02 Jun Jenna: Texas wildlife

Hamlin, Texas – There’s a type of animal lurking around in the wheat fields here near Hamlin. A type of animal Zeorian Harvesting has never dealt with…wild pigs.

Apparently, wild pigs have become quite a problem in this area. And, according to my parents, they’re a problem in the field, too.  Our combine has chased many pigs out of their homes in the fields during the past couple of days.

“They’ve torn the fields up,” Mom says. “They make terrible messes. I’ve seen signs of them in every field we’ve cut but the last field was the worst. They root around and create a tangled mess of the wheat. They’re definitely worse than deer.”

While I have heard snorts, I haven’t seen any pigs yet. Half of me is curious to get a look – I picture them kind of being like Pumba from the Lion King. But the other half of me is not so curious – anybody remember the wild pigs that tried to kill Old Yeller? Yeah, not nice. Maybe I’ll just aim for seeing them from a distance.

Mom snapped this picture of seven young pigs in one of the fields we cut yesterday.

Besides wild pigs, we’ve also been keeping our eyes open for snakes – rattle snakes. This place is seriously infested with them!  We were warned when we got here, from multiple people, to be on the lookout and they weren’t kidding. In the past couple of days alone, I’ve run over two, Dad’s run over one, and the farmer we’re working for killed two in his yard. The rattlers aren’t just in the country either; they’re in town, too. They’ve been spotted on nearby porches, in yards, etc.

Needless to say, Dad’s famous phrase, “watch your step,” has been heard a lot lately. And my flip-flops and Chuck Taylors are getting a bit of a break…only boots for now.

Jenna Zeorian can be reached at jenna@allaboardharvest.com. All Aboard 2010 Wheat Harvest is sponsored by High Plains Journal and DuPont Crop Protection.