Randy Smith

District Supervisor for Fort Worth District of the Texas Wildlife Services Program. A Cooperative between USDA-APHIS-Wildlife Services and Texas A&M AgriLife Extension – Wildlife Services.  Previously Randy was a staff biologist for the Texas Wildlife Services Program. Randy has 28

Scott E. Hygnstrom

Scott Hygnstrom (pronounced Hing-strum) is a Professor and Extension Wildlife Specialist with the School of Natural Resources at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln. He earned a PhD from the University of Wisconsin-Madison, MS from UW-Stevens Point, and a BS from UW-River …

Brucellosis in Feral Hogs

Swine brucellosis is a highly contagious infectious disease caused by the bacterium Brucella suis, of which there are five biotypes or strains.  Brucellosis represents a significant disease of domestic swine, which had been all but eliminated from domestic herds …

Pseudorabies Virus in Feral Hogs

Pseudorabies virus (PRV), also known as Aujeszky’s disease, is an infectious viral disease that is caused by the Suid herpesvirus 1 (SuHV-1).  The name “pseudorabies” means “rabies like” or “false rabies;” however, PRV is a herpes virus and is not …

Nocturnal Animals and Daylight

Most people understand that animals are active during the day (diurnal) or night (nocturnal). For example, robins are active during the day and raccoons are active at night. While there is a third category, crepuscular (dawn and dusk), the binary …

Feral Hogs: Friend or Foe?


Diverse Opinions

Whether feral hogs are a friend or foe is a matter of perspective.  Opinions vary widely, ranging from apathy to eradicating a pest species or to the thrill of hog hunting. 

Feral Hogs as Pests

Feral hogs are …