Feral hog problem in Texas fuels growing industry for population control

Feral hogs are a problem across Texas, especially for ranchers and farmers who are facing thousands of dollars in crop and property damage.

Managing their population has become a major task for the state—and big business for companies taking advantage of loosened state laws.

Wild pigs recently made headlines in Irving, where they tore up yards near Champions Park and uprooted property at a nearby school.

The neighborhood turned to Texas Wildlife Services, a state and federal entity that provides guidance on managing wildlife issues.

“Our statewide total is somewhere around 2.6 million hogs,” said Adam Henry, assistant director supervisor with Texas Wildlife Services.

Recent studies cited by Texas Wildlife Services estimate that feral hogs cause $500 million in damage statewide.

“We’re just running from one wildlife to the next, literally in a hog world. We’re running from one batch of hogs to the next,” Henry said.

Some Irving homeowners installed electric fencing to keep the swine away.

Texas Wildlife Services set up a corn-filled corral equipped with a camera connected to an app, allowing them to shut the gate and trap the hogs remotely.

Outside urban areas, another option is helicopter hog hunting. Companies like HeliBacon in Bryan offer the experience as a service. With packages starting at $4,000, people can pay to hunt hogs from the air.

“Sitting out of a multi-million dollar helicopter, and you’re shooting a machine gun at the same time,” said Taylor Cary with HeliBacon.

The experience attracts customers from all over the world.

“A lot of Australians, Brits, South Africans, Canadians, French, you name it,” Cary said. “This is a uniquely American activity.”

Cary said for many customers, it is the first time they’ve shot a gun. A hunting license is not required to shoot hogs on private land in Texas as long as you have the owner’s permission.

The company books aerial hunts from late January through October. After a safety course, the helicopter launches at sunrise for two-hour hunts.

“We can’t sport hunt from the helicopter,” Cary said. “We’ve got to give wild chase. We have to go out and find them. It’s not like deer, where they hang around in a few square miles their entire life. The pigs are always moving.”

By partnering with ranchers and farmers in the area, the company has room to operate.

Cary said they have permission to fly over roughly 400,000 acres where hogs have invaded and destroyed crops.

“It’s making a dent for the local landowners that we use. It’s helping them out a lot, but as far as statewide—we’re only one outfitter,” Cary said.