2 Desperate Texas Counties are Looking for Hog Bounty Hunters
Saying that the U.S. has a feral hog program is like saying Washing D.C. may have a few crooked politicians - it's the understatement of understatements. Now, 2 Texas counties have decided to choose violence (in the most old-west definition of the phrase) in order to end the swine plague holding them hostage.
According to a report from KSAT, the issue with feral hogs is so bad in Hays and Caldwell counties that officials with the Central Texas Feral Hog Task Force are offering a bounty of $5 for every hog killed within the county lines. The funding for this program comes from a grant provided by the Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Service - Wildlife Services.
The Feral Hog Task Force's estimates put roughly 2.6 million feral hogs in Texas that cause around $500 million in damage every year. On top of that, top biologists say that this species is intelligent. So smart, in fact, that trapping them incorrectly can make the issue worse. According to the USDA's research on the matter, if you attempt to trap them and that trap fails - they can escape and will be twice as hard to trap the next time because they learn what to look for.
Last year, the task force was able to eliminate nearly 2,900 hogs in Hays, Caldwell, and Guadalupe using a similar bounty program, helicopter gunning operations, trapping kits for landowners, and clinics to educate the public about how to handle this porcine menace.
If you would like to take up the task force's offer and become "Hog, the Bounty Hunter," find out more and get your participation form here.