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Munching out
GOING HOG-WILD IN TEXAS
Some golfers have described Cedar Creek Municipal Golf Course in suburban San Antonio аь a sort of hog heaven, considering its natural beauty and ambiance. But that term has taken on a literal connotation in recent months. Pigs more specifically feral hogs, can’t seem to get enough of the place.
“It’s like a dadgum smorgasbord for ‘em,” says wildlife biologist Rick Taylor. The wild pigs, which can weigh up to 300 pounds, are creating a nuisance. During the dry months, they come out of the hills and tear up the soft, moist turf in the rough and near the greens at Cedar Creek and Mission Del Lago, another municipal course on the outskirts of the city, leaving the ground “looking like it’s been plowed” and causing thousands of dollars in damage.
“They can be a terrible problem,” says John Clay, golf operations manager for the city of San Antonio. “We’ve tried everything to get rid of them.”
Unfortunately, nothing has worked. Experts say there are roughly two million of the hairy beasts in Texas. Taylor says the hogs are the No. 2 predator in the Hill Country, behind the coyote. The hogs are non-game animals unprotected by federal laws which means there are no limits on hunting or trapping But relocation of the hogs is restricted by the Texas Animal Health Commission for fear of transmitting diseases to livestock and wildlife.
Although potentially dangerous when cornered, feral hogs are largely nocturnal and of little threat to golfers. — John Whisler
