Data Portal · Reference
Methodology & Citation
This page documents the data sources, confidence levels, and update cadence behind the Hog Watch Tracker, and provides a ready-made citation for researchers and journalists.
Data last updated: August 3, 2026
Data Sources
- Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Service / Texas A&M Natural Resources Institute
Statewide population and agricultural damage estimates for Texas.
agrilifeextension.tamu.edu/asset-local/feral-hog-management/
- USDA APHIS Feral Swine Distribution
National and county-level presence data across the United States.
www.aphis.usda.gov/aphis/ourfocus/wildlifedamage/operational-activities/feral-swine
- Wild Hog Working Group Annual State Summary Report
Multi-state population range estimates and management program summaries.
www.aphis.usda.gov/aphis/ourfocus/wildlifedamage/operational-activities/feral-swine/sa-fs-history
Sourcing on Other Pages
The Data Sources and citation above apply specifically to this monitor's county-level population and activity dataset. Several other pages on this site cover different material and cite their sources directly, inline, rather than through this page:
- News
Curated, source-graded coverage of verified Texas hog-related news, each entry labeled by source type (Primary Record, Original Reporting, Agency/Research, Syndicated, or Policy/Funding).
/news
- Health & Environmental Risk
Disease and economic-impact data sourced from peer-reviewed research and public health agencies, with DOI links.
/health-risk
- Feral Hogs in Texas
A sourced overview tying together this site's population, growth, and damage figures.
/feral-hogs-in-texas
- The Boundary Problem
Six independently verified cases examining why public-land trapping programs and private-property complaints coexist, each case citing primary government records or peer-reviewed studies.
/boundary-problem
Methodology Notes
Estimates, not census counts
Wild hog populations are inherently difficult to measure precisely. Every figure shown on this monitor — statewide totals, county-level population estimates, and annual growth projections — is an estimate. Figures vary meaningfully between sources, agencies, and methodologies, and by the season in which surveys were conducted. Nothing on this site should be read as an exact count.
Two different confidence levels
The monitor combines two distinct kinds of information, and they should not be treated as equivalent:
- Confirmed county presence — well-documented and consistently reported across sources. When a county is shown as having a known hog population, that presence is considered established.
- Population estimate — a sourced range, not a measurement. These numbers carry meaningfully more uncertainty than presence data and should always be interpreted as ranges even when displayed as a single figure.
Update cadence
The underlying county dataset was last updated on August 3, 2026, based on the most recent record in the tracker database. No fixed review schedule has been established yet. We intend to refresh source figures whenever the cited agencies publish updated state or national summaries — typically on an annual cycle — and the timestamp above (and on any CSV export) always reflects the most recent update to the underlying data.
Compiled by Texas Hog Dispatch from the sources listed above.
Ready-Made Citation
APATexas Hog Dispatch. (n.d.). Hog Watch Tracker. Retrieved September 16, 2026, from https://tracker.texashogdispatch.com
Data License
The dataset behind this tracker — county-level population estimates, activity levels, trajectories, and the CSV / PDF exports derived from them — is released under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 (CC BY 4.0) license. You are free to use, share, adapt, and republish the data for any purpose, including commercially, with attribution to Texas Hog Dispatch.
This license applies specifically to the underlying dataset. It does not cover the Texas Hog Dispatch name, logo, seal, site design, written copy, or any other brand assets — those remain the property of Texas Hog Dispatch and are not licensed for reuse under CC BY 4.0.
Contact for Data Inquiries
Press and researcher questions about the figures shown on this monitor can be directed to data@texashogdispatch.com.