What is hog hunting?
Tracking and dispatching feral hogs is both a sport and an important public service. Feral hogs are an issue for ranchers, farmers and homeowners alike. Rooting and wallowing activity can destroy agricultural land and disrupt delicate ecosystems. They eat and trample crops and the eggs of ground nesting birds. Wild hogs can also transmit disease such as pseudorabies and brucellosis to domestic animals. With over 4 million feral hogs in the United States and nearly 2 million in Texas alone, the objective of hog hunting is to control the population and minimize damage. How do hog dogs work? Because feral hogs are extremely hardy and intelligent, hunting with dogs is often a more efficient way to control the population than trapping or traditional hunting. Often working in a pack, hog dogs use their keen sense of smell to track their quarry. When they find and corner a hog, they “bay,” which is a type of repetitive barking. Baying helps contain the hog while alerting the other dogs and ha
