The USA Kept Losing Its Feral Hogs — When They Found The Killer They Evacuated!

Across the southern United States, feral hogs have become one of the most destructive invasive species in the country. Millions of these animals roam freely, destroying crops, damaging infrastructure, and spreading disease.

But in recent years, wildlife researchers noticed something strange. In parts of Texas, Georgia, and Oklahoma, large groups of feral hogs were suddenly disappearing.

Entire groups—sometimes 30 to 40 animals at a time—were vanishing from areas where they had dominated for decades. There were no signs of hunters, traps, or human intervention.

Researchers soon discovered that the answer was hidden in trail camera footage. And the animal responsible was something no one expected.

The Origins of America’s Feral Hog Problem

A 500-Year-Old Mistake

Feral hogs are not native to North America.

Their origins trace back to the 16th century, when Spanish explorers released domestic pigs along the Gulf Coast. The animals were meant to serve as a living food supply for future expeditions.

Instead, the pigs survived in the wild, reproduced rapidly, and spread across large areas of the continent.

The Creation of a “Super Hybrid”

The problem worsened in the early 1900s when wealthy landowners imported Eurasian wild boars for sport hunting.

These aggressive wild boars eventually escaped and bred with the already established feral pigs. The result was a hybrid animal that was:

Stronger
Faster
More aggressive
Highly adaptable

This hybrid population expanded rapidly across the United States.

A Rapidly Growing Population

According to USDA estimates in 2024, the United States now has about 6.9 million feral hogs.

Texas alone has approximately 2.6 million, and the animals are present in 253 of the state’s 254 counties.

Feral hogs reproduce extremely quickly. A female can give birth twice a year, with up to 12 piglets per litter. Because of this rapid reproduction, populations can double within a few months if left uncontrolled.

Destructive and Dangerous Animals

Physical Strength and Intelligence

Feral hogs are powerful animals. Adult hogs can weigh up to 300 pounds, run 30 miles per hour, and have tusks that grow over six inches long.

They are also surprisingly intelligent. Hunters and farmers report that hogs quickly learn to avoid traps and remember locations where they previously encountered danger.

Massive Economic Damage

The damage caused by feral hogs is enormous.

In Texas alone, the animals cause more than $500 million in damage every year. Across the United States, the total economic impact reaches approximately $3 billion annually.

Examples of damage include:

Destroyed crops and farmland
Torn-up residential lawns and golf courses
Broken irrigation and water systems
Damaged underground cables and infrastructure

In one case, a farmer in Texas lost 24 acres of corn—worth $40,000—in a single night.

Environmental and Health Risks

Feral hogs also pose serious health risks.

Because they lack sweat glands, they frequently wallow in rivers, swamps, and streams. This behavior contaminates water sources used by wildlife, livestock, and humans.

Researchers have identified more than 30 diseases carried by feral hogs, including:

Brucellosis
Pseudorabies
Various parasitic infections

Hunters handling infected animals without protection have sometimes developed severe illnesses requiring long-term medical treatment.

The Unexpected Discovery

Strange Disappearances

In 2014, researchers in Blanco County, Texas, began investigating the sudden disappearance of feral hogs.

A team led by wildlife researchers deployed a network of trail cameras throughout areas heavily populated with hogs.

Three weeks later, they retrieved the footage—and discovered something completely unexpected.

Coyotes: An Unlikely Predator

The cameras showed coyotes attacking feral hog nests.

Coyotes are relatively small predators, usually weighing about 30 pounds, far smaller than adult hogs. However, the footage revealed that they had developed a highly organized hunting strategy.

A Coordinated Attack Strategy

Researchers observed coyotes using surprisingly sophisticated tactics.

The animals approached hog nests from downwind, carefully avoiding detection. They waited silently until the mother hog left the nest to search for food.

Then the attack began.

Multiple coyotes moved in simultaneously. One acted as a lookout while others targeted piglets, usually selecting the smallest or weakest.

The attack itself lasted only about five seconds. A coyote would grab a piglet and disappear into the trees before the mother hog could react.

Evidence from Scientific Studies

Further research confirmed the behavior.

At Fort Hood, Texas, scientists examined the stomach contents of captured coyotes. Nearly one-third contained fresh feral hog piglet tissue, indicating active predation.

Similar research in Georgia found piglet DNA in more than 30% of analyzed coyote waste samples.

These findings showed that coyotes were not simply scavenging dead animals. They were actively hunting young hogs on a large scale.

Nature’s Unexpected Solution

Ecologists believe coyotes developed this hunting strategy because of changes in their environment.

As urban development expanded and traditional prey species declined, feral hog piglets became an abundant and accessible food source.

Over time, coyotes adapted to exploit this opportunity, effectively targeting the next generation of hogs.

In some areas of Texas, researchers estimate that over 30% of piglets disappear each season, largely due to coyote predation.

This natural predation has helped slow the rapid growth of hog populations in certain regions.

Human Actions Made the Problem Worse

Ironically, wildlife management policies sometimes made the situation worse.

Between 2017 and 2020, several states introduced coyote bounty programs, paying hunters up to $75 for each dead coyote.

Tens of thousands of coyotes were killed under the assumption that fewer predators would benefit farmers.

However, researchers later discovered that in some counties where coyote populations dropped significantly, feral hog numbers tripled within three years.

Without coyotes controlling piglet survival, far more hogs reached adulthood and reproduced.

New Strategies to Control Feral Hogs

Today, wildlife agencies are adopting more advanced management strategies.

Smart Traps

Modern traps use infrared cameras, solar power, and mobile phone connections.

Farmers monitor traps remotely and close them only when an entire group of hogs enters the enclosure. This prevents surviving hogs from learning to avoid traps.

Some traps can capture 30 to 40 animals at once.

Helicopter Hunting

In areas where trapping is difficult, Texas authorities use helicopter hunting teams to eliminate hogs across large areas.

These operations can remove large numbers of animals quickly, particularly in dense or remote terrain.

Additional Control Methods

Researchers are also testing specialized toxins delivered through feeders designed specifically for hogs.

However, wildlife experts emphasize that no single method can solve the problem alone.

Effective control requires a combination of:

Smart trapping
Aerial hunting
Population monitoring
Natural predators like coyotes

Conclusion

The American feral hog crisis is the result of centuries of human decisions, from releasing domestic pigs in the wild to introducing aggressive wild boars for hunting.

Today, millions of feral hogs cause billions of dollars in damage each year.

Yet nature has provided an unexpected ally in the fight against them: the coyote.

By preying on piglets and limiting reproduction, coyotes help slow the explosive growth of hog populations. Their role highlights an important lesson in wildlife management.

Sometimes the most effective solutions are not created by technology or policy—but already exist within the natural ecosystem itself.