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Feral Hog Removal in Austin

FUN FACT

Feral hogs caused an estimated $2.5 billion in damage across the U.S. in 2023.

Schedule Your Feral Hog RemovalCall (512) 764-5804

Identification

Wild hogs, also known as feral hogs, are increasingly problematic across the United States, with their population numbers estimated in the millions. These adaptable creatures thrive in various habitats, including forests and agricultural lands. Wild hogs are omnivores with a voracious appetite, consuming plants, insects, and carrion. In Texas, their presence has expanded from farms and ranches to neighborhoods and backyards.

Signs of Infestation

  • Root Damage: Distinctive overturned soil from rooting for food.
  • Damaged Crops: Significant damage to gardens, crops, and lawns.
  • Mud Wallows: Created for cooling and parasite removal.
  • Dead Animals: Prey on smaller animals, such as deer fawns.
  • Damaged Fencing: Break through fences, rip down barbed wire, or break through structures.

Breeding Season

Wild hogs have a flexible breeding season, typically occurring in late fall and winter. Gestation lasts about three months, resulting in litters of 4 to 12 piglets. Sows can reproduce multiple times a year, with young reaching sexual maturity by the following year.

Ecosystem Role

Despite their destructive nature, wild hogs play a small role in the ecosystem. As omnivores, they help control populations of insects, rodents, and other small animals. They also contribute to seed dispersal by consuming fruits and nuts and depositing the seeds in new locations.

Prevention Strategies

  • Secure Food Sources: Store all food, including pet food, in airtight containers and avoid leaving food scraps or garbage exposed.
  • Remove Attractants: Clean up fallen fruit and remove bird feeders.
  • Fencing: Construct a sturdy fence at least 4 feet tall and buried 6 inches underground.
  • Repellents: Use commercial repellents based on hot pepper or predator urine.
  • Habitat Modification: Remove brush piles and potential hiding spots.
  • Trapping and Relocation: Conduct trapping and relocation under the guidance of wildlife professionals.

Prickly Pear’s Approach

  1. Inspection: Identify signs of wild hog activity and potential entry points.
  2. Exclusion: Implement barriers and secure food sources to prevent hog access.
  3. Humane Removal: Safely and humanely remove wild hogs from your property.
  4. Follow-Up: Regularly monitor and adjust strategies to keep wild hogs away.

Conclusion

Wild hogs, with their destructive habits and rapid reproduction, pose significant challenges to property owners. Prickly Pear offers professional services to manage wild hog activity and protect your property. If you suspect a wild hog problem, contact us for expert assistance in reducing their impact and maintaining a balanced ecosystem.

Feral Hogs on the Edge of Austin

Texas has more feral hogs than any other state, and they are no longer just a ranch problem. In Central Texas they move along creeks and greenbelts into the edges of Round Rock, Hutto, Georgetown and East Austin, and one sounder can root up an acre of lawn in a single night.

How hog control works

  1. Find the travel routes. Hogs use the same trails, creek crossings and fence gaps night after night. Cameras show where they come in and how many there are.
  2. Bait before trapping. We pre-bait a corral or drop-gate trap for several days so the whole group gets comfortable feeding inside it. Trapping one or two hogs teaches the rest to avoid traps.
  3. Remove the group. The goal is to catch the whole sounder at once, which is what stops the damage.
  4. Harden the property. Low fence gaps get blocked and damaged fencing gets reinforced, and we show you which attractants to remove.

Signs of feral hogs

  • Large patches of turf flipped over like it was plowed
  • Wallows in wet, low spots
  • Tracks with rounded toes, larger than deer tracks
  • Mud rubbed onto trees and fence posts

Hog questions we hear

How fast do hogs come back?

If part of the group is left behind, quickly. Sows can have more than one litter a year, which is why we aim to remove the whole group and then close off the entry points.

Do you work on acreage?

Yes. We work on suburban lots, small acreage and commercial land.

Are feral hogs dangerous?

Hogs usually run from people, but sows with young and cornered boars can charge. Don’t approach them, especially at night.

We handle feral hog trapping across Austin, Pflugerville, Round Rock, Hutto, Georgetown, Leander and Cedar Park.