I'm going to try to get through this without snickering.

Hog Out Month

In case you don't know it, a "Hog" or "Hawg" is one of the preferred colloquialisms for a male member on the internet. I'm sorry, but I had to get that out of the way so I can bring you....the rest of the story...(Sorry, but I had to laugh because I have a tragic connection with this story).

October Is For Hoggin'

The Texas Department of Agriculture designated October as Hog Out Month to bring attention to the fact that these beasts do a lot of damage in Texas. You can actually get two bucks per hog for killing the pesky critters (I can't imagine carrying any number of dead hogs around for a measly two bucks a piece, but you do you). The designated month is obviously for awareness because since 2019 Texas has allowed the killing of feral hogs on private land without a license, at any time.

Tragedy

Despite being an animal lover, I have no sympathy for wild hogs. I lost a dear friend to a feral hog on a dark highway. These animals can be very big and in fact, one nearly 800 pounds was recently caught so it's not hard to imagine how dangerous they can be to drivers. I suppose it goes without saying how much damage they can do rooting around in fields, gardens, and wherever their whims take them.

Where They Came From

Some feral hogs are the result of escaped animals and some are descendants of wild boars that were brought over for hunting in the early 1900s. Most would be some kind of mix of the two. They are all well known for tearing up a lot of things and are thus considered "pests".