GUADALUPE COUNTY, Texas – Guadalupe County has officially kicked off its new program created to reduce the feral hog population in the area.
The county was awarded a $15,000 grant from the Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Service to assist residents with feral hog management efforts.
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The program will consist of delivering feral hog abatement, an educational program including a bounty program, a feral hog workshop and webinar, a countywide damage assessment and financial assistance to selected landowners who wish to trap hogs.
RELATED: Guadalupe County will pay people to hunt feral hogs to curb population problem
Texas State University's Meadows Center for Water and the Environment said feral hogs are a problem in the state, impacting water quality in creeks and rivers along with a financial loss to agriculture.
Officials said Texas is home to an estimated 3 million feral hogs.
“The 2018 feral hog program in Guadalupe County has a great opportunity for sustained success as we have received both the funding and support to coordinate on a regional scale with projects in Caldwell County and Hays County,” said Nick Dornak, watershed services coordinator at The Meadows Center.
Officials said the bounty program will begin July 16 and will run through Aug. 23. Participants must submit either hog tails and/or certified buying receipts.
The tails and/or receipts must be submitted by Aug. 23 to the Guadalupe County AgriLife Extension Office.
“Participants in the program will be able to accumulate points that will make them eligible for a voucher program to purchase hog trapping equipment. A scoring system will be derived to determine eligible participants for the drawing at the end of the program,” officials said in a press release sent to KSAT.com.
“At least eight $500 vouchers will be awarded. The more you participate in the bounty and educational programs, the better chance you have to be selected,” the press release said.
For more information, click here to visit the project’s website.
Below are some key facts when participating in the program:
- 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
- Property owners name and contact information where the hogs were harvested are required on the form
- Forms will be submitted to the Guadalupe County Auditor’s Office in a timely matter for payment