Video captures feral hogs rummaging through northeast Austin neighborhood

AUSTIN, Texas (FOX 7 Austin) - Some unexpected guests are pigging out in this northeast Austin neighborhood. 

“Torn up lawns, and flower beds. They don't hurt anything you go out they run off, they're just destructive when they're looking for food,” said Michael Pool. 

Both day and night, surveillance video captured dozens of feral hogs rummaging through property in Pool's neighborhood. 

“There's a bunch coming around I’ve seen 3 sounders (the name for a group of hogs) and 20 to 30 babies out here a bunch of them,” said Pool. 

One of the biggest issues with feral hogs is the damage they do to property. They dig into the ground looking for food, and they even tore through the neighborhood park near Pool’s home. 

“They want somebody to take care of the problem but it takes too much money I guess,” said Pool.    

According to Texas Parks and Wildlife, nothing is off the menu for these hogs. 

“Feral hogs are very opportunists so wherever there is a food source or water supply, feral hogs will make use of that habitat,” said John Davis, Wildlife Diversity program director for Texas Parks and Wildlife. 

The hogs' destructive behavior extends pretty much everywhere in Texas, including both city and countryside. 

“We even have feral hog populations in Houston, Dallas, Fort Worth, San Antonio, Austin, San Marcos, most any city could have a feral hog problem,” said Davis.

According to Davis, part of the reason the problem is so big in the state is these hogs are very good at surviving. 

“The only really effective way to control or manage hogs is to trap them and you have to make sure you trap the whole sounder,” said Davis.

While feral hogs tend to run away when approached by people, Davis said never corner a wild animal. If you do want to hunt feral hogs, you will need a license but with how big the problem is in the state overall there isn't a bag limit on how many you can hunt.