Thank goodness its Friday! On Fridays I will post a photo from the ranch and discuss the subject. Take a gander and see if you can tell me what we are looking at…

Image courtsey of Wildlife News and Habitat Management

It’s been said that Arkansans go “Hog Wild,” especially during football season, but these razorbacks are no laughing matter. Feral hogs are wild hogs that are aggressive, destructive, and reproduce efficiently. Three things we really do not want to see in an invasive species.

Thursday morning I was checking cattle when the hole pasture started running like something was chasing them. Once I realized what was happening, I saw that they were chasing a group of ferals through the pasture. I counted at least 9 hogs, including a 300-lb boar, and half a dozen pigs. I was so shocked to see em right there, that they were gone before I ever thought to grab the camera from my pocket. Quite a sight to watch black and spotted pigs being chased by 100 aggitated mother cows.

These hogs are destructive animals. Having torn up several acres of pasture by rooting up the ground, we’ve been on the hunt for the past few weeks. A neighbor has some hunting dogs that will tear into those things with no fear, but we have yet to get them all. Pasture rooting is not the only problem. These animals will easily degrade water supplies for livestock and wildlife. Feral hogs have also been known to spread diseases like brucelosis and psuedorabies to livestock and humans. So if you ever find one, do not corner it. They are very aggressive and can injure you easily.

Feral Hog Facts

  • Feral hogs are different from domesticated swine. A mature male is 4′ to 5′ long and weighs 150–300 pounds. Females are slightly smaller. The boar has long tusks. The upper tusks rub against the lower ones and sharpen them. The boar’s body armor of fat, gristle, and tendons can be more than an inch thick. It starts around the neck and extends just past the lower ribs.
  • Hunting feral hogs in Arkansas is legal day or night, year-round
  • Feral hogs an invasive species located in several states including Arkansas, Texas, Oklahoma, Kansas, and Missouri
  • Kansas has been successful in reducing their feral hog population to a manageable 500 hogs
  • An estimated 1,500,000 feral hogs in Texas create $400,000,000 in damage annually
  • Trapping has proven an effective method of population reduction for feral hogs

Be sure to check out this webpage from Texas A&M with updated information about Feral Hogs.

Have you ever had an encounter with feral hogs or has your property received damage from these invasive animals?

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Published by Ryan Goodman

Ryan Goodman works in grassroots advocacy as a communications consultant with beef cattle farmers and ranchers across the United States. He is a proud alumnus of Oklahoma State University, with studies focusing on cattle reproduction and nutrition. Ryan's experience in the beef industry range from family farms and ranches in several states to large feedlots and non-profit policy organizations. Ryan is an avid trail and ultrarunner, proudly showing how beef can be an important part of a healthy diet and active lifestyle. Find Ryan on social media as @BeefRunner.