Over the past two decades, feral hogs have been a hugely destructive force in rural Texas as they relentlessly tear up productive farm and ranch land. Moreover, with few predators, the hogs have multiplied exponentionally to the point where they are now commonly seen in suburban areas around Texas’ large cities. So, what’s the solution to controlling these feisty beasts?
According to this NY Times article, it’s markets — namely demand for feral hog meat in restaurants — that offers the most promising solution yet:
[Feral hog meat] has also become lucrative as Europeans and an increasing number of Americans clamor for wild boar. Mr. Richardson [a hunter of hogs] said he made $28,000 last year selling live feral hogs.
ìI think itís a great health-conscious niche market,î said Dick Koehler, one of Mr. Richardsonís customers and the vice president of Frontier Meats, based in Fort Worth. ìIt has real potential for growth.î
Mr. Koehler said that about 60 percent of the processed hog meat from his plant ended up on the tables of fancy restaurants in Europe, but that its popularity was growing in the United States. Each year, his company ships more and more hog meat to American restaurants and specialty supermarkets to feed the demands for organic food, Mr. Koehler said.
A certain nephew of mine is going to be very interested in this news.
When most people think of “organic” they think humane. At the very least, I doubt they think of “pit bull clamped to face.”
Feral animals like the cute fellow pictured above are huge threats to the environment.
I knew these critters were problems in Arkansas, where wild boars had bred with domestic hogs, creating a pretty smart and particularly destructive porcine beast. They also eat like pigs too (tee hee). However, I was not aware that these porkers were now moving on suburban areas.
Like the deer problem in the midwest, these beasts are problematic in that there is no preditor to thin them. The largest preditor for midwest deer and speeding automobiles and pickup trucks, much to the delight of the auto body shops that repair the damaged vehicles.
I don’t believe venison has been a major resturant delicacy, despite rampant availability. I wonder if these cute fellows will be featured on many menus?
I worked in a meat packing plant one long summer in college. Workers could always tell the smell of an old bore as it came thru the butcher line. I can’t imagine that that was very tasty to the consumer. Since these feral hogs are sporting nice doses of testosterone, I wonder how they fit along some steamed green beans, or buttered asperagus?