Deer, coyotes and now...
One thing we've never had to deal with at the farm are feral hogs. In many parts of Texas, they are a menace to yards and properties and are a huge problem.
Then we saw this on the trail cam night vision. What are those things? Lots of little animals in the yard. About a dozen that we could make out in the images.
A few nights later, the camera caught this...
....a mother hog and her litter. They might seem cute but feral hogs can be aggressive and will absolutely destroy a yard. They root around looking for grubs and things and can just plow through a yard like a bulldozer. even flowerbeds too.
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| Image via Texasfarmbureau.com ...the front yard of a home in a neighborhood. |
We are hoping though that because we are in a drought, the yard is dry and the ground is hard as a rock, we will be OK, for now. They are doing what they can to find food and hopefully just passing through.
However, they can also be very aggressive. In all the time we've had the property, we've never had to deal with this and 2nd Family said they haven't either. Perhaps the drought is pushing them in our direction but whatever the cause, we're going to have to be careful and stay observant moving forward.
Not something that you want to have around.
ReplyDeleteSomeone that I know sets out traps and then have the hogs butchered , which in turn fills their freezer with meat.
Do be careful when going out to the farm cause you just never know where they may be at.
We wondered if you could eat them but I thought I've hear it's VERY gamey and/or there were certain glands that had to be removed. Whatever, I don't think we'll be eating them anytime soon we just need to be vigilant.
DeleteThat is not good. I know the wild pigs in Florida were very aggressive so be cautious. I'm sure they are moving in looking for food and water.
ReplyDeleteYep, we hope they are doing that and will move on through but with about 7 acres of our property undeveloped, we don't know. Makes me nervous for mowing but maybe the sound of the mower will keep them away. IF I ever have to mow again, ha.
DeleteNasty mean beasts when cornered! Also smart and clever, making them very difficult to catch. And determined, making them hard to convince to move on if they decide to move in. I hope they don't decide your area is home now.
ReplyDeleteThanks for the heads up. We hope never to corner one of them, ha. They can just keep on moving.
DeleteThat is scary. Be careful. I hope they don't tear up your yard.
ReplyDeleteThanks, so far so good. But we think it's because it's so dry. Just move on hogs, move on!
DeleteYikes, that’s not a sight I’d like to see in my yard! Wild hogs are not only very destructive but can be dangerous. A Texas woman was killed by a group of wild hogs several years ago east of Houston, in Anahuac. Like other animals with babies, that mother hog with piglets would be especially concerning. Hopefully, that herd was just moving through the area and not looking to stay around.
ReplyDeleteI remember that story of the lady that was killed. SO scary. We hope they move on through. Or maybe the coyotes will chase them away, ha.
DeleteMy BIL and SIL have a cattle farm with lots of acreage and their personal biggest threat is not from the coyotes that are around but from the feral hogs. They will not go out in the fields at night (they have to when cows are birthing) unless they are both armed. They have little fear of humans and will charge.
ReplyDeleteWow, that's scary. 2nd Man said I should carry a weapon if I venture off down the trails for something. Thanks for the heads up about that.
DeleteThat's scary! Although I'll admit my first reaction was "cute little piglets" but I didn't realize they were so scary and did so much damage. Stay safe when you're out there. Maybe you should carry a weapon when you are in the further parts of your property. Janie V
ReplyDeletethanks, yeah they might seem cute but they can be very dangerous and will destroy a yard. 2nd Man said the same thing.
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