I will tell you I have never witnessed such damage to a golf course as we have experienced here at Willow Fork Country Club. Some protective measures have been tried to restraint the hogs from entering our property, bottom line the club has alot of open territory these hogs could be entering from. We have even witnessed the hogs destroying homeowners front yards around the course, so even the entrances to the subdivision can lead to the golf course as well.
I have been asked a numerous of times; Why are they hogs coming here? Think about it, we're as much as twenty inches behind in rainfall. If you were to take a walk out in the wooded areas normally you could see small pockets of water or wetland areas saturated with water. Today you go and look at these same sites and they are 100% dry. Bottom line is---There's very little water and food available where these animals would normally feed. With the drought the soil base is dry up to eight inches below the surface-that's where the insects live that normally hogs would feed on.
So what does a wild animal as a hog do; It will find areas that are irrigated and fertilized "What a great menu for them". Once they locate such an area and begin to set a track they will repeat and as they have babies, they will learn the same route as well until some type change happens and causes them to go another direction for food.
There's four protective measures we have taken here at the club to help slow down the hogs.
1. Electrical wire fencing was installed along holes #5,6,7. the fence is live from 8:00 pm till 5:00 am.
2. There's a hunter that will come out as called, so far he as shot 6. He generally comes after the midnight hours. Night vision and/or infra red vision is used and his rifles are equipped with silencers.
3. The club has hired an individual to work night hours to monitor the course.
4. Hog traps are being set. I do have some extra one's coming to help out.
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