Hog hunting is becoming increasingly popular in the southern Gulf States, where the feral hog population is growing at an alarming rate. A non-native species, feral hogs are aggressive animals that breed quickly and threaten the safety of native wildlife and crop. The current estimated feral hog population in the United States is in the millions; Texas alone currently has a population of almost 2.6 million. With the hog’s current breeding rate, about 70 percent of the population needs to be eradicated annually to prevent further growth.