- NARRATOR: The Texas Parks and Wildlife Television Series is supported in part by Texas Parks and Wildlife Foundation -- conserving the wild things and wild places of Texas, thanks to members across the state.

Additional funding provided by the Toyota Tundra.

Your local Toyota dealers are proud to support outdoor recreation and conservation in Texas.

Adventure-- it's what we share.

Funding also provided by Academy Sports and Outdoors.

Helping hunters, anglers, and outdoor enthusiasts of all ages get outside.

Out here, fun can't lose.

[theme music] - ANNOUNCER: Coming up on Texas Parks & Wildlife... - The greenbelt is the most magical place to me in Austin.

This forest oasis in the middle of a big city.

- We are at the beautiful Seminole Canyon State Park and Historic Site located about 40 miles west of Del Rio.

- From chili meat to hog enchiladas, you name it you can find it out here.

Somebody's cooking it.

[theme music] - ANNOUNCER: Texas Parks & Wildlife , a television series for all outdoors.

♪ ♪ [insects chirping] [dogs barking] - AMY: The same people who show up on Wednesdays, we become a little family, and all you really need is a pair of shoes and just like the will to wanna run and be outside.

Turn on our headlamps, and we hit the trail and you know, just kind of watch where we're going.

I mark the trail so that people can follow it in the dark.

I'm glad you're here.

- RUNNER: Yeah, thanks.

Glad to be here.

- And then we just set off for about two to four miles.

To be out under the stars running through the forest with just a headlamp and like one other person.

And that's kind of what got me hooked.

[gentle music] Such a cool experience to be able to awaken with the forest in the morning.

[birds singing] The greenbelt is the most magical place to me in Austin.

This forest oasis in the middle of a big city.

And, you know, I feel really fortunate that we have this here.

I used to be one of those trail runners who like only wanted to run by themselves.

Like I don't wanna talk, I don't wanna do anything.

It was like, my meditative time.

And now I really can't run by myself at all.

Like I love running with people.

I feel like when you're on the trail and you're not like face to face with somebody, that you can really connect in a different way, like a deeper way.

It's just a way to get out of your head and to nature.

There is really this like primal wolf pack thing, especially among females.

It just kind of like lifts us all up together.

It's a really unique feeling because you're moving together as a unit like through the forest.

It's so primal.

[upbeat music] And it's really, really cool to just be surrounded by such amazing women.

I'm inspired by them all the time.

[gentle music] - As a full-time working mom of two young kiddos, there's a lot going on in my world on a day-to-day basis.

Everything gets very busy and very chaotic and can become really challenging to find some time for yourself and find some time to get out and go for a run.

Going out and running trails provides such a sense of calm and such a sense of peace and just allows you to kind of regain perspective if you think you've lost it.

And I think that's just what, at least for me, is so appealing about trail running.

Initially when I start out running, it's more of just, I made it here, got myself out the door, got my clothes on, got my shoes on, I have a little bit of space.

And you start running and I start to kind of get into my groove, I start to find a pace, find a cadence that I like that's comfortable.

It's during that period that I really think I have the opportunity to just kind of think, was there anything that was going on that, you know, was frustrating to me or was on my mind for whatever reason.

And then as I keep running, it allows me to work through things that had not gone well.

And to just regroup.

That's what happens in the middle of my run.

[light upbeat music] I'm really lucky to be able to get to do this and I really enjoy doing it, and I find so much happiness getting out on those trails.

Just an ability to take in my surroundings and take in the beauty.

And as I finish up, you're climbing... [footsteps] you're working hard, your breathing's heavy.

[footsteps, heavy breathing] Your legs are aching.

[footsteps, heavy breathing] And you reach the top.

That sense of joy is pretty tremendous.

I see it as life in general.

You're always going to have those climbs and those challenges.

I worked to get up here, but I made it and I can do it again.

- AMY: This is a really good sport for women to join.

We just have like a certain grit in us that gets us through, which I think is so cool and I don't see in any other sport.

I'm not stopping anytime soon.

I've got a good thing going.

- HILARY: We all live in this really busy world and I think there is some moment that you just need to stop and take that breath and appreciate what is in front of you and just the beauty of this world.

[upbeat music] [gentle music] - So we are at the beautiful Seminole Canyon State Park and Historic Site, located about 40 miles west of Del Rio.

♪ ♪ We're right on the border of West Texas.

♪ ♪ So we have a pretty rugged terrain here.

You'll notice there's not a lot of trees.

It looks a little desolate.

We have rocky limestone surface with stunning sheer-walled canyons.

When you take the time to stop, go down in the canyon, it becomes a whole new world.

It's just such a magical place down in Seminole Canyon.

[gentle music] [flute music] The Lower Pecos Rock Art that you see here in Seminole Canyon dates between 5,500 and 1,500 years ago.

The best way to really enjoy Seminole Canyon is to go on one of our daily rock art tours.

- When limestone heats and cools at that intense.

- STEPHANIE: You get to go down into the canyon, see things that you wouldn't be able to see just by driving by the park.

♪ ♪ The style of rock art is totally unique to this part of Texas and northern Mexico, still speaks to our history and heritage here in North America that might rewrite history.

- The artists had to have a ladder.

The stories that these ancient folks are telling us, maybe a survival, make sure that next generation could survive in this environment.

- STEPHANIE: It really makes you feel awe and wonder when you're looking at it and thinking about all the process that went into it.

♪ ♪ [gentle wind blowing] [upbeat music] So our Maker of Peace statue, which is one of our iconic landmarks here in the park, depicts no one single figure in the rock art, but it's kind of an amalgamation inspired by some of the motifs that you see throughout the rock art.

♪ ♪ The artist, Bill Worrell, got into creating art inspired by Lower Pecos Rock Art.

He decided to go on and open a studio where he created all kinds of art, like the Maker of Peace.

[gentle upbeat music] ♪ ♪ If you're not that much of a history buff, we have something for everyone.

We have the bird blind for people who are interested in checking out the birds that are here in the park.

- There's a male and a female.

He's got a black and white head.

[birds chirping] So pretty.

[cycle bell chimes] [upbeat music] - STEPHANIE: We have hiking and biking trails as well as campsites and day use picnic areas available.

♪ ♪ A lot of our visitors are very pleasantly surprised.

When they stop in here, they think it's just gonna be a quick stop.

There's a lot more waiting for them here than just a campsite.

I hope that folks who stop here get to feel a little sense of wonder at just this beautiful place and the amazing things and amazing views that we have in the park.

♪ ♪ [hog squeals] - NARRATOR: Feral pigs have become quite the problem everywhere.

But, here in La Salle County, folks are going hog wild for 'em.

- Our county fair is the Wild Hog Cook-Off.

It's the biggest event in La Salle County.

It's all about wild hogs.

Everything's about wild hogs.

And it's all because we had so many wild hogs is why it started.

And there'll be 200 teams and anywhere from 6 to 10,000 people come to town.

Everybody's always trying to make it just perfect.

- As they say, in South Texas, you know, in livestock and rodeo at the Wild Hog Cook-Off in La Salle, when they ask to see your I.D., you show 'em your belt buckle.

- Belt buckle.

- NARRATOR: But, it's not all fun and games when it comes to wild hogs 'cause these critters create lots of problems.

[hogs grunting] - It's estimated in the US that they cause about two billion dollars worth of damage per year and that can be through loss of agricultural crops, equipment damage.

They are highly reproductive.

You know, one female can produce up to 20 piglets in a year and they can really reproduce at a very young age.

So, the Texas Parks and Wildlife Department encourages folks to get out and help us control feral hog numbers.

We've reduced the requirement to have a hunting license.

There is no season.

There is no bag limit.

It's pretty much open season on feral hogs.

The feral hogs that we see today, you know, got their origin in North America, really with the first Spanish explorers that came over in the late 1500s.

[hogs squealing] They think they came into Texas probably in the mid to late 1600s.

They brought 'em in for food.

They either took 'em with 'em or even left some behind as they moved further into North America.

Those domestic pigs escaped.

Then a few generations, they became what we call feral hogs today.

[grunting, snorting] [engine cranks over, starts] - Everybody knows that wild hogs are a problem throughout most states now and getting to be more of a problem in a lot of states.

[country music] But there's a lot of great things that come with it.

One of them's hunting.

You can hunt 'em with a bow.

You can hunt 'em with a spear.

You can hunt 'em with a rifle.

You can hunt 'em with a blow gun.

We can go check them all out.

See what we got.

It's just a blast and to have an opportunity and a place where we can bring in people to help us control them.

And they can do it because they don't have places.

They don't have opportunity.

They can come and we can support them and teach and use it for new people learning to hunt.

Check this feeder, make sure the battery's charged up.

[country music] All right, you're ready to go?

- Yeah, let's see test and see if it works.

[country music] [feeder scatters corn] - CHRIS: I think it's hot.

- BOBBY: Yep, she's ready.

- NARRATOR: Now, hunting with feeders can be a touchy subject, but here in Texas, it's totally legal and it's a great way to control these beastly boars.

- I got started hunting in my youth.

It was a family thing.

I got started because, I mean, it was a nuisance for most ranchers, and they would allow us to come out and hunt them.

They're a relatively easy animal to hunt and there's plenty of 'em to do so.

You can hunt 'em any time of day, any time of year.

And there's no bag limits.

There's just a bunch of pigs for us to hunt.

But as much as they're a nuisance, they're still a fun animal and they're a joy to hunt.

[whispering] Here we go, we're in action now, baby.

Here come the pigs running off all the deer.

Oh, they're all stacked underneath that feeder.

[bowstring snaps] [hog squeals] We got him.

A ten ring.

It just ran off into the woods here to the right of us.

Give it a few minutes.

Should be a easy track.

I love archery, so I'd rather hunt anything with a bow.

Is it as easy to do?

No.

Is it as efficient to do?

No.

But it's more fun to do.

So that's my preferred method to take.

[leaves and twigs crunching] We got a stuck pig, little baby boar.

Definitely happy we got it.

Get it cleaned.

Get it skinned up.

Get it cleaned up.

It's gonna be a good eater.

[upbeat music] - They're great eating.

Phenomenal eating.

The key is the cleaning.

I was raised on deer and hog meat.

We didn't eat beef.

We didn't eat goat.

We ate deer and hog meat.

And I love eating wild hog as much as I do venison or beef.

It's all in the cleaning though.

I find that 90% of people that don't like wild meat, it's 'cause it wasn't cleaned properly.

That's some pretty clean, almost white pork.

It's good and lean but got lots of flavor.

[upbeat guitar music] We've been probably doing it 40 of the 42 years.

We're cooking up some wild hog and then we throw in a little hot dogs and chicken for people who don't wanna eat it.

[laughs] Not everybody loves it, but most everybody loves it once they try it.

If anybody ever wants anything to do with taste, all kinds of wild hog from chili meat or chili wild hog chili to carne guisada, to hog enchiladas, you name it, you can find it out here.

Somebody is cooking it, you know.

It's a great place to come and find out if you want, if you like to eat it.

And then from there, you can always find places to hunt 'em and get 'em from.

That's what it's all about, the fun and the camaraderie and just having a good old time.

[birds chirping] [upbeat music] - ANDY: The Hershey Ranch is in a wonderful part of the Hill Country.

It's in the alluvial plain of the Pedernales River, so there's a considerable amount of deep soil on it, but it also has the hills like we normally think of, and so it's very diverse.

It has a number of very healthy meadows, which in good years are spectacular with wildflowers.

- What I enjoy most about the property is the peace and quiet and being out in nature.

I grew up as a city girl and now I'm happily a country girl.

[Nona chuckles] [upbeat country music] - The conservation focus here at Hershey Ranch is first and foremost restoration.

And second, it's holistic, so that it is aimed at restoring the entire ecosystem, not exclusively for one species or another.

- JOYCE: Let's go look at some brush, Andy.

- ANDY: All right.

[gravel crunching] One of the things that is challenging about this type of work is that you don't get finished.

And so to get to a point where you can actually see the results is hard to describe in terms of its satisfaction.

- Looks like we have some pretty good grass recovered.

- ANDY: Yeah, yeah.

- JOYCE: Maybe we should check that out.

Just by the walk in the pasture that I've been doing, I can see a lot more diversity in this habitat than was here before.

Huge bunch grass.

Great value.

Quail nesting cover.

Turkey nesting cover.

- ANDY: Yeah.

- When we see a habitat that is functioning properly, that's an awesome thing to see.

This ranch has been overgrazed for many years.

And so the whole entire management process has been a restoration effort.

And they've done a tremendous job doing that.

- I'm really glad to hear that we're making some progress.

- Absolutely.

You're creating an ecosystem here.

You're improving this habitat.

And you've done it for a long time.

- I don't think I would have been able to do it without folks like you that have been there all along.

- JOYCE: That's our job.

[Andy chuckles] [upbeat music] [birds singing] - COMMUNITY MEMBER: What also sets Andy and Nona apart is that they've been so inviting to the community to come and see the examples that they provided through their stewardship, through their management, but also to provide an opportunity for folks to get their hands dirty through workshops, and taking that knowledge home with them.

- We want to do the land right.

And if we do the land right, that becomes some byproducts, as we talked about earlier.

Healthy grass, diverse grass, healthy animals.

And it's just that cycle that keeps on going.

We always want to be adaptive in our grazing.

We want to give the cattle exactly what they need.

- ANDY: So it was very, very severely overgrazed when Nona and I became responsible for it.

We removed cattle from the ranch and kept them off for about 10 years until the ranch really recovered.

And so now the only grazing that takes place here is regenerative grazing, which is designed to mimic bison.

- Andy's been a leader in the conservation spaces of Texas for decades.

And a lot of that work has been administrative in nature.

The Hershey Ranch and his management of it has been his opportunity to apply that administrative knowledge to on-the-ground results.

[engine rumbles] He is so busy on the ranch.

And over these last 10 years, I've seen him dirty, I've seen him on the ground, I've seen him bleeding.

He's poured his soul into the stewardship of this place so it can be that shining example.

[upbeat music] - We've cleared over a thousand acres of cedar, but it comes back.

And so part of my daily routine out here is to try to make sure I catch as many of these resprout cedars as I can.

Alright!

We did it!

[Andy laughs] [upbeat music] - NONA: I just wake up every morning and thank God that I am blessed with being in this place.

We love to sit and watch the birds.

- ANDY: It's nice to feel a little breeze.

Life is good.

- Life is real good.

[Andy laughs] Cheers to a great day.

- Cheers.

Doing the right thing is not easy.

It involves considerable sacrifice.

The right thing is synonymous with stewardship.

And stewardship is care; care of the landscape itself, care of fish and wildlife that are here, and most importantly, understanding that everything you do here will primarily benefit future generations.

[upbeat music] - NARRATOR: Next time on Texas Parks & Wildlife... - I primarily focus on the invertebrates.

Little small critters.

You might think of some alien creatures.

Pretty much right on the head.

- It's just about any place you can go on this ranch-- wildlife can find good habitat.

- I love it in the spring when I'm out here turkey hunting and everything is quiet and just the nature is speaking.

[theme music] - NARRATOR: That's next time on Texas Parks & Wildlife.

[birds chirping] [wind blowing] [birds chirping] [wind blowing] [birds chirping] [wind blowing] [birds chirping] [wind blowing] [birds chirping] [birds chirping] [wind blowing] [birds chirping] [wind blowing] [wind blowing] [birds chirping] [wind blowing] [birds chirping] - NARRATOR: The Texas Parks and Wildlife Television Series is supported in part by Texas Parks and Wildlife Foundation -- conserving the wild things and wild places of Texas, thanks to members across the state.

Additional funding provided by the Toyota Tundra.

Your local Toyota dealers are proud to support outdoor recreation and conservation in Texas.

Adventure-- it's what we share.

Funding also provided by Academy Sports and Outdoors.

Helping hunters, anglers, and outdoor enthusiasts of all ages get outside.

Out here, fun can't lose.