral-hog problems, particularly
the 3,600+ acre Fort Worth, Texas, Nature Center and
Refuge where the animals have lived since 1999. Scientists
there have trapped and euthanized feral hogs for more
than 2 years to try to control the herd’s numbers.
Tomorrow: Hard Work for Wild
Hogs
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