Pursuing Feral Hogs

On a recent evening, I joined Williamson County Sun columnist Bonnie Stump as we accompanied 37-year-old James “Bones” Henderson pursuing feral hogs across a scenic, grassy area in Milam County, Texas.    He’s an imposing figure of a fellow, a full 6’5″ man  who’s very fast on his feet and a good marksman as we chase the elusive creatures across this land filled with scrub brush and (I found out near the end of our session) rattlesnakes galore.   Thankfully, I didn’t encounter any reptiles while trying to keep pace with Bones.   These wild hogs are a menace in Texas, destroying acre upon acre of rich farmland and crops each year.   They’re not your “Green Acres” version of Arnold the pig by any means.   Bones knows firsthand, having been gored by one of these critters in February.   A small part of me feels for these creatures, but coming from farm people, I know they  must be contained.  That’s where folks like Bones come in.   While some are shot and killed, others are caught in traps, taken to his home, to later be shipped overseas, mostly China.  Here are a few photos from our adventure.   Read Bonnie’s story here.