Bounty Doubles For Central Texas Feral Hogs

Описание: http://www.keyetv.com/
Hunters get your guns -- Hays and Caldwell counties are more than doubling the bounty on feral hogs.There are more than 2.6 million feral hogs in Texas, and hog hunter Bubba Ortiz says the issue is getting out of control.Last year, Ortiz removed 469 hogs from within the city of San Antonio.He says, They're in neighborhoods now, Georgetown has a problem, Round Rock has a problem, Austin's outer areas have a problem, San Antonio has an inner city problem now and if nothing is done about it, it's going to grow and get worse.Ortiz says they reproduce at a rapid rate and they have no real predator since they're not native to this area.They destroy everything, they destroy plants, they'll destroy animals, they'll destroy crops. They'll destroy water, says Ortiz.This year, the Caldwell County Feral Hog task force is stepping up efforts to cut down the feral hog population.Nick Dornak, the Plum Creek Watershed Coordinator, says, You can start holding on to those pig tails now and you can start to collect up to $5 per tail this year or we take receipts from a certified holding facility, those are the hogs that are captured live and sold for slaughter.Along with a bounty, this year, the task force is also going to use wireless traps and aerial control. Aerial control actually involves trained marksmen shooting feral hogs from helicopters.While Ortiz is a supporter of the hog tail bounty program, he would rather see them put to good use.He says, There's nothing wrong with it as long as its USDA inspected and you sell it to the public and make hamburgers and bratwurst and breakfast sausage and tacos -- like I said, its free range organic pork.The Hog Bounty program begins September 1.For more information on programs, including aerial control from Texas Wildlife Services scheduled for early 2014, or to sign up for the use of a wireless trap on your property, contact the Task Force at [email protected] Lydia Pantazes