Homeowners in the Northfork subdivision are losing patience and want something done about the hogs. We heard that one yard was hit five times recently.
There is a scarecrow in the front yard of Alicia Steinkuehler.
"My scarecrow didn't do a very good job of keeping the hogs away," she said. "Not very scary."
It doesn't work, she says, because both Monday and Tuesday nights, feral hogs decimated her St. Augustine.
"You can replace that," Steinkuehler said. "You can't replace a child or a dog, and that's what worries me right now. They're becoming fearless."
Steinkuehler says one chased her son not long ago. On Wednesday a neighbor shot footage of a hog rooting through a common area right next to houses during the day. Experts say this is uncommon because they are mostly seen only at night.
Homeowners who like to run before sun-up say knowing they're out there is troubling.
"With these hogs running around, there's no way I'll run before it's light out," said jogger Cindy Walker.
The Northfork subdivision has had trouble with hogs before, but never like this. This year they are deeper into the neighborhood, even seen near North Pointe Elementary School. Some have tried to scare the hogs away by placing lights in their yards at night. Others have put makeshift fences around their yards, hoping to deflect the hogs. While it may, in some cases, it just seems to divert them to the neighbors' homes.
Kathy Dooley represents the Northfork homeowner's association. She says in the past they've had luck asking the owner and tenant of rural land just east of the neighborhood to trap or hunt the hogs.
"Usually that ends up driving the herds further into the acreage and away from the homes," Dooley said.
If a scarecrow won't do, maybe that will.
One homeowner asked why the HOA can't simply add some fencing strategically to try and keep the beasts out. Sure, they say, it costs money but so does replacing sod and landscaping.
The HOA is meeting Friday with Texas Parks and Wildlife as well as the owner and the tenant of that land nearby. They're hoping to come to some solution to remove the hogs or drive them away.
