Feral Hog and Wildlife Project

Feral Hog and Wildlife Pictures

Texas Tech University

Funded by the Texas Department of Agriculture

www.pii.ttu.edu

2007 Field Project site Dickens County, TX

A feeder filled with corn was placed along

a trail used by feral pigs to attract

& train the pigs to a feeder.

An infra-red digital camera records the

arrival time of feral pigs at the trap site.

Feral hog moving along a wildlife trail.

Corn was placed on the ground at the

trap site – pigs ate heartily.

Mature boars were more interested in

checking sows for estrus than eating.

Feral hogs visit the water hole.

Boar with a sow (she may be in estrus).

The feeder filled with corn was placed at the future trap site.

Feral pigs quickly learned how to eat out of the feeder.

A camera records the number of feral pigs and their arrival time.

The goal was to catch all of the feral pigs in a social group.

The first catch resulted in the capture of 7 adult feral pigs and 9 piglets.

Seventy-six head were trapped during 3 catches.

The adult feral pigs were in poor body condition (above picture) however,

the condition of the nursing piglets was excellent

and equal to domestic piglets of the same approximate age.

Feral pigs (sows and piglets) caught March, 2007

Wildlife Photographs

2007, Dickens County, Texas

Deer frequent the same trails as feral pigs

but they run away if they hear the camera shutter.

Large numbers of turkeys came to the

catch-pen site daily to eat.

Raccoons, deer, coyotes, bobcats and other wildlife

visited the water hole. Here a band of raccoons drink water.

Deer visited the water hole. The digital camera quieter,

not scaring the deer, however

they seemed curious about the infra-red flash.

Raccoons provide entertainment but tend

to cause the cameras to be moved out of position.

When large number of pig came to the trap the

raccoons stayed in the trees. When only a few

pigs visited, the raccoons ate alongside the pigs.

Often, the raccoons visited the feeder first,

then feral pigs arrived.

Bobcats were rare but present.

Two hunting dogs visited one night.

Both dogs escaped through the open load-out gate.

For more information, contact:

John McGlone, Professor: mailto: john.mcglone@ttu.edu

Jerry Smith, Feral Hog Project Manager: mailto: jerry.smith@ttu.edu

Return to PII web page: http://www.depts.ttu.edu/porkindustryinstitute/