Wild Hogs Destroying North Texas Lawns

Wild hogs have caused problems in an Irving, Texas, neighborhood for years, but residents of Valley Ranch report they’ve been causing more damage over the past few weeks.

According to wfaa.com, the destructive animals are tearing up yards and plants in the neighborhood. Some homes in the area have had to repair their entire lawns, while the park at nearby Barbara Bush Middle School was left in tatters.

Residents say nearby construction could be pushing the hogs into residential areas.

Eric Mendez said he wasn’t sure what was tearing up his sod at night until he set up a camera in his yard.

"To my surprise, a pig was on the camera," he said.

In fact, there were actually 10 feral hogs in his yard, and some were pretty big.

Mendez’s neighbors are also facing significant landscaping costs due to the swine.

Controlling the hogs in the neighborhood setting is complicated.

"My first thought was, like, well, I can go shoot them," said Mendez. "But I'm like, yeah, I'm in a neighborhood. I can't just go out there and start blasting."

Mendez has been using a slingshot instead to scare off the hogs, and also clapping two 2x4s together.

In the meantime, the City of Irving says it has hired a wildlife contractor to help control the pigs. They have also met with HOAs and USDA Texas Wildlife to promote the safety of residents and their pets.