Removal of Feral
The Federal feral hog program that has been going on in the county for the last couple of years is slated to end next September. If you have not signed-up or have signed-up, but question if you have been hunted, I strongly encourage you to reach out to our local technicians. This program is geared toward reducing the feral hog populations in several counties within the Leon River Watershed including Comanche, Erath and Eastland Counties in our area. It also covers some other watersheds, but what happens here is most important to us. Unlike some past programs this one provides helicopter and personnel to be assigned strictly for hunting and feral hog eradication.
The program has several aspects including trap loans and assistance and some education. However, for now the most important thing is to get ahold of one of our Wildlife Services technicians that will be getting folks signed-up and assisting in baiting and hunts. They are happy to work with you over the phone to get you signed-up. They also like all the information they can get, neighbors that might have hog issues, current and past damage, where damage occurs the most and even where you might think the hogs are coming from.
This project is completely voluntary, no cost to landowners or the county, and you have complete control of when your land can be hunted. The major program areas that county landowners need to consider participating in are listed below with contact information.
Swine
USDA-APHISWildlife Services directly controls feral swine by using a combination of trapping, shooting, and aerial shooting. They will work with landowners to sign up to allow access to their staff to control feral swine. The goal is to remove as many feral swine on as many properties as possible. This service costs the landowner nothing, and ultimately, you are in control of your property. Our technicians are Thomas O’Donnell at cell: 254-842-4259 or Brianna Graham at cell: 830-326-1429, please give them a call or feel free to give us a call at the office if you have questions.
Trap-Loan Program
Under the direction of Wildlife Services staff, there will be remotetriggered traps available for loan to landowners and agricultural producers in the project areas. This will be a great opportunity to use expensive traps that may be outside the limits of your current budget, or you simply wanted to try before deciding to buy. Staff will assist in setting up traps, teaching clientele how to use them, and providing any other technical assistance necessary. This is a chance to try out this equipment and learn the best ways to use it from boot-on-the-ground experts.
I encourage you to reach out to these folks to get signed-up or for an update on hunts in your area. This winter when all the leaves are off the trees will possibly be the last big push for the aerial portion of the program. Even if you own land and the hogs do not bother you, please consider you farming neighbors, hogs destroy their livelihood. Please feel free to call the office 325-356-2539, if you have any questions about the feral hog program.