Feral hogs have made their home in Oklahoma, and farmers and ranchers have the damage on their property to prove it.

Several indicators give away feral hog presence, said Dwayne Elmore, Oklahoma State University Cooperative Extension wildlife specialist.

“They have tracks that are similar to deer, but more rounded,” he said.

Rooting is biggest tipoff,  however. In softer soils, rooted areas can be up to 3 feet deep, leaving large wallows. They root around looking for food, usually in broad areas leaving massive soil disturbances, loss of plant material and erosion problems. The hogs then rub on trees, removing bark and leaving mud plastered to tree trunks a few feet off the ground.

Counties in the southeast portion of the state have bigger populations, but feral hogs have been leaving destruction in their paths throughout Oklahoma.

Read more about Oklahoma’s feral hog problem.