In 20 years, the feral hog population
has grown to more than 3 million head across Texas and has wreaked havoc on
property, livestock, crops, pastures and more recently, city parks and golf
courses.
The female hogs have litters of eight and twelve pigs at a time several
times per year and they can double their population in an area in four
months, Aubrey Lange said. Hunters can’t make a dent in their numbers.
“From 1993-2003, the damage from feral hogs that was reported to AgriLife
Extension’s Wildlife Services increased an average of 105 percent per year,”
said Ken Cearley, Extension wildlife management specialist in Canyon. “The
price tag for that damage now is conservatively estimated to be about $52
million per year.”
SOME FAST FACTS AS OF 2006:
STATES WITH FERAL HOGS: 39, plus 4 Canadian provinces.
TEXAS COUNTIES with Feral Hogs, 225 out of 254 counties.
HOG POULATION IN TEXAS; 2,000,000 (MILLION)+!
NATIONAL POPULATION is estimated at around 4,000,000.
ESTIMATED ANNUAL AGG DAMAGE from feral swine $52 MILLION!
LANDOWNER ANNUAL EXPENSE to control feral swine $7 MILLION
NATURAL LIFE EXPECTANCY OF A FERAL SWINE IS 6 to 8 years.
AVERAGE SIZE of feral swine is 100 to 150 pounds, but depending on the
region can obtain sizes in excess of 600 lbs.
REPRODUCTION OF FERAL SWINE: Once a sow reaches breeding age at 7 or 8
months of age they can be responsible for 1,000 plus feral swine in a 5 year
period. The State of Texas had an estimated population of around 2 MILLION
at last check.
( If 1/4 are breeding sows!? )
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