Feral hog workshop set for Aug. 10 in Seguin

Aug 10, 2018 9:00 AM - 12:00 PM (Add to calendar)
210 E. Live Oak St., Seguin, TX

Contact: Ward Ling, 979-845-6980, wling@tamu.edu

The Geronimo and Alligator Creeks Watershed Partnership will present a Feral Hog Workshop Aug. 10 at the Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Service office for Guadalupe County, 210 E. Live Oak St., Seguin.

Registration begins at 8:30 a.m. with the program from 9 a.m.-noon.

The workshop is free and attendees will learn about the latest feral hog management techniques in addition to the ongoing bounty program.

Three Texas Department of Agriculture continuing education units will be available for pesticide applicators.

“The workshop is part of a new program to help reduce the feral hog population in Guadalupe County,” said Ward Ling, AgriLife Extension watershed coordinator. “The county recently was awarded a grant from AgriLife Extension’s Wildlife Services to assist residents with feral hog management efforts.”

He said Guadalupe County has partnered with the Meadows Center for Water and the Environment and Geronimo and Alligator Creeks Watershed Partnership to deliver feral hog abatement and educational programming, including a bounty program.

“The program allows individuals to receive points for a variety of activities, such as participating in the recently established bounty program, viewing webinars on feral hog management and attending the workshop in Seguin,” he said. “A scoring system is being developed to determine eligible participants for a drawing at the end of the program.”

Ling said at least eight $500 vouchers will be awarded in the drawing that winners will use to purchase feral hog trapping supplies from local retailers.

“The more you participate in the bounty and educational programs, the better chance you have to be selected,” he said

Ling said feral hogs impact water quality in our creeks and rivers.

“Lacking sweat glands, hogs seek out shelter along Texas creeks and rivers, which can result in contamination of those waterways, such as Geronimo Creek,” he said. “Geronimo Creek does not meet the contact recreation standard, due to elevated bacteria concentrations. Feral hogs are believed to be contributing to the impairment.”

Ling said feral hogs are having a negative impact on water quality in Geronimo Creek, and this program will increase awareness of the problem and possibly result in reducing their population numbers.

“The Geronimo and Alligator Creeks Watershed Protection Plan identified feral hogs as a significant potential source of bacterial contamination to the creeks,” he said.

To learn more about the project to improve water quality in Geronimo Creek, go to http://www.geronimocreek.org/

The Guadalupe County bounty program began July 16 and will run through Aug. 23. All tails and forms must be submitted by that date. During this period, individuals can bring in feral hog tails and/or certified buying station receipts to the AgriLife Extension office for Guadalupe County on Tuesdays and Thursdays during regular business hours.

Tails and/or receipts must be from feral hogs harvested in Guadalupe County. Participants will be required to complete a participation form and a W-9. The property owner’s name and contact information where the hogs were harvested are required on the form. A copy of the form can be obtained at http://www.feralhogtaskforce.com/guadalupe.html. Forms will be submitted to the Guadalupe County Auditor’s Office in a timely matter for payment.

For more information, go to http://www.feralhogtaskforce.com/guadalupe.html or contact AgriLife Extension at 830-303-3889 or the Meadows Center for Water and the Environment at 512-245-6697.

 

Original release on AgriLife Today.