The east Texas piney woods are swarming with wild hogs. This makes for a perfect location for the Wulf Outdoor Sports Wild Hog Round Up. How ironic it is that one of the Wulf Outdoors Sports center stores is located smack in the middle of Center, Texas. Indeed the epicenter of east Texas hog hunting activity.
Wulf’s Hog Round Up Mission
In an effort to reduce the area population of wild pigs, Wulf Outdoor Sports sponsors the hog round up as a contest for regional hog hunting and trapping teams. The idea is to draw down the numbers of pigs, but make it fun and rewarding at the same time.
Locals realize much of east Texas is covered with pineland timber, but there is also a huge livestock pastureland and agricultural industry, too, not to mention the regional interest in hunting white-tailed deer. The proliferation of wild hogs and their destructive feeding habits are seriously damaging the wildlife habitats, but also the grasslands needed to support livestock and the planted agricultural fields.
The Hog Teaming Scheme
Held in April, the round up included several participation divisions for trapping, dog hunting, and the overall heaviest hog category. Cash prizes were awarded for the top three places in each division for the most hogs brought in and for the largest pig. This year the cash payout was over $28,000.
Teams could register from 21 regional counties around Center, Texas. The hunt lasted for nine days, so the four-man teams wasted no time hunting and trapping. Thirty-two teams registered for the event totaling 128 hog hunters.
Outside hunters can also participate with Wulf Outdoors helping to line up private properties in the area for hunting opportunities. There is no shortage of local landowners happy to host hog hunters.
Teams that registered for the event had to bring all dispatched hogs into one of the Wulf Outdoors stores in either the Center or the Athens locations. Store employees at each site would check in the hogs, tally the numbers on the scoreboard inside the store and weigh any particularly large hogs that could potentially make the heaviest of the event. All participants could track the individual team results daily on the hog hunt chalkboard in the lobby of the stores.
The Pulled Pork Results
In total on the nine days of hunting and trapping hogs the final tally reached 507 pigs. Team Pig Thrillers with 132 hogs captured and expelled won the Trapping Division. Hog Busters took 55 and the Creek Bottom Rooter Shooters counted 15. The Dog Hunting Division lead by the Hog Hit Men hunted down 83 pigs to the gun using dogs. Other hunting teams scored on 38 and 18 hogs. The heaviest hog brought in by Boars Nest went 296 pounds. It was a very successful event. To learn more about the Wulf Outdoor Sports Wild Hog Round Up check out their web site at www.wulfoutdoorsports.com. Plan to go next year and check out the BBQ contest.
