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Join our forces to combat these invasive species & book your hunt today!
We offer the best in Helicopter hog hunting. Feral hogs are out of control we help private land owners with these invasive species. Our rates are competitive, with no hidden fees. Our employees are full time professionals and will be there to help you every step of the way. Texas Helicopter Hog Hunting has over 2.5 million acres of private Texas land with ranches throughout the state to better serve our customer base. Let us put our experience to work for you. We offer the best Helicopter Hog Hunting in Texas, with 11 Helicopters to choose from, over two million acres of private land to hunt, and we always have Hogs to Hunt! We offer a Charter Service to help our Hunters with Logistics so that you don't have to worry about getting to and from your Hog Hunt. 27 years in the hunting business! A full time staff and we hunt 7 days a week 365! We are the only FULL time Helicopter Hog Hunting Business in the U.S. So book your Helicopter Hog Hunt today with confidence that every detail and effort will be made to make your hog hunt a success. If you’re looking for high quality and personal service, you’ve come to the right place. At Texas Helicopter Pig Hunting we’ll give you the attention and personal service you’ll come to expect and enjoy. Visit out full website www.helicopterpighunting.com Thank you for your business! Travis Wier President / CEO Texas Specialty Hunts / Helicopter Pig Hunting 214-707-5833 when you call i will be the person you are taking to 
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Helicopter Facts & Information
Fact #1 Reproduction of Feral Hogs
Feral hogs are capable of breeding at six months of age but eight to ten months is normal, provided there is good nutrition. Under poor habitat conditions, sows have been known to eat their young. Gestation is around 115 days with an average litter size of four to six, but under good conditions may have ten to twelve young. While capable of producing two litters per year, research has shown the majority of sows have only one per year. Young may be born throughout the year with peak production in the early spring. The young are born with a 1:1 male to female sex ratio. Feral hogs generally travel in family groups called sounders, comprised normally of two sows and their young. Mature boars are usually solitary, only joining a herd to breed. https://tpwd.texas.gov/huntwild/wild/nuisance/feral_hogs/ |
Fact #2What you should know about Feral Hogs in Texas... And what we plan to do about it...
Wild hogs are among the most destructive invasive species in the United States today. Two million to six million of the animals are wreaking havoc in at least 39 states and four Canadian provinces; half are in Texas, where they do some $400 million in damages annually. There are now around 2.6 million hogs in Texas, more than anywhere else in the United States. Their foraging causes about $52 million in annual agricultural damage. https://www.smithsonianmag.com/science-nature/a-plague-of-pigs-in-texas-73769069/ |
5 Star LodgingLodging and Dining
When you book a Texas Helicopter Hog Hunt with us, you'll receive 5 star treatment! Our Facilities and Food is excellent, and we are able to accommodate small and large groups. If you are looking for the best Corporate Helicopter Hog Hunting in Texas, you need to give us a call because you and your Guests won't be disappointed. Our chefs prepare every dish with care to ensure our customers enjoy the best dining experience possible. Casual, everyday style food made from fresh, natural ingredients. The 5 lodges are all modern and comfortable Each lodge has its own decor and feel. Each guest will have their own bedroom. Dining is a focal point of TSH, we have two full time private chefs to serve our guests. We serve three meals per day and you will not be disappointed with our service or presentation. For more information, please call 214-707-5833 or contact us via email using the form on the right. |
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Bog Information about Helicopter Hog Hunting
Special Report: Heli-Hog Hunting
TYLER, Texas (KETK) - They eat your crops, dig up your fields, knock over fences, damage you're water facilities and they can even eat your livestock. This animal has cost the state of Texas almost $1 million in damage, and the Texas Parks and Wildlife says they're increasing in numbers.
"It's a Feral Hog. Which is a domestic hog that's adapted and gone wild," said Silver Star Helicopters Owner, Kurt Ilse.
He is a helicopter pilot who started guiding feral hog hunts in South Texas 15 years ago. Over time, he noticed an increase in business from farmers.
"He went to harvest his crop, and he'd look down and notice he's missing 20 acres out of a field. Or 40 or 50. And some of these guys I know probably lost $30-50,000 worth of crops," said Ilse.
Once he opened helicopter hunting up to the public, Ilse said his business skyrocketed. It was an economical way for farmers to fight their hog problem.
A grain and rice farmer in El Campo, Kyle Heard said, "For about the last 10 to 12 years they've gotten really bad each year gets worse and worse. So we started helicopter huntin' over the last 3 to 4 years and it seems to work pretty good, but you can never stop all of them."
Heard says this hunting method helps him protect his crops, but, it won't make up for the damage done.
"We have between $15-30,000 a year depending on the crop and price of the grain every year. They really just devastate our crop," said Heard.
Farmers from all over Texas started to report the same issue, which resulted in increased demands for hunting guides.
Honest Tom Guiding Service Owner, Tom Stephenson said, "Hogs became a premier source of income for a while, for everybody's who's an outfitter. And people come from up North especially to hunt our wild hogs."
Stephenson has 25 years of experience hunting hogs and is the president of three sport hunting companies. He says the feral hogs in Texas do nothing besides cost the state money.
"Almost between $50 million and $100 million worth in damage to the state of Texas. By that I mean to crops, to fences, to wetlands, to pretty much everything," said Stephenson.
The Texas Parks and Wildlife says the feral hogs were introduced to Texas by early Spanish explorers, over 300 years ago. Then, by the 1930's "Russian Boars" were imported for sport hunting purposes, and their population began to increase.
"Hogs maybe in the last 5 years, have gone up almost 30 percent in population," said Stephenson.
Stephenson said out of 254 counties, 200 of them have wild hogs.
"You've got a mounting population. Even though in the state of Texas, we kill 600,000 a year. They're increasing every year," said Stephenson.
The Texas Parks and Wildlife says feral hogs are capable of breeding at 6 months of age and can have up to 10 to 12 young. They say the problem is finding out how to control them.
Texas Parks and Wildlife Hunter Education Coordinator, Steve Hall said, "Much like the coyote, they've really adapted well to the habitat, and essentially again they're a prolific species, meaning they have lots of young and it's hard to control."
Hall has been teaching Hunter Education in Texas for 26 years, and he says he understands the trouble they stir up on Texas soil. So as far as killing them goes, the Texas Parks and Guiding services are giving hunters 'the green light.'
"Someone got the bright idea, not me, to do hunting out of helicopter. And when they first started doing it, it really really worked," said Stephenson.
They say it's a popular way to hunt right now in South Texas, but the hogs are getting smarter and smarter. In the past, he had one trip where they wound up with 400 hogs down. Now they are getting at five, at most.
"They've gotten very smart and they've adapted. They come out at night and head into the woods early in the morning," said Ilse.
He says helicopter hog hunting in their area is easier due to the open crop land and fields. But, in East Texas it's much more difficult.
"The problem they've got is that it's so wooded and the trees are so high the pigs can get away from them so easy," said Ilse.
Isle says he doesn't know how they will find a way to control their feral hog population.
"East Texas, I really feel for those people because they are going to have a problem in trying to catch the pigs because it's so wooded. You can't get in with a helicopter. And the helicopter really seems to be like the most effective way to control them," said Ilse.
In the state of Texas, there's no limit on hog hunting and they're a Non-game species.
"You can hunt them in day, you can hunt them at night, you can trap them, you can bait them, you can do all these things but you're still not going to eliminate the problem," said Stephenson.
"There's a joke that goes around that says there's two types of counties in Texas, there's those that have hogs and those that will have hogs," said Hall.
So what can we do to solve the feral hog problem in Texas? They say poison is not an option because the hogs live with other wildlife. At the rate their population is multiplying, it's going to be hard for the state to regulate. In the end, hunter officials say it's up to the people take action.
"You're not going to eliminate the hog problem, but what you can do is through this kind of hunting, through sport hunting, helicopter hunting. The Texas Parks and Wildlife has a program they will try and help you eradicate your hog problem. I'm not saying it works, but it does keep them down," said Stephenson.
http://www.easttexasmatters.com/news/special-report-heli-hog-hunting/500566036
TYLER, Texas (KETK) - They eat your crops, dig up your fields, knock over fences, damage you're water facilities and they can even eat your livestock. This animal has cost the state of Texas almost $1 million in damage, and the Texas Parks and Wildlife says they're increasing in numbers.
"It's a Feral Hog. Which is a domestic hog that's adapted and gone wild," said Silver Star Helicopters Owner, Kurt Ilse.
He is a helicopter pilot who started guiding feral hog hunts in South Texas 15 years ago. Over time, he noticed an increase in business from farmers.
"He went to harvest his crop, and he'd look down and notice he's missing 20 acres out of a field. Or 40 or 50. And some of these guys I know probably lost $30-50,000 worth of crops," said Ilse.
Once he opened helicopter hunting up to the public, Ilse said his business skyrocketed. It was an economical way for farmers to fight their hog problem.
A grain and rice farmer in El Campo, Kyle Heard said, "For about the last 10 to 12 years they've gotten really bad each year gets worse and worse. So we started helicopter huntin' over the last 3 to 4 years and it seems to work pretty good, but you can never stop all of them."
Heard says this hunting method helps him protect his crops, but, it won't make up for the damage done.
"We have between $15-30,000 a year depending on the crop and price of the grain every year. They really just devastate our crop," said Heard.
Farmers from all over Texas started to report the same issue, which resulted in increased demands for hunting guides.
Honest Tom Guiding Service Owner, Tom Stephenson said, "Hogs became a premier source of income for a while, for everybody's who's an outfitter. And people come from up North especially to hunt our wild hogs."
Stephenson has 25 years of experience hunting hogs and is the president of three sport hunting companies. He says the feral hogs in Texas do nothing besides cost the state money.
"Almost between $50 million and $100 million worth in damage to the state of Texas. By that I mean to crops, to fences, to wetlands, to pretty much everything," said Stephenson.
The Texas Parks and Wildlife says the feral hogs were introduced to Texas by early Spanish explorers, over 300 years ago. Then, by the 1930's "Russian Boars" were imported for sport hunting purposes, and their population began to increase.
"Hogs maybe in the last 5 years, have gone up almost 30 percent in population," said Stephenson.
Stephenson said out of 254 counties, 200 of them have wild hogs.
"You've got a mounting population. Even though in the state of Texas, we kill 600,000 a year. They're increasing every year," said Stephenson.
The Texas Parks and Wildlife says feral hogs are capable of breeding at 6 months of age and can have up to 10 to 12 young. They say the problem is finding out how to control them.
Texas Parks and Wildlife Hunter Education Coordinator, Steve Hall said, "Much like the coyote, they've really adapted well to the habitat, and essentially again they're a prolific species, meaning they have lots of young and it's hard to control."
Hall has been teaching Hunter Education in Texas for 26 years, and he says he understands the trouble they stir up on Texas soil. So as far as killing them goes, the Texas Parks and Guiding services are giving hunters 'the green light.'
"Someone got the bright idea, not me, to do hunting out of helicopter. And when they first started doing it, it really really worked," said Stephenson.
They say it's a popular way to hunt right now in South Texas, but the hogs are getting smarter and smarter. In the past, he had one trip where they wound up with 400 hogs down. Now they are getting at five, at most.
"They've gotten very smart and they've adapted. They come out at night and head into the woods early in the morning," said Ilse.
He says helicopter hog hunting in their area is easier due to the open crop land and fields. But, in East Texas it's much more difficult.
"The problem they've got is that it's so wooded and the trees are so high the pigs can get away from them so easy," said Ilse.
Isle says he doesn't know how they will find a way to control their feral hog population.
"East Texas, I really feel for those people because they are going to have a problem in trying to catch the pigs because it's so wooded. You can't get in with a helicopter. And the helicopter really seems to be like the most effective way to control them," said Ilse.
In the state of Texas, there's no limit on hog hunting and they're a Non-game species.
"You can hunt them in day, you can hunt them at night, you can trap them, you can bait them, you can do all these things but you're still not going to eliminate the problem," said Stephenson.
"There's a joke that goes around that says there's two types of counties in Texas, there's those that have hogs and those that will have hogs," said Hall.
So what can we do to solve the feral hog problem in Texas? They say poison is not an option because the hogs live with other wildlife. At the rate their population is multiplying, it's going to be hard for the state to regulate. In the end, hunter officials say it's up to the people take action.
"You're not going to eliminate the hog problem, but what you can do is through this kind of hunting, through sport hunting, helicopter hunting. The Texas Parks and Wildlife has a program they will try and help you eradicate your hog problem. I'm not saying it works, but it does keep them down," said Stephenson.
http://www.easttexasmatters.com/news/special-report-heli-hog-hunting/500566036
Helicopter Hog Hunting Takes Off To Eliminate A Texas Nuisance
Wild pigs are a nuisance in Texas. There are more than 1.5 million that roam the state and do a lot of damage to crops. One company has come up with one way to try to eliminate some hogs: shooting them from helicopters.
ARI SHAPIRO, HOST:
There are more than a million-and-a-half wild hogs roaming around Texas, and some are up to no good. Every year, these hogs damage about $400 million worth of crops. They're such a nuisance that the state allows hunters to kill wild hogs year-round without limits. Reporter Brenda Salinas has this story about one company that is capitalizing on the problem by letting tourists shoot pigs from helicopters.
BRENDA SALINAS, BYLINE: Here in this part of east Texas , wild pigs like to do one thing - root around in rice fields. Farmer Scott Savage says they can destroy four acres of his crops every night. That's why he keeps a military-style rifle in his combine.
SCOTT SAVAGE: If I see them out in the field, I'll stop and shoot them.
SALINAS: But no matter how many he shoots and kills, it's never enough, so he's offered up his land to a helicopter company . This company flies hunting enthusiasts several times a week over this field and a few others. The helicopter skims a few dozen feet off the ground as hunters Howard Melnick and John Mofit lean out. They're ear, nose and throat doctors visiting from Pennsylvania.
JOHN DUMONT: Good hit, good hit - yeah, that's going to kill him. What do you guys think of that?
UNIDENTIFIED MAN #1: That was freaking so exciting.
SALINAS: After a training course, pilot John Dumont gives Melnick and Mofit two high-powered rifles and helps them strap into his doorless helicopter. That way, they can slide out and shoot as soon as they get the all clear. Dumont uses the sound and the chopper's downdraft to herd the pigs right into the open.
DUMONT: Yeah, clear to fire. Try to get the big one in the front first. Yeah, he's hit now. Yeah, we lost that little piglet, but that's OK.
SALINAS: The company goes to sportsman shows all over the country to convince tourists to book hunting trips. Wild hogs are edible, but a Texas A&M study found many carry infectious diseases. That's why they leaves the carcasses to the buzzards. In 48 hours, they'll be gone. Melnick and Mofit paid 3,000 dollars for this experience. Back on the ground, I ask them, was it worth it?
UNIDENTIFIED MAN #2: Oh, it was a hoot. It was crazy. It was neat.
UNIDENTIFIED MAN #1: Absolutely worth every second of it - I mean, totally exciting, you know, totally exciting - loved it, loved it. I wanted more.
SALINAS: Many clients are military veterans who miss the adrenaline of shooting moving targets, but many are just people who like riding in helicopters and firing guns.
Some animal rights activists say shooting pigs out of a helicopter isn't right. Skip Trimble with the Texas Human Legislation Network says it's ineffective and inhumane.
SKIP TRIMBLE: They generally don't kill them with the first shot. They're injured. And they hit other parts of their body, and then they suffer for a long time. And it's not really a way of really eradicating these things.
SALINAS: Finger on the trigger, even a seasoned hunter like Howard Melnick had second thoughts.
HOWARD MELNICK: I could not shoot the piglet. (Laughter). I just couldn't do it. And I'm looking at him like - that's just not sporting. I'm not doing it (laughter).
SALINAS: In the two hours Melnick and Mofit were in the air, they shot about a dozen wild pigs. That's pretty standard for a helicopter hunt. With more than a million-and-a-half wild pigs in Texas, shooting them from the sky won't eradicate them, but it's boosting tourism and awareness of the problem.
https://www.npr.org/2015/09/24/443200274/helicopter-hog-hunting-takes-off-to-eliminate-a-texas-nuisance
Wild pigs are a nuisance in Texas. There are more than 1.5 million that roam the state and do a lot of damage to crops. One company has come up with one way to try to eliminate some hogs: shooting them from helicopters.
ARI SHAPIRO, HOST:
There are more than a million-and-a-half wild hogs roaming around Texas, and some are up to no good. Every year, these hogs damage about $400 million worth of crops. They're such a nuisance that the state allows hunters to kill wild hogs year-round without limits. Reporter Brenda Salinas has this story about one company that is capitalizing on the problem by letting tourists shoot pigs from helicopters.
BRENDA SALINAS, BYLINE: Here in this part of east Texas , wild pigs like to do one thing - root around in rice fields. Farmer Scott Savage says they can destroy four acres of his crops every night. That's why he keeps a military-style rifle in his combine.
SCOTT SAVAGE: If I see them out in the field, I'll stop and shoot them.
SALINAS: But no matter how many he shoots and kills, it's never enough, so he's offered up his land to a helicopter company . This company flies hunting enthusiasts several times a week over this field and a few others. The helicopter skims a few dozen feet off the ground as hunters Howard Melnick and John Mofit lean out. They're ear, nose and throat doctors visiting from Pennsylvania.
JOHN DUMONT: Good hit, good hit - yeah, that's going to kill him. What do you guys think of that?
UNIDENTIFIED MAN #1: That was freaking so exciting.
SALINAS: After a training course, pilot John Dumont gives Melnick and Mofit two high-powered rifles and helps them strap into his doorless helicopter. That way, they can slide out and shoot as soon as they get the all clear. Dumont uses the sound and the chopper's downdraft to herd the pigs right into the open.
DUMONT: Yeah, clear to fire. Try to get the big one in the front first. Yeah, he's hit now. Yeah, we lost that little piglet, but that's OK.
SALINAS: The company goes to sportsman shows all over the country to convince tourists to book hunting trips. Wild hogs are edible, but a Texas A&M study found many carry infectious diseases. That's why they leaves the carcasses to the buzzards. In 48 hours, they'll be gone. Melnick and Mofit paid 3,000 dollars for this experience. Back on the ground, I ask them, was it worth it?
UNIDENTIFIED MAN #2: Oh, it was a hoot. It was crazy. It was neat.
UNIDENTIFIED MAN #1: Absolutely worth every second of it - I mean, totally exciting, you know, totally exciting - loved it, loved it. I wanted more.
SALINAS: Many clients are military veterans who miss the adrenaline of shooting moving targets, but many are just people who like riding in helicopters and firing guns.
Some animal rights activists say shooting pigs out of a helicopter isn't right. Skip Trimble with the Texas Human Legislation Network says it's ineffective and inhumane.
SKIP TRIMBLE: They generally don't kill them with the first shot. They're injured. And they hit other parts of their body, and then they suffer for a long time. And it's not really a way of really eradicating these things.
SALINAS: Finger on the trigger, even a seasoned hunter like Howard Melnick had second thoughts.
HOWARD MELNICK: I could not shoot the piglet. (Laughter). I just couldn't do it. And I'm looking at him like - that's just not sporting. I'm not doing it (laughter).
SALINAS: In the two hours Melnick and Mofit were in the air, they shot about a dozen wild pigs. That's pretty standard for a helicopter hunt. With more than a million-and-a-half wild pigs in Texas, shooting them from the sky won't eradicate them, but it's boosting tourism and awareness of the problem.
https://www.npr.org/2015/09/24/443200274/helicopter-hog-hunting-takes-off-to-eliminate-a-texas-nuisance
Wild Pigs Negatively Impact Water Quality
Three years ago some of my colleagues and I spent every week checking and rechecking an electric fence we hoped would keep wild pigs out. We were conducting a horticultural study with 1,600 fresh and tender ornamental plants grown over the course of a year. Unfortunately for us, our small plot was not far from a creek that supported a seemingly endless population of wild pigs. Every week we would see damaged brush, dead plants, and clumps of bare loose soil just outside the fence line. Thankfully they never got inside, but while we had the luxury of fencing off and maintaining that relatively small enclosure, that same level of exclusion would not have been feasible for a larger tract of land and certainly is not for stream and rivers courses and their associated wetlands. Impacts on agriculture, plant diversity, and wildlife habitat can be easily observed in areas disturbed by the rooting behavior of wild pigs. One of their less obvious impacts, and the focus of our newest publication, is their impact on water quality in Texas. But before we discuss some of these impacts, let's consider just how serious of an issue wild pigs have become.
Wild pigs now occur in at least 36 states and the economic toll of these animals in the US was estimated to exceed $1.5 billion in 2007, a number likely to be much larger today. Population modeling indicates that as many as 3-5 million wild pigs now inhabit Texas and they are present in almost every county in the state (Figure 1). The number and range of these animals is not surprising considering their incredible adaptability and fecundity. With an average lifespan of 4-5 years, adult sows commonly produce litters of 4-6 offspring and can have 1-3 liters per year. Their population growth is relatively unchecked by predators. Coyotes, bobcats, and feral dogs have been known to prey upon juveniles but humans remain the only significant predators of adult wild pigs. Population modeling has indicated that as much as 66% of the wild pig population would need to be harvested every year for 5 years or more to halt population growth. With humans only harvesting an estimated 29% of the population per year, we will see continued growth and spread of wild pigs. Omnivorous and intelligent, wild pigs are well adapted to conditions across the state and their foraging, opportunistic predation, rooting, and wallowing behaviors are incredibly disruptive, having serious repercussions for the ecological and economic health of our state.
Figure 1. NMFSS data showing 2016 feral swine populations by county. (Image Credit – USDA-APHIS)
A worrisome aspect of wild pigs in Texas is the impact on water quality they have by damaging riparian areas and wetlands. Since wild pigs lack sweat glands, they often stay close to water bodies in order to cool themselves by wallowing in wet, shaded areas. This concentrates wild pig populations in sensitive riparian areas, which are both crucial transitional zones between upland areas and water bodies, and a vital component of maintaining overall water quality. Healthy riparian and wetland communities perform numerous critical functions which maintain water quality including, stabilizing soils, decreasing water velocities during flooding, providing fish and wildlife habitat, mitigating contamination from surrounding storm water runoff, and lowering water temperatures through shading. Because of their disruptive rooting and wallowing behavior, as well as heavy foraging of native mast (fruits and nuts), wild pigs can significantly decrease native vegetation cover in riparian corridors. By reducing native ground cover, native tree abundance, and native seedling establishment, they increase the presence and abundance of invasive plant species, and destabilize stream and river banks leading to increased sedimentation, nutrient loads, turbidity, and altered pH levels.
While they indirectly impact water quality through the destruction of riparian and wetland communities, wild pigs also directly impact water quality through defecation. One study of fecal coliforms in the Buck Creek watershed of Texas found that as much as 50% of E.coli bacteria samples collected were from wildlife sources including wild pigs, while only 20% originated from domestic animals or livestock. With a high defecation rate (1,121 grams per day) when compared to other wildlife species like white-tailed deer (500-772 grams per day), their contribution to bacterial loading and water quality is becoming a growing concern for land managers and regulatory authorities statewide. Especially since, as of 2012, the majority of Texas water bodies were listed as bacterially impaired. Bacterial impairment increases the potential for disease transmission in both wildlife and human populations. Recreational activities such as swimming, wading, and fishing are necessarily restricted as a result of these unsanitary conditions.
Wild pig activity in and near water sources can spread invasive plant species, destabilize soil, reduce native species abundance, alter nutrient and pH levels, increase turbidity, and contribute to increased E. coli bacteria levels in surface water systems.
Agriculture is also impacted when access to high quality water becomes limited. One study found that livestock with a quality water supply can produce as much as 20% more animal gain as compared to livestock with access to impaired water. Furthermore, the low dissolved oxygen and high nutrient levels associated with impairment can reduce aquatic species abundance and diversity, and lead to massive algal blooms and fish kills.
Wild pig populations contribute to impaired water quality in Texas, both directly through fecal deposition, and indirectly by altering wetland and riparian communities. While more research is needed to quantify their impact and contribution to water impairment, wild pig abatement has been shown to benefit riparian ecosystems and overall water quality by reducing bacterial impairment, reducing the spread of invasive species, increasing vegetation cover, facilitating proper nutrient cycling, decreasing erosion, and decreasing surface water turbidity. Given the wide spread and growing challenge posed by wild pigs in Texas, the potential benefits of management and control should be considered in any plan for improving or safeguarding water quality. Application of consistent and widespread abatement efforts remains the only way of stabilizing and thus reducing the impacts of wild pig populations on landscapes and water quality in Texas.
For more information on how wild pigs negatively impact water quality, please click the link below to download a free electronic copy of “Wild pigs negatively impact water quality: Implications for land and watershed management” from the AgriLife Bookstore.
http://www.agrilifebookstore.org/Wild-Pigs-Negatively-Impact-Water-Quality-p/enri-005.htm
Wild pig resources listed below are available at the AgriLife Bookstore
– L-5523 Recognizing Feral Hog Sign
– L-5524 Corral Traps for Capturing Feral Hogs
– L-5525 Box Traps for Capturing Feral Hogs
– L-5526 Placing and Baiting Feral Hog Traps
– L-5527 Door Modifications for Feral Hog Traps
– L-5528 Snaring Feral Hog
– L-5529 Making a Feral Hog Snare
– SP-419 Feral Hogs Impact Ground-nesting Birds
– SP-420 Feral Hog Laws and Regulations
– SP-421 Feral Hogs and Disease Concerns
– SP-422 Feral Hogs and Water Quality in Plum Creek
– SP-423 Feral Hog Transportation Regulations
– L-5533 Using Fences to Exclude Feral Hogs from Wildlife Feeding Stations
– WF-030 Reducing Non-target Species Interference While Trapping Wild Pigs
– WF-033 Wild Pigs and Ticks: Implications for Livestock Production, Human and Animal Health
– ENRI-005 Wild Pigs Negatively Impact Water Quality: Implications for Land and Watershed Management
Click here for additional resources on wild pigs
_______________________________________________________________________________________
For educational programming or technical assistance with wild pigs please contact:
Josh Helcel, 512-554-3785, josh.helcel@tamu.edu
References
Baird, J.V. 1990. Soil facts: Nitrogen management and water quality. North Carolina Cooperative Extension AG-439-2.
Campbell, T.A. and D.B. Long. 2009. Feral swine damage and damage management in forested ecosystems. Forest Ecology and Management 257:2319-2326.
Chavarria, P.M., R.R. Lopez, G. Browser, and N.J. Silvy. 2007. A landscape-level survey of feral hog impacts to natural resources of the Big Thicket National Preserve. Human Wildlife Conflicts 1:199-204.
Cushman, J.H., T.A. Tierney, and J.M. Hinds. 2004. Variable effects of feral pig disturbances on native and exotic plants in a California grassland. Ecological Applications 14:1746–1756.
Doupe´ R.G., J. Mitchell, M.J. Knott, A.M. Davis, and A.J. Lymbery. 2009. Efficacy of exclusion fencing to protect ephemeral floodplain lagoon habitats from feral pigs (Sus scrofa). Wetlands Ecology and Management. DOI 10.1007/s11273-009-9149-3
Gingerich, J.L. 1994. Florida’s Fabulous Mammals. World Publications. Tampa Bay.
Giovanni, G. D., L. Gregory, P. Dyer, and K. Wagner. 2007. Bacterial Monitoring for the Buck Creek Watershed – Final Report. Texas AgriLife Research, Texas Water Resources Institute, and Texas AgriLife Extension Service. TSSWCB Project 03-07.
Jay, M.T., Cooley, M., Carychao, D., Wiscomb, G.W., Sweitzer, R.A., Crawford-Miksza, L., Farrar, J.A., Lau, D.K., O’Connell, J., Millington, A., Asmundson, R.V., Atwill, E.R., and Mandrell, R.E. 2007. Escherichia coli O157:H7 in feral swine near spinach fields and cattle, central California coast. Emerging Infectious Diseases 13:1908–1911.
Kotanen, P.M. 1995. Responses of vegetation to a changing regime of disturbance: Effects of feral pigs in a California coastal prairie. Ecography 18:190-199.
Mapston, M. E. 2007. Feral hogs in Texas. AgriLife Extension B-6149 03-07, Texas A&M University, College Station, USA.
Naiman, R.J., H. Decamps, and M.E. McClain. 2005. Riparian: ecology, conservation and management of streamside communities. Elsevier, San Diego, USA.
Ohio State University Extension. 2006. Ohio livestock manure management guide. Bulletin 604. The Ohio State University, Columbus, USA.
Parker, I.D. 2010. The role of free-ranging mammals in the deposition of Escherichia coli into a Texas floodplain. Doctoral Dissertation. Texas A&M University, College Station, TX.
Pimental, D. 2007. Environmental and economic costs of vertebrate species invasions into the United States. Managing Vertebrate Invasive Species. College of Agriculture and Life Sciences, Cornell University, Ithaca, New York, USA.
Siemann, E., J.A. Carrillo, C.A. Gabler, R. Zipp, and W.E. Rogers. 2009. Experimental test of the impacts of feral hogs on forest dynamics and processes in the southeastern US. Forest Ecology and Management 258:546-553.
Singer, F.J., W.T Swank, and E.E.C. Clebsch. 1984. Effects of wild pig rooting in a deciduous forest. Journal of Wildlife Management 48:464-473.
Taylor, R.B., E.C. Hellgren, T.M. Gabor, and L. Ilse. 1998. Reproduction of feral pigs in southern Texas. Journal of Mammalogy 79:1325–1331.
Texas Commission on Environmental Quality (TCEQ). 2013. 2012 Texas Integrated Report of Surface Water Quality for Clean Water Act Sections 305(b) and 303(d).
Timmons, J.B., J. Mellish, B. Higginbotham, J. Griffin, R. Lopez, A. Sumrall, K. Skow, and J.C. Cathey. 2012. Feral hog population growth, density and harvest in Texas. Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Service SP-472.
Williams, W.D., O. Kenzie, D. Quinton, and P. Wallis. 1996. The water source as a factor affecting livestock production. In: Animal Science research Development: Meeting Future challenges. Proceedings, Can. Soc. Anim. Sci., Lethbridge, AB. E
Posted 5th June 2018 by Wildlife and Fisheries Extension
Labels: aerial gunning bacterial source tracking Biology Distribution E. coli Feral Hogs Harvest Hunting Impaired watersPublication Riparian Sus scrofa Trapping water quality concerns Wetlands Wild Pigs
Three years ago some of my colleagues and I spent every week checking and rechecking an electric fence we hoped would keep wild pigs out. We were conducting a horticultural study with 1,600 fresh and tender ornamental plants grown over the course of a year. Unfortunately for us, our small plot was not far from a creek that supported a seemingly endless population of wild pigs. Every week we would see damaged brush, dead plants, and clumps of bare loose soil just outside the fence line. Thankfully they never got inside, but while we had the luxury of fencing off and maintaining that relatively small enclosure, that same level of exclusion would not have been feasible for a larger tract of land and certainly is not for stream and rivers courses and their associated wetlands. Impacts on agriculture, plant diversity, and wildlife habitat can be easily observed in areas disturbed by the rooting behavior of wild pigs. One of their less obvious impacts, and the focus of our newest publication, is their impact on water quality in Texas. But before we discuss some of these impacts, let's consider just how serious of an issue wild pigs have become.
Wild pigs now occur in at least 36 states and the economic toll of these animals in the US was estimated to exceed $1.5 billion in 2007, a number likely to be much larger today. Population modeling indicates that as many as 3-5 million wild pigs now inhabit Texas and they are present in almost every county in the state (Figure 1). The number and range of these animals is not surprising considering their incredible adaptability and fecundity. With an average lifespan of 4-5 years, adult sows commonly produce litters of 4-6 offspring and can have 1-3 liters per year. Their population growth is relatively unchecked by predators. Coyotes, bobcats, and feral dogs have been known to prey upon juveniles but humans remain the only significant predators of adult wild pigs. Population modeling has indicated that as much as 66% of the wild pig population would need to be harvested every year for 5 years or more to halt population growth. With humans only harvesting an estimated 29% of the population per year, we will see continued growth and spread of wild pigs. Omnivorous and intelligent, wild pigs are well adapted to conditions across the state and their foraging, opportunistic predation, rooting, and wallowing behaviors are incredibly disruptive, having serious repercussions for the ecological and economic health of our state.
Figure 1. NMFSS data showing 2016 feral swine populations by county. (Image Credit – USDA-APHIS)
A worrisome aspect of wild pigs in Texas is the impact on water quality they have by damaging riparian areas and wetlands. Since wild pigs lack sweat glands, they often stay close to water bodies in order to cool themselves by wallowing in wet, shaded areas. This concentrates wild pig populations in sensitive riparian areas, which are both crucial transitional zones between upland areas and water bodies, and a vital component of maintaining overall water quality. Healthy riparian and wetland communities perform numerous critical functions which maintain water quality including, stabilizing soils, decreasing water velocities during flooding, providing fish and wildlife habitat, mitigating contamination from surrounding storm water runoff, and lowering water temperatures through shading. Because of their disruptive rooting and wallowing behavior, as well as heavy foraging of native mast (fruits and nuts), wild pigs can significantly decrease native vegetation cover in riparian corridors. By reducing native ground cover, native tree abundance, and native seedling establishment, they increase the presence and abundance of invasive plant species, and destabilize stream and river banks leading to increased sedimentation, nutrient loads, turbidity, and altered pH levels.
While they indirectly impact water quality through the destruction of riparian and wetland communities, wild pigs also directly impact water quality through defecation. One study of fecal coliforms in the Buck Creek watershed of Texas found that as much as 50% of E.coli bacteria samples collected were from wildlife sources including wild pigs, while only 20% originated from domestic animals or livestock. With a high defecation rate (1,121 grams per day) when compared to other wildlife species like white-tailed deer (500-772 grams per day), their contribution to bacterial loading and water quality is becoming a growing concern for land managers and regulatory authorities statewide. Especially since, as of 2012, the majority of Texas water bodies were listed as bacterially impaired. Bacterial impairment increases the potential for disease transmission in both wildlife and human populations. Recreational activities such as swimming, wading, and fishing are necessarily restricted as a result of these unsanitary conditions.
Wild pig activity in and near water sources can spread invasive plant species, destabilize soil, reduce native species abundance, alter nutrient and pH levels, increase turbidity, and contribute to increased E. coli bacteria levels in surface water systems.
Agriculture is also impacted when access to high quality water becomes limited. One study found that livestock with a quality water supply can produce as much as 20% more animal gain as compared to livestock with access to impaired water. Furthermore, the low dissolved oxygen and high nutrient levels associated with impairment can reduce aquatic species abundance and diversity, and lead to massive algal blooms and fish kills.
Wild pig populations contribute to impaired water quality in Texas, both directly through fecal deposition, and indirectly by altering wetland and riparian communities. While more research is needed to quantify their impact and contribution to water impairment, wild pig abatement has been shown to benefit riparian ecosystems and overall water quality by reducing bacterial impairment, reducing the spread of invasive species, increasing vegetation cover, facilitating proper nutrient cycling, decreasing erosion, and decreasing surface water turbidity. Given the wide spread and growing challenge posed by wild pigs in Texas, the potential benefits of management and control should be considered in any plan for improving or safeguarding water quality. Application of consistent and widespread abatement efforts remains the only way of stabilizing and thus reducing the impacts of wild pig populations on landscapes and water quality in Texas.
For more information on how wild pigs negatively impact water quality, please click the link below to download a free electronic copy of “Wild pigs negatively impact water quality: Implications for land and watershed management” from the AgriLife Bookstore.
http://www.agrilifebookstore.org/Wild-Pigs-Negatively-Impact-Water-Quality-p/enri-005.htm
Wild pig resources listed below are available at the AgriLife Bookstore
– L-5523 Recognizing Feral Hog Sign
– L-5524 Corral Traps for Capturing Feral Hogs
– L-5525 Box Traps for Capturing Feral Hogs
– L-5526 Placing and Baiting Feral Hog Traps
– L-5527 Door Modifications for Feral Hog Traps
– L-5528 Snaring Feral Hog
– L-5529 Making a Feral Hog Snare
– SP-419 Feral Hogs Impact Ground-nesting Birds
– SP-420 Feral Hog Laws and Regulations
– SP-421 Feral Hogs and Disease Concerns
– SP-422 Feral Hogs and Water Quality in Plum Creek
– SP-423 Feral Hog Transportation Regulations
– L-5533 Using Fences to Exclude Feral Hogs from Wildlife Feeding Stations
– WF-030 Reducing Non-target Species Interference While Trapping Wild Pigs
– WF-033 Wild Pigs and Ticks: Implications for Livestock Production, Human and Animal Health
– ENRI-005 Wild Pigs Negatively Impact Water Quality: Implications for Land and Watershed Management
Click here for additional resources on wild pigs
_______________________________________________________________________________________
For educational programming or technical assistance with wild pigs please contact:
Josh Helcel, 512-554-3785, josh.helcel@tamu.edu
References
Baird, J.V. 1990. Soil facts: Nitrogen management and water quality. North Carolina Cooperative Extension AG-439-2.
Campbell, T.A. and D.B. Long. 2009. Feral swine damage and damage management in forested ecosystems. Forest Ecology and Management 257:2319-2326.
Chavarria, P.M., R.R. Lopez, G. Browser, and N.J. Silvy. 2007. A landscape-level survey of feral hog impacts to natural resources of the Big Thicket National Preserve. Human Wildlife Conflicts 1:199-204.
Cushman, J.H., T.A. Tierney, and J.M. Hinds. 2004. Variable effects of feral pig disturbances on native and exotic plants in a California grassland. Ecological Applications 14:1746–1756.
Doupe´ R.G., J. Mitchell, M.J. Knott, A.M. Davis, and A.J. Lymbery. 2009. Efficacy of exclusion fencing to protect ephemeral floodplain lagoon habitats from feral pigs (Sus scrofa). Wetlands Ecology and Management. DOI 10.1007/s11273-009-9149-3
Gingerich, J.L. 1994. Florida’s Fabulous Mammals. World Publications. Tampa Bay.
Giovanni, G. D., L. Gregory, P. Dyer, and K. Wagner. 2007. Bacterial Monitoring for the Buck Creek Watershed – Final Report. Texas AgriLife Research, Texas Water Resources Institute, and Texas AgriLife Extension Service. TSSWCB Project 03-07.
Jay, M.T., Cooley, M., Carychao, D., Wiscomb, G.W., Sweitzer, R.A., Crawford-Miksza, L., Farrar, J.A., Lau, D.K., O’Connell, J., Millington, A., Asmundson, R.V., Atwill, E.R., and Mandrell, R.E. 2007. Escherichia coli O157:H7 in feral swine near spinach fields and cattle, central California coast. Emerging Infectious Diseases 13:1908–1911.
Kotanen, P.M. 1995. Responses of vegetation to a changing regime of disturbance: Effects of feral pigs in a California coastal prairie. Ecography 18:190-199.
Mapston, M. E. 2007. Feral hogs in Texas. AgriLife Extension B-6149 03-07, Texas A&M University, College Station, USA.
Naiman, R.J., H. Decamps, and M.E. McClain. 2005. Riparian: ecology, conservation and management of streamside communities. Elsevier, San Diego, USA.
Ohio State University Extension. 2006. Ohio livestock manure management guide. Bulletin 604. The Ohio State University, Columbus, USA.
Parker, I.D. 2010. The role of free-ranging mammals in the deposition of Escherichia coli into a Texas floodplain. Doctoral Dissertation. Texas A&M University, College Station, TX.
Pimental, D. 2007. Environmental and economic costs of vertebrate species invasions into the United States. Managing Vertebrate Invasive Species. College of Agriculture and Life Sciences, Cornell University, Ithaca, New York, USA.
Siemann, E., J.A. Carrillo, C.A. Gabler, R. Zipp, and W.E. Rogers. 2009. Experimental test of the impacts of feral hogs on forest dynamics and processes in the southeastern US. Forest Ecology and Management 258:546-553.
Singer, F.J., W.T Swank, and E.E.C. Clebsch. 1984. Effects of wild pig rooting in a deciduous forest. Journal of Wildlife Management 48:464-473.
Taylor, R.B., E.C. Hellgren, T.M. Gabor, and L. Ilse. 1998. Reproduction of feral pigs in southern Texas. Journal of Mammalogy 79:1325–1331.
Texas Commission on Environmental Quality (TCEQ). 2013. 2012 Texas Integrated Report of Surface Water Quality for Clean Water Act Sections 305(b) and 303(d).
Timmons, J.B., J. Mellish, B. Higginbotham, J. Griffin, R. Lopez, A. Sumrall, K. Skow, and J.C. Cathey. 2012. Feral hog population growth, density and harvest in Texas. Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Service SP-472.
Williams, W.D., O. Kenzie, D. Quinton, and P. Wallis. 1996. The water source as a factor affecting livestock production. In: Animal Science research Development: Meeting Future challenges. Proceedings, Can. Soc. Anim. Sci., Lethbridge, AB. E
Posted 5th June 2018 by Wildlife and Fisheries Extension
Labels: aerial gunning bacterial source tracking Biology Distribution E. coli Feral Hogs Harvest Hunting Impaired watersPublication Riparian Sus scrofa Trapping water quality concerns Wetlands Wild Pigs