Story by Bill L. Olson

At first gray light on a chilly and crisp fall morning I encountered a sounder of wild hogs for the first time on my father-in-law’s Colorado County Ranch.  It was deer season and ranch foreman Ross Fling was taking my wife Ann and me to just east of area known as the Lone Star Well.  There a seasonal creek ran a good portion of the length of the ranch and where along its edge I had constructed our deer stand a.k.a. “The Hilton.”

Once settled into the blind our excitement of having hogs on the ranch as a year-round animal to hunt dominated our whispered conversations while time passed as we waited for Ross to come pick us up.  My unfounded and unknowing enthusiasm was quickly tempered when my father-in-law, Big John Williams let me know having hogs on the ranch was not something to be excited.  Instead, it marked the beginning of hayfields being rooted, mast crops being devoured by these pesky rooters before native whitetail and migrating waterfowl could have their share.

The battle would rage for decades with a variety of techniques being used to try and slow the explosive expansion of the newly established wild swine population.  Hunting was certainly a part of the strategies and provided exciting memories.  However, it was quickly obvious hunting alone would not significantly impact that conflict.

As with most knowledge acquired there is a learning curve.  Such is the case with wild hogs beginning with general traits and needs, particularly water to dissipate body heat.  Preferred forage which is pretty much anything and understanding their reproductive cycle.

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