Feral hogs do a number on wildlife through habitat destruction and food competition with native animals. In addition to upland rooting, hogs make a mess of waterways through soil disturbance and hunters look for sign of these activities when out hog hunting. And if rooting up fields and destroying property is not enough, the wild hog population in Central Texas is also contributing a dominant share of bacteria into nearby waterways. Hogs, other wildlife and livestock comprise what’s referred to as “direct deposition,” which is estimated to comprise about 65 percent of the total pollutants that make it into the Leon River in Coryell County.
And dirty, bacteria-laden rivers and streams is one thing that Texans can live without. That’s part of the reason why Coryell County will took to the sky this February, hiring a helicopter and marksman to go on a three-day aerial feral hog hunt over ranches along the river. Coryell County Judge John Firth said, “That’s why the feral hog issue ties into recent research conducted along the river. So to the degree that we can get the feral hog issue under control, we hope to also be able to lower the bacteria level in the Leon River.”
Aerial hog hunting is typically carried out from a helicopter, which allows the pilot to sit over hoggy-looking areas to bust critters from the brush. A helicopter also allows the pilot to keep the shooter in prime position for fleeing feral hogs. Most helicopter hog hunters use shotguns loaded with buckshot, and it is highly effective on running individuals and groups of hogs.
A reduction in the feral hog population in Coryell County through hunting and trapping is one part of fixing the Leon River, but other measures for cleaning up the Leon River will include repairs to home septic systems and adding buffer strips along riparian habitat to slow the flow of organic material into the river. It’s all in an effort by landowners and local governments to tackle the problem themselves–without the threat of morass of mandates and litigation that could stem from a federal environmental crackdown. And you thought hog hunting was just about fun and putting pork chops on the table. It’s a new world.