By Mark Tyson, M.S., Extension Associate, Texas A&M
AgriLife Extension Service
and
Tim Siegmund, Regulatory Biologist, Texas Parks and Wildlife
Department, College Station-District 5
A group of focused
landowners can accomplish any task set before them. “Individual commitment
to a group effort: that is what makes a team work, a company work, a society
work, a civilization work” – Vince Lombardi. What better a challenge to undertake
than feral hogs? In a previous blog, Do
my population reduction efforts even make a difference?, feral hog
management success stories were highlighted to show that feral hog population
reduction efforts can make a difference. In this blog we would like to propose
some ideas on how landowners can team up to tackle the feral hog problem in
Texas.
(Feral hog sows with piglets)
It is important to
know your neighbors. If you don’t, now is a good time to meet them. Landowner
cooperatives are easily formed around common goals. If you are experiencing
feral hog damage, it is highly likely your neighbor is as well. Failing to
collaborate with your neighbors can leave “safe havens” for the hogs, which
will lessen the effectiveness of your feral hog management efforts. If you are
not able to convince your neighbor to collaborate, refer them to a local
natural resource professional such as your county’s TPWD
Wildlife Biologist or County
Extension Agent. These individuals will be able to explain the implications
that feral hogs have on the landscape and our economy. They will also be able
to discuss the questions and concerns your neighbor may have about landowner
cooperatives.
Preparation is often
more important than operation. Planning is the first and most important
step in accomplishing a task effectively. Dwight D. Eisenhower knew the
importance of planning: “In preparing for battle I have always found that plans
are useless, but planning is indispensable”. If it can go wrong, it most likely
will, especially when you are working with feral hogs. An in-depth plan will
help in overcoming the adversities you will face along the way. Logistics are
“the things that must be done to plan and organize a complicated activity or
event that involves many people” according to Merriam-Webster. In planning
think logistics: acquisition, distribution, maintenance and replacement for
both materials and people. Other factors to consider are: goals, objectives and
outcomes, budget, timelines, who is responsible for what, and internal
communication. Creating an outline is a great way to keep all your “ducks in a row”.
In your outline make sure to outline all essential decisions/activities in a
time sequential order from the beginning to the end. Plan to have a plan or
plan to miss the mark.
Creating a budget and
meeting the financial needs of the cooperative is a vital portion of the
planning process. “A budget is telling your money where to go instead of
wondering where it went” – Dave Ramsey. Some disagreements may arise when it comes to
finances but these concerns can be addressed in a detailed budget. Having
everyone on-board as to how and when supplies are to be paid for can be the
“oil” keeps your cooperative running smoothly.
Supplement your
cooperative’s budget through the sale of live feral hogs to Approved Feral Swine Holding Facilities which are licensed and regulated by the Texas
Animal Health Commission. The publication Feral Hog
Approved Holding Facility Guidelines in Texas provides a more in-depth
explanation on holding facilities. These buyers will typically pay between .25
and .35 cents per pound for live hogs over seventy pounds. A 200 pound hog sold
at .30 cents a pound will bring $60.00, selling ten hogs of this size can cover
the expense to construct a large well-built corral trap.
Best management
practices suggest that corral traps are the way to go and research backs this
recommendation. Williams et al. (2011) found that corral traps exhibited a
capture rate >4 times that of box traps during a study conducted on the Fort
Benning military installation outside Columbus, GA. The first step in trapping
is to train the hogs to your bait site. Training
Wild Pigs to Bait explains this process in great detail. Finally, a trap
gate will need to be selected, such as this simple, easy to build Guillotine
Style Drop Gate. Saloon doors are another manually operated gate style that
performs well. Additionally wireless or remotely operated gates are available
from a variety of companies online. The great thing about using corral traps is
that one gate can be shared between multiple traps. This works well for
landowner cooperatives looking to share trapping materials. As one trap is set
to catch the remaining traps can continue conditioning the hogs to bait. The
video below provides a detailed look into the considerations
for building a corral trap.
Cooperatives in areas
with open habitat or agricultural crop production fields can pool their land
and collaborate with an aerial gunning operation. These companies prefer to
have large blocks of continuous land to effectively locate and remove hogs.
Thanks to the new Porkchopper Bill these companies can sell the opportunity to
harvest hogs from the helicopter eliminating the cost to a landowner. Dan
Gaskins’ blog on Aerial
Hunting of Feral Hogs covers this subject well.
Forming a landowner
cooperative can be a highly effective technique to manage feral hogs in an
area. The first step is actually taking a step; the feral hog problem in
Texas is not going to heal itself. Rely on the experience of your county’s TPWD
Wildlife Biologist or County
Extension Agent to get you through any challenges your group may face.
“Coming together is a beginning, staying together is progress, and working
together is success” – Henry Ford.
For free educational
programming or technical assistance with feral hogs please contact us:
Mark Tyson, South and Southeast
Texas, 979-845-4698, mark.tyson@ag.tamu.edu
Dan Gaskins, Central and North Central
Texas, 254-248-0532, dan.gaskins@tamu.edu
Our services are provided
free of charge through a Clean Water Act 319(h) non-point source grant from the
Texas State Soil and Water Conservation Board and the U.S. Environmental
Protection Agency
Literature Cited
Williams, B.A., R. W. Holtfretter, S. S. Ditchkoff and J. B.
Grand. 2011. Trap style influences wild
pig behavior and trapping success. Journal of Wildlife Management 75:432-436.