California V. Texas: A Tale Of How 2 States Attempt To Eliminate Pesky Feral Hogs

The Outdoor Channel ridiculed California’s solutions for “hazing” feral hogs in a social media post that resurfaced a 2022 news report while praising how Texas approached the situation.

In the report, posted on YouTube by NBC Bay Area in December 2022 after a group of feral hogs savaged lawns in a San Jose, California, neighborhood, several options for deterring the animals were offered, including the use of artificial turf, “hazing” the animals with loud noises and using a paint gun. The Outdoor Channel then posted a video clip portraying feral hog hunting in Texas, involving the liberal use of firearms at night from vehicles, as a counterpoint to the clip from the 2022 report.

Sportsmen’s Alliance Vice President of Marketing and Communications Brian Lynn told the Daily Caller News Foundation that the suggestions mentioned in the report wouldn’t address the damage done by the feral hogs.

“California government regulations don’t help the situation. Hunting is a hard enough endeavor to break into and maintain,” Lynn said. “Throwing tag costs and non-lead ammo requirements on top of that only increase the costs and make it harder and more expensive. The state should be focused on cutting into the $1.5 billion in agriculture damage that pigs commit in California every single year instead of trying to regulate every step and make a buck.”

“Wild pigs are one of the smartest animals on the planet. They’re also one of the most prolific mammals, capable of having multiple litters every year, and once a piglet is past the juvenile stage, they don’t have any natural enemies on the landscape to keep them in check, except hunters,” Lynn continued. “They have one of the great senses of smell in the animal kingdom, sounder groups work cooperatively, and with hunting pressure they will go nocturnal quickly; which again runs headlong into California regulations forbidding the use of thermals and other night hunting except under very specific agriculture depredation permits.”

Texas allows for hunters to pursue feral hogs 24 hours a day, seven days a week so long as they have a general hunting license, according to Texas Hunting Hub. Texas also allows hunters to bait hogs, use thermal imaging, artificial lighting, hunt from boats, cars, aircraft and helicopters and enforces no limit on the number of feral hogs a hunter can take or possess on either a daily or annual basis.

There are at least 6 million feral hogs spread across the country, according to AgBull.com, and they inflict at least $1.6 billion in damage upon America’s farmers each year, according to AgDaily.com.

“Property owners experiencing issues with wild pigs do have some options. CDFW recommends fencing as the most effective and likely most cost-effective long-term way to protect property,” a spokesperson for the California Department of Fish and Wildlife told the DCNF when reached for comment. “Residents can also contact USDA Wildlife Services for guidance on management strategies; many county agricultural departments contract with USDA Wildlife Services to assist with wild pig issues.”

“Where appropriate, and consistent with local trapping laws, property owners may also apply to CDFW for a depredation permit to trap and lethally remove pigs,” the spokesperson continued. “In areas where hunting and the discharge of firearms are allowed, wild pigs may be hunted year-round with no bag limit by hunters with a valid hunting license and annual wild pig validation.”