Most of what you'll find before booking a guided hog hunt in Texas is a booking page: a price, a photo of a truckload of pigs and a button. What it rarely tells you is what the price leaves out, which license you need if you're paying for access, and why two hunts that both say "unlimited hogs" can cost very different amounts. Here is the math and the rule language, checked against Texas Parks and Wildlife (TPWD) and two outfitters' own published listings on November 6, 2026.
Gear that fits this hunt: a stiff-bladed skinning knife like the Mora/Frosts Skinning Knife #7146 or the Mora Hunting Skinning Stainless #14232 covers the cleanup if your outfitter doesn't process for you. We haven't field-tested either one; the picks come from specifications and the maker's design.
What the license rules actually say
TPWD's Outdoor Annual says it plainly: "No hunting license is required to hunt feral hogs on private property with landowner authorization," and "Hunter Education requirements apply." That language comes from a 2019 change (SB 317), which TPWD described in an August 2019 news release as covering residents and nonresidents alike, on private property only.
The same release adds a condition that matters for anyone booking a guide: if you pay or provide other consideration for hunting access, you still need a hunting lease license from TPWD, even on private land. The release is more than seven years old, and a guided package is paid access, so don't assume the no-license rule applies to your trip. Ask the outfitter in writing which license they expect you to hold, then confirm with TPWD before you go.
If you do need a general license, TPWD's license page lists the following fees, valid from purchase through August 31:
- Resident General Hunting License: $25
- Nonresident General Hunting License: $315
- Nonresident Special 5-Day Small Game/Exotic Hunting License: $48
The 5-day license is cheaper on paper, but we haven't confirmed that it covers feral hogs, so ask TPWD or your outfitter before you buy it. If you're also planning an out-of-state deer or hog trip, our out-of-state hunt packing checklist covers the paperwork side.
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What a guided hog hunt costs: two published examples
We're not quoting any booking-platform prices here. Instead, here are two outfitters' own listings on Guidefitter, opened November 6, 2026. Both show season dates that have lapsed (2023 and 2022), so treat the numbers as a picture of how pricing is built, not a current quote.
Texas Trophy Whitetails, Sonora (Hill Country). The listing shows $750 for a 3-day hunt, or $250 a day, with meals, lodging, guiding and one hog included. Extra hogs are $100 each. A 50% deposit is due at booking, the balance is due 30 days before the trip, and hunt packages are non-refundable (the listing says a replacement may be found). It states no guarantees on wounded game, and wounded animals are charged the same as kills. The license is not included, and the listing calls for tips of 10 to 15% of the hunt price for guides and $50 to $100 per guest for the cook.
Swamp Nasty Outfitters, Bonham (about an hour north of DFW). This listing runs $400 per person for guided hunting only, or $500 per person per day with lodging and meals, unlimited hog shooting and thermal gear. It states "WE DO NOT PROCESS" and offers a list of local processors.
Now run the numbers on the Sonora listing for one nonresident over three days: $750 plus a 10 to 15% guide tip ($75 to $112.50) plus a $50 to $100 cook tip comes to $875 to $962.50 before travel. Add the $315 nonresident general license, if your outfitter requires it, and that becomes $1,190 to $1,277.50. Add two extra hogs and it's another $200. The sticker price is only part of the bill: tips, a possible license and travel can add several hundred dollars.
What "included" really covers
The word "all-inclusive" shows up on a lot of listings, and the two above show how little it standardizes. Thermal gear was bundled into one price in the Bonham listing and is the hunter's job to bring in a lodge listing we opened on Captain Experiences. Processing is included on some trips and flatly refused on others. For instance, one lodge-style hog trip listed on the Captain Experiences Texas hog page (opened the same day) includes lodging, meals, guiding and cleaning, but lists your own guns, ammunition and any night vision or thermal equipment as the hunter's responsibility, and recommends a 20% tip. That page says its guides currently offer 42 hog trips in Texas, in formats from thermal to helicopter to multi-day lodge hunts, so the format matters more than the species.
Before you pay a deposit, get written answers to these:
- Is thermal or night vision supplied, rented or yours to bring, and is night hunting part of the price?
- How many hunters per guide, and how many hogs are included before per-animal fees start?
- Who processes the meat, and what happens to hogs you don't want to keep? Live transport or release of feral hogs is unlawful unless it follows Texas Animal Health Commission rules, per TPWD.
- Which license does the outfitter expect, and do they check it?
- What is the weather and cancellation policy, and is the deposit refundable?
Our piece on hogs at night in Texas, the law and the honest math goes deeper on thermal hunts, and the complete Texas deer guide is worth a look if you want to pair a hog trip with a deer hunt. If you'll be handling the animal yourself, a 6-inch skinning knife like the INOX PRO skinning knife or anything in our knives and tools collection is the part of the kit you don't want to borrow, and our field dressing and carcass rules guide covers the handling basics for deer. For a full list of the trips we track by species, see our Texas guided hunts and charters page.
Frequently asked questions
Do I need a hunting license to hunt feral hogs on a guided trip in Texas?
TPWD says no license is required to hunt feral hogs on private property with landowner authorization, and that hunter education requirements still apply. A 2019 TPWD release said that paying for access still calls for a hunting lease license. Ask your outfitter which license they expect, and confirm with TPWD.
How much is a Texas nonresident hunting license?
TPWD lists the Nonresident General Hunting License at $315 and the Nonresident Special 5-Day Small Game/Exotic Hunting License at $48, valid through August 31 of the license year. Confirm that the 5-day license covers your hunt before buying it.
Is a guided hog hunt worth it compared with hunting on your own?
If you have no private access, a guide supplies the access and local knowledge, and on some trips the thermal gear. The tradeoff is the all-in cost, which is the headline price plus tips, license and travel.
How far ahead should I book?
That varies by outfitter. Ask each one how far out they book and what their deposit and cancellation terms are, and note that the Sonora listing above wants the balance 30 days before the trip.
What should I bring?
Your rifle and plenty of ammunition, your license if required, layers, boots, a headlamp and a cooler if you plan to take meat home. Ask the outfitter what they supply.
Venator hasn't field-tested the gear mentioned here. Regulations cited from the TPWD Outdoor Annual, the TPWD hunting licenses page and TPWD's August 2019 news release, all opened November 6, 2026; outfitter figures come from their Guidefitter listings opened the same day and may be out of date. Rules change, so confirm with TPWD before you go.
