So even though the young ones bear a slight resemblance to lovable characters like Babe or Porky Pig, the hogs are the bad guys here and are treated accordingly. "American Hoggers" will not be included in any PETA gift packs this holiday season.
To some folks in New York, of course, this whole premise may sound like some kind of Wild West joke.
Domestic pigs either break free or are turned loose. Because pigs are smart, they quickly adapt to life in the wild and within a few weeks, they have become completely feral.
This means they live off the land. It also means they develop a bad attitude. Since they can weigh up to 400 pounds, with tusks, teeth and sharp hard claws, you don't just pick them up and tuck them under your arm.
The Campbells are hired by farmers, mostly, who are tired of losing big money from crops or livestock destroyed by foraging hogs. It's estimated feral hogs eat more than $50 million worth of crops in Texas every year.
With all that as premise, "American Hoggers" turns out to be a remarkably straightforward show, almost closer to a documentary.
The Campbells come in and assess the problem. They visit the areas of hog damage, look for tracks and figure out whether they can lay an ambush.
Hogs are fast as well as smart, however, so the Campbells' primary weapon is their dogs. Tracking dogs pick up a hog's scent and chase it down, driving it to someplace the Campbells can catch or shoot it.
As noted, we mostly see the catching here and watching the Campbells truss up even a small hog makes it clear just how strong and potentially lethal these guys can become.
The Campbells themselves are likable enough. Jerry is an old ranger, someone you can't imagine outside Texas, while Robert is serious about his job and Krystal has some flair.
She knows her way around a shotgun and she seems up for finding some fun in the job.
Watching "American Hoggers" might make many New Yorkers grateful the biggest thing they have to trap is a mouse.
dhinckley@nydailynews.com
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