Feral Hog Signs

Top: Tracks of a small feral hog. Bottom: Track of a white-tailed deer. Note the differences in the shape of the tracks. The hog track has a square shape while the deer track appears heart shaped. These tracks may look similar in the field, but with these general shapes in mind, they should be fairly easy to distinguish.

There are a few indicators which represent the presence of feral hogs in a given area. Some of these are easily recognized while others are not. Common indicators include tracks, rootings, wallows, rubs and scats.

Tracks are probably the most difficult to identify due to their resemblance to deer, goat and sheep tracks. The key point in distinguishing a hog track from a deer track is the rounded or blunt tip of the toes. The toes of a hog track on a firm surface tend to be more splayed than a deer track when standing or walking. A hog track will also have a rounded appearance and is usually shorter than a deer track of similar width. Deer tracks appear heart shaped and have more pointed or sharper tipped toes. The presence of dew claws marks with feral hog or white-tailed deer tracks is not an indicator of sex as commonly thought. Dew claw marks associated with any hog or deer track simply means the animal was running or stepping on a soft surface. The relative size of the track is the best indicator of sex or age of a hog or deer.

Rooting is a common activity and is done year round in search of food. Rooted areas can be very large, sometimes covering entire fields. In softer soils rooting can reach a depth of three feet. This rooting habit is the prime reason for the feral hog's bad reputation with landowners. Rooting is easily recognized and can be beneficial or destructive to fields and vegetation (as mentioned earlier) and can create the potential for damage to farm equipment and injuries to livestock.

Wallows are depressions in mud created by rolling and rooting to enable hogs to get a mud coating on their skin. Wallows should not be confused with rooting in that wallows are made to escape heat and insects. Wallows often fill with water making them more effective for meeting the hog's needs. They are used most often in the hot summer months. Watering holes can become contaminated from hog wallowing activities and riparian habitat can be altered. Wallowing can also affect ponds by muddying water, creating algae blooms, creating bank erosion, destroying aquatic vegetation and lowering water quality. All of these can lead to decreased livestock use and poor fish production.

Rubs are generally made as the result of wallowing and are most often associated with wallows. The purpose of rubbing is for the hog to scratch and remove dried mud, hair and parasites. Hogs will use just about anything on which to rub, including trees, fence posts, rocks and power poles. Feral hogs seem to have a preference for rubbing on creosote treated posts. Rubs are most easily found during the summer and fall months.

Another indicator of the presence of feral hogs is scat. Scat is simply a technical term for droppings. Like tracks, hog scats are usually shorter lived and are harder to identify or confirm than other sign. Hog scat can look similar to dog in shape and consistency. However, depending on their diet, feral hog scat can range from having horse to human characteristics. It can be quite variable.
 

Left: This area of bottomland was literally obliterated by the rooting activities of feral hogs. This type of activity can threaten plants and the integrity of ecosystems.

Right: A heavily used wallow can ruin watering holes for other wildlife and livestock. However, areas like this one are good places to hunt hogs during hot summer months.