Hogs of the South
Porky the Pig and Friends
This family of feral hogs are getting a drink from some puddles that were created from a rain storm in Freer, Texas on April 2, 2019. Feral hogs are an incredibly invavsive species that have grown throughout the U.S. In Texas along they cause hundreds of millions of dollars annually. Throughout the continental U.S. they cause billions in damages. They breed rapidly and eat practically everything they can get ahold of. This will include small animals including even baby deer. For many places this causes a dramatic decrease in the local deer herds.
Sneaking Around
These hog tracks lead up to a damaged area of ground under an automatic feeder in Freer, Texas on April 27, 2019. Hogs share very similar foot prints to many other mammals including that of deer and javelina. This will mislead many people at times in correctly identifying the culprit of damage done if none the wiser.
Checking the Aftermath
Elizabeth Acevedo, 21, looks after some of the damage done to her family ranch in Freer, Texas on April 27, 2019. Acevedos family has owned the 50 acre ranch since before she was born. They primarily use it as a private hunting ranch. Ranches like Acevedo's don't experience the damage as bad compared to some. Farms tend to see the worse of it due to the overabundance in food for the pigs when they are growing their crops. Acevedo's family do their best to keep the pigs to a minimal so as not to damage the ranch to much and scare off all the other animals they enjoy getting to hunt, like deer. "Pigs are just mean. They tear everything up and scare off other stuff like deer. I think they will even eat fawns too if they get the chance."
Preparing the Bait
Elizabeth Acevedo is pouring out a batch of rotten corn around the area where the pigs are most prevalent to bait them in in Freer, Texas on April 28, 2019. A variety of different baits are used to hunt pig populations. Corn is a very common food source for many pigs, therefore it is highly utilized among those who seek to eliminate the populations.
It's A Trap!
Elizabeth Acevedo is preparing a cage trap for any unlucky pigs to happen across it in Freer, Texas on April 28, 2019. Traps are commonly used in order to capture the pigs due to the more long term benefits. If a rancher or farmer goes out to hunt then it will be dependent on whether the pigs come out at that specific time. Traps on the other hand can be set and left until they capture one of the hogs at a later time or date.
Weapon of Choice
Elizabeth Acevedo is loading an AR-15 semi-automatic rifle in preparation for the hunt in Freer, Texas on April 28, 2019. AR style rifles are highly used weapons when hog hunting due to the large number of bullets that can be fired at the pigs. Pigs are very tough animals and require a lot of resources to be put down. Other commonly used weapons include large slugs for shotguns or rifles that fire high caliber rounds.
Ready for the Hunt
Elizabeth Acevedo is walking to her tree stand for an evening hunt in Freer, Texas on April 28, 2019. Although pigs are highly invasive she still enjoys getting to hunt them. There are very few restrictions in terms of hunting the animal which allows hunters a lot of leeways not usually afforeded for other game. For many, including Acevedo, they enjoy the fact that at least the pigs are a tastier nucessance compared to some animals. "I really enjoy it because not only is there no limit, but they also taste really good."
Say Cheese
Elizabeth Acevedo is setting up her game camera in hopes of capturing images of other pigs in Freer, Texas on April 28, 2019. Game cameras are needed in order to visually locate the patterns, numbers, and sizes of the feral hog populations. They give the landowners eyes on their land even when they can't physically be there to see for themselves.
Setting Up Shop
Elizabeth Acevedo is setting up her position in her tree stand in Freer, Texas on April 28, 2019. She has various stands scattered throughout her property that have different purposes. This particular stand allows her to sit up high to look down on the hunting area. It also allows her to hide among the trees as an extra layer of concealment from the hogs.
Hold On! I Gotta Do My Makeup
Elizabeth Acevedo is putting on face paint before the hunt in Freer, Texas on April 28, 2019. Face paint allows the hunter to better blend in with the environment. For hogs it's not as necessary in order to hide from the pigs, due to their poor vision. But it does allow them to hide from the rest of the environment. Certain animals react based upon other animals, and if something is wrong with the other animals then the pigs may not feel safe enough to come into the area.
Lurking in the Dark
Elizabeth Acevedo looks out over the hunting area in wait for hogs to come by to snack on the bait left out earlier in Freer, Texas on April 28, 2019. She is using a green flashlight to look around. Green flashlights are preferred because they don't spook the game compared to an ordinary LED flashlight or the like.
The Ambush is Ready
The hunting area remains quiet until well into the night in Freer, Texas on April 28, 2019. The surrounding area would remain quiet for awhile until a couple hours after dark when to mature hogs would enter the area. All was still untill the first sound of a stick breaking. Then another. Then some grass would start making sounds. Until finally you could hear the pigs eating the bait. A couple shots were taken but the pigs would escape back into the brush with no injuries. Nothing else came out the rest of the night.