Feral Hog Workshop in Laredo

[EGarza04]

Guys,

For those of you in or around the Laredo area, or anywhere else for that matter, TPWD and Texas A&M Agrilife Extension will be putting on a feral hog workshop on May 2-3. The workshop will have presenters from the US and from Mexico. I have attached a .pdf of the flyer if any of you are interested.

I will be in attendance for work, but I will not be presenting any information.

 

[BigRedDog]

may?

 

[EGarza04]

may?

Oops... yea it is in May. OP fixed. Thanks Big Red!

 

[BigRedDog]

HOW WAS IT?

Did anyone go?

 

[TEXASLAWMAN]

Need to get you some LSB stickers to hand out at these things.

 

[EGarza04]

HOW WAS IT?

Did anyone go?

I think it went pretty well. We had 51 people there. Most of the attendance was people from mexico but there was some ranchers from around the laredo area. We had one of our game wardens explain the laws concerning hunting feral hogs and a couple of our biologists explain their biology, life history, breeding chronology, ...etc. We also had a representative from TAHC (Texas Animal Health Commission) present rules on transporting live feral hogs and an explanation of some of the disease concerns from feral hogs. USDA-APHIS talked about their control efforts and methods. Yes rifle mounted NV and thermal were their favorites!

I did get a request to try to have a similar meeting in McAllen so I may see what the interest is to put one together down there. I may even combine it with a meeting on quail and managing their habitat in South Texas.

TLM, I know it is a LONG drive but if you want to come down and give a presentation on your eradication efforts I probably would not say no. I am pretty sure I might even be able to line up a place or two for you to give a "demo" of some of your equipment...

 

[FrankT]

My hometown McAllen..I bet it sure has changed! Last I was there had to be mid 70's after I came back from Vietnam and got out of the Service. Worked for Western Co.

 

[EGarza04]

My hometown McAllen..I bet it sure has changed! Last I was there had to be mid 70's after I came back from Vietnam and got out of the Service. Worked for Western Co.

Frank,

I have no idea what it was like in the 70s but I can tell you that in the last 30 years, and even just the past 15 years it has changed substantially, and not all of the changes are necessarily for the better. I really don't mean to be negative about it but you likely would not even recognize the place.

 

[FrankT]

I just remember passing the Country Club heading to Reynosa! I bet it has changed substantially!

 

[TEXASLAWMAN]

I think it went pretty well. We had 51 people there. Most of the attendance was people from mexico but there was some ranchers from around the laredo area. We had one of our game wardens explain the laws concerning hunting feral hogs and a couple of our biologists explain their biology, life history, breeding chronology, ...etc. We also had a representative from TAHC (Texas Animal Health Commission) present rules on transporting live feral hogs and an explanation of some of the disease concerns from feral hogs. USDA-APHIS talked about their control efforts and methods. Yes rifle mounted NV and thermal were their favorites!

I did get a request to try to have a similar meeting in McAllen so I may see what the interest is to put one together down there. I may even combine it with a meeting on quail and managing their habitat in South Texas.

TLM, I know it is a LONG drive but if you want to come down and give a presentation on your eradication efforts I probably would not say no. I am pretty sure I might even be able to line up a place or two for you to give a "demo" of some of your equipment...

Don't know how much of a presentation I could do. My hunting style is pretty simple.

 

[FrankT]

TLM, your info would be invaluable in most cases, just have to work up a presentation covering it all in a timely, orderly fashion.

 

[EGarza04]

Don't know how much of a presentation I could do. My hunting style is pretty simple.

Well I'm not really looking for your hunting style, but really some of the experiences you have on how effective night hunting can be, how ineffective day hunting and opportunistic shooting can be, the type of equipment needed for night hunting (bare essentials as well as top end equipment). Other information that would be helpful is how you have shown people that thought they did not have a problem that they do have a hog problems through video at night, how to identify a lead sow and what that means for a sounder to lose it.

There are lots of things that biologists do not understand/know when it comes to feral hogs because we have a lack of time in the field actually hunting/attempting eradication of or stalking and watching these animals. Most of our (TPWD biologist's) time is spent helping landowners plan management techniques to suit the goals they have for their property. This is why I need to bring in others to help me learn as well as teach others the possibilities of what can be done, what has been done, how effective those methods were, and also what has not worked as well as show a perspective that is different than what the audience may be used to hearing. Presentation format would likely be a powerpoint.

Target audience would likely be hunters, ranchers, farmers, and potentially some local government officials and people from town.

If you know someone else I should try to get a hold of that might be closer, let me know.

 

[TEXASLAWMAN]

I don't know anyone let me see what I can figure out.