Do I have a Wild Hog Problem?

How to tell if you have a wild hog problem?

This is the scenario hundreds of Texas landowners face each year. You wake up and find your yard or property has been completely tilled. What’s the cause? Could it be wild pigs? This page will help you answer that question. We’ll show actual photos of feral pig damage, along with photos of their tracks and scat so you can diagnose the problem yourself.

Feral hogs are an invasive species in Texas and multiply by thousands due to very few natural predators. Hog removal is important because it helps us eliminate the sounders (herds) that cause the most damage.

Step 1: Look for Signs of Hog Damage

If you’ve ever built a garden on your property, you know that the first step is tilling the soil. Hogs do roughly the same job, rooting through the topsoil looking for small insects, bugs, and worms. Feral pig damage looks similar to what you would do with a tiller. The grass is uprooted and the top layer of the soil is turned over and disturbed. If you see damage that looks like this, the damage is most likely caused by wild pigs.

Feral Pig Damage Photos

Step 2: Look for Hog Tracks

While hog tracks and deer tracks look similar, the biggest difference comes from their shape. Wild pig tracks are broader (featured in the picture) and are almost hamburger or sandwich shaped, while deer tracks are teardrop shaped. Feral hogs also travel in larger groups than deer, so if you’re seeing a greater concentration of animals of all shapes and sizes, you’re most likely looking at a feral pig problem.

Track Comparison

Step 3: Look for Wild Pig Poop

Feral pig feces is 3-9 inches in size, has a clumpy texture, and could be tan or black in color. While it looks similar to deer poop, deer scat typically has a consistent appearance and looks like shiny black pebbles.

Because of a varying diet, hog poop can be a number of different colors, giving it a distinctive appearance. For comparison, we’ll show images of both deer and hog scat. If you see what looks like hog scat, hog tracks, and hog damage all on your property, you’re definitely dealing with a wild hog problem.

Scat Comparison