[thackney]

Two million to six million of the animals are wreaking havoc in at least 39 states and four Canadian provinces; half are in Texas, where they do some $400 million in damages annually.

Do you believe that part? 1 to 3 million in Texas?

[Jedidah]

I don’t know. Sounds high.

I do have considerable confidence in the Ag guys at A&M, who study these things, and they estimated 2 million in 2004. Texas Dept. of Agriculture is still using that number. http://www.agr.state.tx.us/agr/media/media_render/0,1460,1848_17053_40786_0,00.html

We didn’t have problem with these creatures in North Texas until the last decade, but they are rapidly becoming a scourge.

[ConservaTexan]

Do you believe that part? 1 to 3 million in Texas?

Absolutely. I spend a lot of time in the outdoors in east and central Texas. Because hunting is a waning passtime in the US their numbers are exploding, along with many other wild animals. I shoot every pig I see and feel I have no impact on their numbers. Sows can have a litter of 6-12 piglets as many as 3 times a year.

[IMR 4350]

Living here in SE Texas, I’d say it’s probably an understatement.