First introduced to the United States by Christopher Columbus, pigs, or feral hogs, were a sustainable, low-maintenance source of food for early settlers for centuries. Unfortunately, they're also one that has gotten far out of hand and is now considered an invasive species.
Texas has had a feral hog problem for decades, with pigs found in every county but one in the massive state. Though once an important food source, feral hogs have become a complete nuisance, causing untold damage to soil and vegetation by digging and rooting for food. Lethal control measures like trapping, aerial gunning, and generous hunting seasons have been used to attempt to contain the population, without much luck.
As Texas continues to exhaust every resource it has to combat the feral hog problem, hunters are simultaneously beginning to experiment with different ways to hunt pigs. Because they aren't limited by any regulations and don't even need hunting licenses to harvest the invasive hogs, hunters have begun using bows, crossbows, spears, traps, and helicopter hunting along with the typical rifle-or-shotgun approach. Some hunters are even using dogs to hunt the feral hogs.
However, one weapon most people would never consider using on a hog is the blowgun, an ancient weapon as old as time. Feral hogs have a reputation for being tough, and while you probably wouldn't think a blowgun would be capable of penetrating their thick hide, Tim Wells is here to prove otherwise.
In the following YouTube video, Wells sets up for some close shots during an evening pig hunt in Texas. And, as you're about to see, his blowgun makes short work of Texas' most problematic invasive species.
You should never underestimate a blowgun, or any primitive weapon for that matter. There's a reason they've stood the test of time, and in the right hands, they can be an effective tool for harvesting small- and medium-sized game. Wells has even used his blowgun to harvest black bears, though we don't recommend trying that at home.
