Life History
Feral hogs’ life history explains why they have become such a big problem so fast. They are prolific, adaptable, omnivorous, gregarious, far-ranging and hardy.
First, feral hogs reproduce nearly as prolifically as rabbits. Breeding occurs at any time of the year when abundant food is available. Females can begin breeding in their 6th month of life and produce two litters of 4-10 piglets every 12-15 months. This level of reproduction can double a feral hog population in 4 months.
Secondly, they are highly adaptable. Although they have appeared in nearly every kind of habitat in the state, feral hogs seem to prefer moist bottomland forests and riparian areas around creeks and streams where mud for wallowing and foods, such as acorns, are plentiful. The dense vegetation in these areas also shelters and hides feral hogs.
In the heat of summer, feral hogs are most active at night. During cooler seasons, they are more likely to be active in the early morning and late afternoon. Feral hogs are voracious omnivores, eating almost anything that their vacuum-like snout encounters. Grasses, roots and succulent green vegetation are preferred foods in the spring. In summer and fall, they search for fruits, nuts and animal matter, including carrion, insects and eggs of ground-nesting birds. In winter they subsist primarily on grasses and agricultural grains.
Like their domestic cousins, feral hogs are social animals and tend to travel in family groups consisting of several sows and their offspring. Weaned pigs stay with their mother until another litter is born or until they mate. Adult boars are usually solitary, joining groups only to mate or take advantage of a concentrated source of food.
A group of hogs’ range is related to food availability. Where food is abundant, hogs occupy a smaller area than where food is scarce. Feral hogs, particularly boars, have been known to have a home range of as much as 19 square miles when food is scarce.
Although many piglets die within the first 3 months of life, feral hogs have been known to live for 8 years, and most average 4-5 years. Older hogs may die from disease, starvation, hunting and predation by coyotes, bobcats and feral dogs.
