We've all seen it before, feral hogs can cause serious damage to a piece of property. Wednesday night, a group of them tore up some of the greens on a 90-year-old golf course in Mineral Wells. So local hunters set out to stop them in their tracks. NBC 5 went along to see the mission in action.
Holliday Hills Country Club is the pride of Mineral Wells. The golf course opened in the late 1920s when tourists were flocking to the town for its healing mineral baths. Today, it's a community gem.
"Everyone's family out here," said Colt Dorr.
And when everyone is a friend then anyone who threatens the place, is an enemy.
"Two nights ago, the hogs came in here just overnight and caused thousands of dollars' worth of damage," Dorr said.
Dorr is owner of local outdoor company Cut 'Em Outfitters, and the go-to guy to handle a pest problem in the area, like feral hogs running wild on a golf course.
"Dug in and just pushed it in and dug in, folded all that over, finding whatever he was looking for," Dorr said, pointing out the damage in one patch.
Local
The latest news from around North Texas.
Groundskeepers have been hard at work patching extensive damage on several holes.
"These greens cost anywhere from $20,000 to $30,000 to replace and if we have to continue to do that, we're a small town and that can hurt us," Dorr said.
So Wednesday night, Dorr and a few friends set out traps.
"We caught three of them they said holy moly, what was that the rest of them ran off of this property," Dorr said.
But they think there were about 30 hogs in all and they can't risk more damage.
"They are horrible animals to have on your property," said Dorr.
So Thursday night, they broke out the big guns, and set up to shoot down any hogs that dare come back.
To Dorr, it's not a question of hating hogs. It's about saving what he loves.
"I'm third generation on this course,” Dorr said. “My grandpa was president out here. We love this place and the last thing I want to see happen is it go away because of an animal that we have the power to control."
The problem was so serious, the Mineral Wells city council called an emergency meeting Wednesday night to allow Dorr and his crew to fire their guns within city limits. They'll be donating all the meat from any hogs they kill so nothing goes to waste.
