Corn is by far the preferred meal for feral hogs. They attack mature crops as well as dig up kernels as quickly as they are planted. Feral hogs cause millions in crop damage
By Ron Smith Farm Progress Contributing Writer
Jay Norman witnessed feral hog dam- age in cropland for the first time in 1984 on a farm in Dorchester, Texas. “It was 20 years after that before I had any damage on my Fannin County farm,” Norman says. Since 2004, hog damage has been an annual concern. “We have some damage every year; sometimes it’s just a partial field,” he said. “Last year we replanted 40 or 50 acres. We replanted 160 the year before and 600 the year before that. “Wild hogs are here all the time, just heavier sometimes than others. I have two brothers who hunt almost fulltime every night during planting season.” Norman’s situation is not unique in
Texas. Texas farmers and ranchers lose ap-
proximately $119 million each year to feral hogs, according to studies published in 2019 by the Texas Parks and Wildlife Department. That figure is likely higher now. A 2016 study estimated 2.6 million feral hogs residing in Texas. “No one knows for certain how large the feral pig population is,” said Bruce Leland, assistant director, Texas Wildlife Service, San Antonio.
Feral hogs can reproduce rapidly and year-round, with females (sows) reaching sexual maturity as early as 6 to 12 months old and potentially having two litters per year. Gestation lasts about 115 days, and a litter typically contains 4 to 12 piglets.
to go pig hunting. Regulations vary from state to state.” Camera-monitored traps can be effective but expensive. Chem- ical control is complicated.
“Control with a warfarin-based toxin has been approved in
The situation is not hopeless, Leland said, but it takes a ded- icated group of landowners to make a dent in the population. “We have nothing new available to control feral hogs,” he said.
“But the more effort put into removing pigs, the smaller the popula- tion will be. With a coordinated effort over a large area, landowners can thin them out.”
Control options include several trapping systems including traps monitored with cellular technology, night hunting, aerial gunning and toxins.
Aerial hunts, Leland said, are effective and in some cases con- sidered sporting events. “A client pays for time in a helicopter seat
10 Goat Rancher | December 2025
Texas,” Leland said. “I am not sure about other states’ regulations.” Toxicant use comes with regulations similar to application of any regulated product. “Anyone using the toxin must be trained and certified. They must install some kind of fencing to exclude livestock and other wildlife from the area. All bait containers must have a lid or a door to prevent entrance by non-target animals.” Leland said pigs must learn how to use the bait containers, which have guillotine or magnetized openings that require force to lift and gain access to the bait. “Those magnet and guillotine open- ings exclude access to non-target species such as racoons,” he said. Landowner expenses include the feeders, toxin, a placebo, and a pre-
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