UNBELIEVABLE! Texas Farmers Fight Wild Hogs — Traps Protect Entire Herds From Destruction

Added: 2026-05-30

[00:00:10][music] [music] [music] [music] >> Feral hogs are [music] wreaking havoc across Georgia, tearing up farmland, spreading disease, and outsmarting hunters.

[00:01:07]>> Now, a new state program is rewarding people who go whole hog in fighting back.

[00:01:13]>> No one truly understands the scale of destruction caused by [music] wild hogs until they hear those sounds repeating night after night just outside their own farm.

[00:01:25]The constant cracking [music] of dry branches in the darkness, the sound of earth being torn apart as if heavy machinery were operating [music] in the middle of the night.

[00:01:38]Then suddenly, [music] the barbed wire fence begins to shake violently before bursting open under the weight of an entire herd charging through.

[00:01:51]>> [music] >> In just a few hours, fields that had been carefully maintained for months are transformed into a chaotic wasteland of mud and tracks.

[00:02:05]>> [music] >> When the emergency call came in, the Texas Wildlife Management Rapid Response Team immediately headed out [music] into the night.

[00:02:18]Loaded behind the pickup trucks [music] were multiple steel trap modules prepared for the most urgent situations.

[00:02:27]>> [music] >> No one wasted time. The moment they arrived, the team quickly spread out to inspect [music] the scene.

[00:02:42]>> [music] >> Deep hoof prints pressed into the soft ground, flattened patches of grass, and torn-up soil [music] formed an invisible map that revealed the herd's direction of movement.

[00:02:54]>> [music] >> The first trap site was located inside a narrow dry creek [music] running through a rocky hillside.

[00:03:07]>> [music] >> The rough terrain made deploying large traps nearly impossible, so we used a compact but extremely durable modular trap system instead.

[00:03:17]>> [music] >> Infrared cameras [music] were activated remotely, continuously transmitting images back to the monitoring screens inside the truck.

[00:03:29]>> [music] >> Then the moment everyone had been waiting for finally arrived. One by [music] one, the wild hogs entered the enclosure, completely focused on the bait placed at the center.

[00:03:47]Inside the vehicle, the air [music] fell completely silent. A delay of even a few seconds could ruin everything.

[00:03:58]When the last hog stepped [music] past the gate frame, the trigger command was activated. The heavy steel door slammed shut instantly [music] in the darkness, the impact echoing throughout the forest.

[00:04:14]But that was only the beginning. At the next location, the situation became far [music] more difficult.

[00:04:25]Part of the herd had already entered the trap, [music] but several massive boars remained outside, constantly sniffing around the entrance as if sensing something unusual.

[00:04:38]>> [music] >> If we kept waiting, the hogs inside might finish feeding and walk away.

[00:04:45]>> [music] >> But if the trap was closed immediately, [music] the ones outside would disappear back into the woods and become even more cautious the next time. There was no perfect decision in this war.

[00:05:07]After several [music] tense seconds of deliberation, the order to close the trap was given.

[00:05:17]The steel gate dropped instantly. The hogs outside panicked and vanished into the darkness, while inside, the entire [music] trap shook violently.

[00:05:29]>> [music] >> Bodies weighing hundreds of pounds slammed repeatedly against the steel frame, [music] sending thunderous metallic echoes across the area.

[00:05:44]Their strength was so immense that clouds [music] of dirt exploded into the air every time the herd charged the walls together.

[00:05:57]The third hot spot lay deep inside a pine [music] forest where the wild hogs were notorious for becoming extremely aggressive when cornered.

[00:06:11]Here, the control team used a specially designed circular trap system.

[00:06:15]>> [music] >> No blind corners, no sharp edges. Every part of the structure was built to disperse the force of impact when the herd panicked.

[00:06:28]On the infrared camera screens, the hogs appeared one after another before slowly moving toward the bait zone.

[00:06:34]>> [music] >> Once the entire herd had fully gathered inside, the twin steel gates were triggered simultaneously.

[00:06:51]In an instant, all silence disappeared.

[00:06:54]The herd began running in frantic circles, their growls mixing with the violent rattling of steel throughout the night.

[00:07:01]>> [music] >> Behind every successful trap closure was far more than luck. Every detail had been carefully calculated.

[00:07:19]Steel mesh panels were locked [music] tightly with high-strength fasteners, while anchor stakes were driven deep into the ground to [music] withstand the tremendous force of impact from the herd.

[00:07:34]During the first several days, bait was scattered around [music] the area to eliminate suspicion.

[00:07:43]Only on the final night was the bait placed deep inside, forcing the entire herd [music] to move completely into the control zone.

[00:07:53]>> [music] >> Standing beside the traps afterward, >> [music] >> we finally understood the true danger they posed.

[00:08:08]Dense muscle, armor-like hide, and enough raw [music] strength to destroy ordinary steel fencing.

[00:08:19]But every wild hog captured also meant one more field protected, one more irrigation system saved from destruction, and one more farming area spared from months of silent devastation.

[00:08:29]>> [music] [music] [music] [music] [music] [music] >> Wild boars are no longer just ordinary wild animals.

[00:09:44]In many US states, they have become a serious ecological and [music] economic threat, putting both humans and the natural environment under significant pressure.

[00:09:59]>> [music] >> Each year, agriculture suffers losses exceeding $670 million, while total economic [music] damages approach nearly $800 million.

[00:10:15]They uproot [music] crops, destroy fences, contaminate water sources, and have far-reaching impacts on native [music] ecosystems.

[00:10:25]>> [music] >> On top of that, wild boar populations are growing between 18 and 21% [music] annually, and if not managed promptly, this explosive growth could quickly spiral out of human [music] control.

[00:10:45]>> [music] >> In response to this escalating crisis, the US Department of Agriculture, USDA, launched the Feral Swine Control Pilot Program, or FSCP. [music] The initial budget for 2019 to [music] 2023 was $75 million, and it was later extended through 2025.

[00:11:12]>> [music] >> Texas, considered the epicenter of the invasion, received the largest share of funding.

[00:11:23]>> [music] >> In 2019 alone, over $16.7 [music] million was allocated to a series of projects aimed at controlling [music] wild boars in the state.

[00:11:39]>> [music] >> In 2021, Texas received an additional $1.5 million >> [music] >> for expansion projects.

[00:11:53]The total annual funding from both federal and state sources [music] is estimated to range between $30 and $40 million.

[00:12:07]However, the largest portion of costs still falls on local landowners.

[00:12:16]According to the Texas [music] A&M Natural Resources Institute, landowners in Texas spend over $130 million each year on building fences, setting traps, and hiring professional control teams.

[00:12:34]The actual figure is even higher, far surpassing government assistance.

[00:12:46]With these massive resources, [music] Texas has implemented a multi-layered control strategy with smart traps considered the most effective tool.

[00:13:00]This method forms the core [music] of the entire program. Modern trap systems are equipped with surveillance cameras and linked directly to mobile devices, allowing landowners to monitor wild boar herds remotely [music] in real time.

[00:13:18]They don't rush to activate the traps when only a few boars appear.

[00:13:22]Instead, they patiently wait until the entire herd enters.

[00:13:26]>> [music] >> This is particularly important because wild [music] boars are highly intelligent and quick learners. And if only a few are caught, the remaining animals become extremely [music] cautious and rarely return to the area.

[00:13:48]A small mistake can jeopardize the entire campaign for a long period.

[00:13:56]The goal is not to eliminate individual animals, but to capture the entire [music] herd in a single activation.

[00:14:05]>> [music] >> In addition to large net traps, [music] many areas in Texas also use steel box traps to manage smaller herds or those operating near residential areas.

[00:14:29]These traps are set along familiar travel routes, near feeding grounds [music] or water sources.

[00:14:41]Inside, fermented corn and other strongly scented baits are used to lure wild boars over several consecutive days.

[00:14:55]Once the animals grow accustomed [music] and begin entering regularly, the gate system is triggered.

[00:15:08]The entire trap frame is made of thick steel with a secure locking mechanism, capable of withstanding the impact of adult boars in panic.

[00:15:23]Although smaller than the giant circular traps, these box traps still play a critical role in Texas' overall control strategy.

[00:15:37]Even after spending hundreds of millions of dollars and applying [music] multiple methods, Texas has not been able to fully control the invasion.

[00:15:49]>> [music] >> The reasons lie in their rapid reproductive rate, remarkable adaptability, and the wide range of distribution across [music] the state.

[00:16:04]The story in [music] Texas is no longer just about wild boar control. It reflects an increasingly severe ecological imbalance caused [music] by invasive species and highlights the limits of human ability to manage nature.

[00:16:23]And in the end, one question remains.

[00:16:25]Can humans truly control [music] nature, or are we merely chasing the consequences of our own actions?