Feral Hogs in Texas
A Service Provided by the Animal Services Division
Letter to Residents
re: City Efforts to Prevent Hogs in Neighborhoods Along Ditch H South of US59
Feral hogs are unprotected, exotic, non-game animals that are in excess of 1.5 million here in Texas.
Like any wild animal, feral hogs have the potential to be dangerous in the right circumstances; however, in the natural state, feral hogs will prefer to run and escape danger.
The true hog was introduced by Spanish explorers over 300 years ago. In the 1930’s the Russian boar was introduced to Texas and since then has bred with the Spanish variety creating the feral hog.
Feral hogs are generally found in dense vegetation often associated with water. Their home range is anywhere from 5,000 to 70,000 acres depending on food availability and shelter, and they travel as a family unit. The larger male hogs are generally solitary but will join the family for feeding and mating. Feral hogs like to eat grasses, forbs, roots, tubers, acorns, fruits, bulbs, mushrooms and small invertebrates like insects, snails and earthworms. They also will feed on reptiles, amphibians and carrion (dead animals).
Feral hogs have four continuous growing tusks, two on the top and two on the bottom. They generally are said to have poor eyesight, but have a keen sense of hearing and smell.
They have few natural predators as an adult, and smaller piglets are often eaten by alligators, coyotes, owls, bobcats and mountain lions. A female hog can have two litters a year and in ideal conditions three, but one litter is more common. They can have up to 12 piglets -- again six to eight being the average. There are currently no birth control, oxicants or repellants registered for the control of feral hogs.
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