Texas crop, weather
Feral hogs invading urban areas more frequently
Feral hogs continue to root up pastures and crops, according to Texas AgriLife Extension Service reports from around the state. Moreover, reports of hogs making sorties into small and large towns are becoming more common.
to Dr. Billy Higginbotham, AgriLife Extension fisheries and wildlife specialist based in Overton, has received reports of feral hogs digging up cemeteries, stripping fruit trees, plowing up golf courses, destroying suburban home lawns and devastating open hospital grounds.
A feral-hog population explosion and suburban expansion are most likely reasons for the increased incidences of hogs in the city, he said.
"They're not just in the country anymore," Higginbotham said.
For example, in Nacogdoches County, AgriLife Extension agent Chad Gulley said calls to his office about feral hogs have been increasing during the last year.
"I've been getting the usual calls from producers about hogs rooting up pastures, but of late I've been getting more calls from people in the city (Nacogdoches) about hogs."
Gulley said the calls were not limited to homeowners on the outskirts of the city, but close to downtown as well.
"In rural areas, we have more options for control," Gulley said. "But ordinances prohibit discharging firearms inside the city limits."
In Anderson County the city of Palestine has become the "poster child for urban feral hog damage," said Mark Price, AgriLife Extension agent.
As in Nacogdoches, hogs are making inroads to within a couple of blocks of the courthouse, he said. "They use drainage ditches or railroad tracks to travel. They also have been struck (by cars) crossing the loop," he said.
Control has become a political issue because of the expense and liability issues.
Meanwhile, Price said, local doctors are turning up the heat after the animals started tearing up hospital grounds. Hospital administrators complain about expensive damage to the landscapes and worry about patients or staff encountering hogs in the parking lot late at night. "It's amazing how much damage these animals can do overnight," Price said.
The following summaries were compiled by AgriLife Extension district reporters this week:
CENTRAL: Supplemental feeding of cattle started early this year. Fall weaning and cattle working was ongoing. Soil moisture across the district was short to very short. Pecan harvest was under way but yields were low and quality poor. Wheat and oat planting was under way.
COASTAL BEND: Extremely dry conditions continued. Pastures and winter grazing were extremely short, and supplemental feeding of livestock continued throughout the region. The second harvest of rice was nearly complete. Farmers were waiting on moisture to continue field preparations.
EAST: Cooler weather rolled through with scattered showers in a few counties; however, most counties remained dry. Winter pastures were doing well. Hay harvesting was almost complete. There were no reports of armyworms, but feral hog problems continued in Nacogdoches County.
FAR WEST: Temperatures dropped to 27 degrees, adversely affecting immature sorghum and cotton. Fall onions were planted. Pecans finished the filling stage with shucks opening; harvesting should begin soon. Cotton was in the last stage of maturity. Many farmers defoliated their cotton, hoping to harvest soon. Wheat pastures looked promising. One more cutting of alfalfa was expected. Red chiles were ready for harvest. Melons and pumpkins were harvested and sold.
NORTH: Soil moisture ranged from short to adequate. Even with the dry conditions, producers continued to plant small grains and winter annual forages. Cool season forages made progress, but winter forages still needed rain. Most producers finished planting ryegrass for spring grazing. Some wheat and oats were planted for hay and grazing. Much hay has been baled. Corn was harvested, and the soybean and sorghum harvests were nearly completed. Livestock were in fair to good condition. Range and pastures were in fair to good condition.
PANHANDLE: Temperatures varied widely from daily averages. Much of the region experienced freezing temperatures for the first time this fall. Soil moisture ranged from short to surplus with most areas reporting adequate. The corn harvest was halted by wet conditions. Cotton was rated mostly fair to good, and harvesting started. Peanuts were rated mostly fair. Some sorghum was harvested, but most of the crop needed more warm days to finish. Wheat varied from poor to excellent with most areas reporting fair to good. Range and pasture conditions were mostly fair. Cattle were in good condition.
ROLLING PLAINS: Cooler weather moved into the district but no moisture accompanied it. Many counties reported their first frost. Some producers prepared for cotton harvest. Late cotton still needed to open bolls. Producers were planting wheat where there was enough moisture. Stocker cattle numbers appeared to be down, mostly because wheat for grazing was planted late. The wheat crop was just starting to get tall enough to graze. Most range and pastures were in good shape and the cows looked good.
SOUTH: Short to very short soil moisture conditions were reported in the northern counties. Southern counties reported adequate soil moisture. The weather was mild, dry and cool. Peanut harvesting began in the northern counties and should continue through December. Also in the northern counties, green beans and cabbage were being harvested and spinach planted. Dry conditions in the eastern and western counties slowed field activities. Where possible, producers were actively irrigating crops. In the southern counties, many fields were drying out for the first time since early July. Fall corn was irrigated, early harvesting of winter vegetables began, and hay baling operations continued. Range and pasture conditions declined because of low soil moisture and cooler temperatures. Livestock were in good condition because of supplemental feeding.
SOUTH PLAINS: Temperatures were much cooler with lows reaching freezing for a couple of days and daytime highs only reaching the mid-70s. Soil moisture was adequate to surplus. The cotton harvest began. Many producers applied harvest aid materials to speed up the natural defoliation process. The corn harvest neared completion with average yields reported. The sorghum harvest was ongoing. The pumpkin harvest was nearly complete with average yields reported. Winter wheat was in good condition, and growers were happy with the cooler temperatures and increased output and growth. The peanut harvest was restarted as fields dried out. Pastures and ranges were in good condition. Cattle were in good condition with no supplemental feeding reported.
SOUTHEAST: Conditions were extremely dry and cool. Madison County was producing above- average hay yields as the result of recent rains and warm weather. Armyworms infested small grain fields.
WEST CENTRAL: Days and nights cooled, and a few areas saw the first light freeze of the season. Rainfall in some areas helped early planted small grains. Armyworm problems declined with the cooler temperatures. The late hay harvest wound down. Some cotton was harvested, but most areas were not ready. Livestock remained in fair to good condition. Supplemental feeding of livestock increased.
-30-
