Josh Helcel is a project coordinator with the Texas A&M Natural Resources Institute (NRI). He specializes in educational programming and providing technical assistance to landowners and others seeking to control expanding populations of wild pigs. Josh has a Bachelor of Science in wildlife ecology and management from Texas A&M University. Prior to working for NRI, he worked as an interpreter and public hunting coordinator for the Texas Parks and Wildlife Department.
Currently, Josh is working within a 13-county area across the Lake Granbury, Leon River, Lampasas River, Gilleland Creek, Plum Creek and Geronimo Creek watersheds to reduce the environmental impacts of wild pigs. His emphasis on best management practices provides landowners with the outreach, technical assistance and resources needed to effectively abate the damages associated with exotic invasive wild pigs.
Josh also provides watershed-based educational presentations and resources through a variety of online and social media outlets including: the Feral Hogs Facebook page, the Feral Hogs YouTube page, the Wild Wonderings Blog and the new Wild Pigs website.
Extension Publication released on Feral Pigs and Disease Concerns
The Texas A&M Natural Resources Institute (NRI) released a new publication titled “Disease Concerns Associated with Feral Pigs” that covers the science behind the most common and emerging diseases associated with this animal and the way diseases are transmitted.
