City of Kyle looks to solve its hog problem
In 2004, Plum Creek was listed by the State of Texas as having high bacterial and fecal coliform levels, making the area unfit for recreation development.
Due to the impairment, Plum Creek Watershed Partnership was created in 2006 to conduct a bacterial tracking study to find the source for the high levels. The study concluded feral hogs to be the major contributing fecal coliform source.
Along with severe damage in Plum Creek and its trail system, the City of Kyle knew they had a problem on their hands.
Stormwater Management Plan Administrator Kathy Roecker presented the city council with possible action to address the issue.
“One of the possible solutions could be hiring a company that does hog trapping,” Roecker said. “If the council is interested, we could look into hiring a company to trap the hogs and take them out of Kyle for us.”
There are an estimated three million wild hogs in Texas. As an invasive species, feral hogs cause major agricultural and property losses, totaling more than $500 million each year, according to Hays County.
“I know feral hogs have been a big nuisance throughout Hays County, and that’s why we have bounties,” Councilmember Robert Rizo said. “When I was a part of the great river clean up this last time, I saw a lot of evidence along the river and creeks that there was a lot of activity there. Near Stagecoach, I ran into three packs, each with about 30 hogs. This is what’s tearing up our farms, tearing up our root systems. So, anything we can do to mitigate that would be great.”
The county’s bounty program offers $5 per caught hog.
“When Councilmember Rizo and I went to look at some land over on Button Creek, we happened to see a whole herd of feral pigs,” Councilmember Yvonne Flores-Cale said. “So, I know the issue is real, especially with us having a trail system. I think it’s going to be important for the city to control and maintain those hogs.”
Council offered Roecker direction to bring back a proposal for trapping the feral hogs along Plum Creek.
