Feral hog management to include bounty program in Hays County for 2022

SAN MARCOS, TEXAS – Hays County will be continuing countywide feral hog management efforts in 2022 after receiving a $7,500 grant from Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Service Wildlife Services. The Hays County program will include a five-dollar bounty on feral hogs, one workshop, one webinar, a countywide survey and damage assessment, and the continuation of a volunteer-led trapping effort.

Hays County is an affiliate of the Central Texas Feral Hog Task Force and has partnered with The Meadows Center for Water and the Environment at Texas State University, the Cypress Creek Project, the San Marcos Watershed Initiative, and the Plum Creek Watershed Partnership to assist with the implementation, research and educational components of the program in 2022.

“The 2022 feral hog program in Hays County has a great opportunity for sustained success as we have received both the continued funding and support to coordinate on a regional scale with projects in Caldwell County,” said Nick Dornak, Director of Watershed Services at the Meadows Center.

Texas is home to an estimated 3 million feral hogs. Lacking sweat glands, hogs seek out shelter along creeks and rivers, which can result in contamination of those waterways, such as Cypress Creek and the San Marcos River.

Recognized as an invasive species, feral hogs are responsible for significant agricultural and property losses in Texas, exceeding $500 million each year.

“Feral hogs continue to pose significant problems for both agriculture producers and residential property owners in Hays County,” said Mark Jones, Hays County Commissioner.

Bounty Program – Beginning in February 2022, there will be two bounty claim opportunities per month for feral hogs harvested in Hays County.

A five-dollar per hog bounty will be paid by check on tails and/or certified buying station receipts. Participants will be required to complete a W-9 and a participation form, which can be obtained at the Hays County bounty station or from the Central Texas Feral Hog Task Force Website.

Other Programs – The Plum Creek Watershed Partnership will coordinate educational workshops for Hays and Caldwell County stakeholders throughout the spring and summer of 2022.

Final dates and locations for landowners, hunters, trappers, and conservationists to learn more about managing wild pig populations and damage will be provided in the coming weeks.

Additionally, landowners engaging with the Hays County feral hog program will have the opportunity to participate in an ongoing, remote-operated feral hog trap sharing cooperative.

These remote-operated traps were upgraded in 2021 to enable live video feed sharing.

For more information on these programs and to complete your 2022 feral hog survey, visit the project website, http://www.feralhogtaskforce.com/hays, or email the Task Force at feralhog@txstate.edu.