Feral hogs have torn up a junior high football practice field in North Texas, leaving about half of the roughly 40-by-40-foot space unusable for student athletes. Local residents volunteered to help with trapping efforts.
Here's what to know
Forestburg ISD Athletic Director Cori Hayes told KAUZ News Channel 6 that the smaller field, used twice a week by the junior high team, has become less useful, even though the varsity squad can still practice on the main field.
Hayes said feral hogs have damaged that particular field for the first time in his 11 years at the school, but it's certainly not the first time they've damaged campus property.
"It's just something that's recurring," Hayes said. "The way that they populate, there's not much you can do to deter them, especially on open land like this."
Hayes said the school previously dealt with hog damage near a school-owned house.
"This time it did all that side yard behind the house, in front of the house, and it also hit our practice field," Hayes said.
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The damage was so extensive that the district asked the local community for help.
What's being done?
The district's online appeal drew responses from several community members, and that outreach led to discussions with a local trapper who offered to help at no cost to the district.
To keep traps away from students, the plan is to place them on neighboring land instead of on school property.
"So there's no endangerment to kids out here doing anything. And so he's going to set them on this neighbor's property and hopefully he can catch them that way," Hayes said.
The district hopes successful trapping will reduce the local hog problem and make it possible to repair the junior high practice field.
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