By:
Andy James, Project Coordinator – Texas A&M Natural Resources Institute
Countywide
wild pig abatement programs have been implemented across Texas for decades. Many of these programs are based on some type of
bounty system, usually pertaining to a 1-3 month period when physical evidence
that verifies animal harvest is brought to a central location and exchanged for
money. While bounty programs do
accomplish important objectives including promoting public awareness and
providing the public incentive to reduce populations, there are several
challenges and issues associated with these types of programs. There are usually a limited amount of funds
associated with a bounty program and those funds tend to run out well before the
end of the program, thereby eliminating the incentive for landowners to
continue reducing the number of wild pigs on their property. Another issue raised with bounty programs is
the perception that some participants may collect and freeze the required physical
evidence of harvest throughout the year in anticipation of a bounty program the
following year. Concerns of participants
releasing hogs alive after removing the physical evidence of harvest have also
risen in past programs. These types of problems
have led many counties throughout the state to stop offering bounty programs
and look for alternative opportunities to offer their constituents.
Co-ops for Wild Pigs
Cooperative
land management efforts are increasing in popularity across Texas, and one
alternative is the creation of a landowner cooperative (co-op) abatement program.
Wildlife management co-ops allow for collective
management plans, where relatively large tracts of land can be actively managed
through the pooling of resources and effort.
These same principles can be applied through a targeted wild pig abatement
co-op. Landowners who are interested may
enter the program by paying a small fee, usually on a per acre basis. This fee can then be matched by the county
through various funding sources. By
requiring landowners to match the funding that the county is putting towards
the program, the amount of resources available to the program essentially doubles. The money then goes into a targeted abatement
effort, bringing aerial gunning, corral traps, box traps, the use of wireless/suspended
trap technologies and other means of reducing the damages associated with wild
pigs. 
Available county
funding can be matched by participating landowners in order to purchase emerging technologies such as remote and
suspended trapping systems.
Advantages of Wild Pig Co-op’s
Advantages
of a county-based wild pig co-op can include increased landowner engagement, reduced
numbers of wild pigs over a continuous area, long-term success through
continuous control and others. When landowners
contribute funds to the program, they are much more likely to be engaged, while
also taking advantage of the available services and expertise for as little as
fifty cents on the dollar. Encouraging
neighbors to participate together in a program ensures large, continuous tracts
of land can be impacted. The upfront cost
of a county purchasing head gates and materials to build corral traps can be
somewhat expensive, but the long-term benefits are significant and can
potentially quickly offset the initial investment. For example, while a bounty program may last
1-3 months, traps can last decades with regular maintenance and good care. Additionally, funds invested into a co-op
program continue to work for the county, whereas once bounty funds are
distributed they no longer contribute towards future wild pig abatement. 
Adjacent
landowners who participate together in cooperative wild pig abatement can
increase
the
success of their efforts when enacting control methods such as trapping and
aerial gunning.
A Case Study
Over
the last 2 years, one central Texas county has successfully implemented a
similar co-op type program instead of offering a conventional bounty program. The county was able to obtain several grants
in the amount of $37,500 along with an additional $15,000 in county funds that were
set aside for wild pig abatement efforts. The funding, along with funds from
participating landowners, were then used to purchase enough materials to build
9 large corral traps and 5 remotely activated head gates. A suspended trapping system and other supplies
including game cameras, corn, feeders, and batteries were also purchased. As assembly of the traps was completed, abatement
efforts were then enacted over a period of 10-12 months. Since the first traps were placed on
properties almost 2 years ago, more than 1,000 hogs have been trapped and
removed from the population. A wild pig
is estimated to cause a minimum of $250 in annual damages, either to
agriculture or through other means. Considering
this figure, this Texas county has saved more than $250,000 by implementing a
county wide cooperative trapping program in lieu of a conventional bounty
program. However, this figure is from
trapping activities only, and does not include the additional savings incurred through
other abatement strategies including aerial gunning, snaring, strategic shooting
and the use of trained dogs.
Conclusion
County
based cooperative wild pig abatement is a viable alternative to conventional
bounty programs. If you are interested in participating in a similar program or
are just curious as to what kinds of resources may be available to you within
your county, a good place to start is to contact your county extension agent.
He/she can inform you of what kinds of programs/resources are available in your
county, and can also put you in touch with professionals such as those from
Texas Wildlife Services who can assist with efforts such as beginning an aerial
gunning regimen on your property and/or within the co-op. While the success of any cooperative hinges
on collaboration and cooperator engagement, this strategy can offer a
continuous and long term abatement alternative to conventional bounty programs.
The
removal of over 1000 wild pigs in less than two years from one Texas county
shows that county- based cooperative wild pig management can be successful. The
resources and program are still in use today and will continue to serve
landowners for many years to come.
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
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