By: Melissa Hopkins, TAMU WFSC '16 and Mark Tyson, M.S.
Introduction
Supporting
some of the highest densities of whitetail deer in the nation (with populations
estimated to be in the 3.6 million range), Texas is home to an explosive
whitetail hunting industry. Similarly, Texas also hosts an enormous number of
feral hogs – 2.6 million, in fact; the largest population in the United States.
With
evidence that feral hogs are exhibiting exponential growth, and with whitetail
deer numbers increasing across many areas of the state as well, it’s very
likely that interspecies resource competition will begin to become more
prominent as both populations continue to rise. The implications of this
competition will likely be felt by Texas’ many hunters and landowners in the
years to come, if the feral hog population is not curbed appropriately.
(A sow excluding a whitetail deer from feeding at a bait site)
Competition
Through
research conducted in Texas, it was found that both feral hogs and whitetail
deer diets consist mainly of vegetation. This similarity in food sources sets
both species up for resource conflict. Because of this conflict, feral hogs
generally impact whitetail deer in three ways:
1)
They compete with native deer populations by consuming preferred vegetation (i.e.
seasonally abundant mast, such as acorns). In fact, feral hogs often
out-compete whitetail deer for these food resources, as they forage by both
smell and sight. However, as whitetail deer diets vary depending on the season,
competition between the two species may be reduced in times where mast
production is not as high.
2)
They compete for supplemental food sources provided by landowners (protein
supplements, bait used by hunters, etc.). Texas alone spends an estimated $50
million annually on corn to feed their whitetail deer populations, with a good
portion of that feed going to non-target species such as raccoons and – you
guessed it – feral hogs.
3)
Because deer don’t typically tolerate feral hogs very well, they may cause deer
to vacate the immediate areas surrounding feeder locations, where hogs arise.
What Can Be Done
There
are several things that can be done to ease resource competition between feral
hogs and whitetail deer. The management of feral hog populations seems the most
obvious. Based on modeling data, an estimated 1,716,000 feral hogs need to be
harvested annually just to hold populations steady. In order to better manage
feral hog numbers, a combination of shooting, trapping (corral & box), snaring, and the use of
trained dogs needs to be done to provide the best results. Excluding
feral hogs from feed sources is also an option. According to Timmons et al.
(2011), feeder pens at heights of 28” and 34” effectively denied feral hogs
access to supplemental feed without significantly impacting deer access.