Meet the Family

Lifelong Texan Jerry Campbell has been in the hog hunting game for over half a century. He's twice held the Texas record for largest hog and lives by the motto, "the three most important things in life are good dogs, good horses, and good women." He perfected his trade with the Department of Interior as a federal hunter, responsible for eliminating problem animals that were killing livestock, and now makes his money dealing with Central Texas' exploding wild hog problem. Jerry's crusade to protect people and property in these hog-ravaged lands has kept many local farms and ranches in business, but the lifelong battle has left him scarred. Gored on more than one occasion, Jerry's years of hog hunting have taken their toll and he knows the sun is beginning to set on his legendary career. Now hunting alongside his kids, Jerry has much to teach, but his old school ways aren't always in tune with Krystal and Robert's new school approach.

Robert Campbell's vast knowledge of hogs, dogs, horses, and hunting comes from years of working the field along side his dad. Like Krystal, Robert was raised in the family business, but after finishing high school he left the Campbell home to cut his teeth managing a 100,000-acre ranch. On his own, Robert spent years refining the hog hunting fundamentals his father taught him and, in the process, learned some tricks of his own. A handyman and tinkerer, Robert's as quick with a welding torch as he is with a rifle, and when he's not hunting he's busy creating the next tool or trap for an upcoming job. Now, back home after years on his own, Robert's trying to take the Campbell family tradition to the next level, but wrestling the reigns from his legendary father won't be easy.

Krystal "Pistol" Campbell is a modern day cowgirl. Truly her father's daughter, this Texas beauty isn't worried about breaking a nail when it comes time to wrestle down a 300-pound hog. A former pageant queen, Krystal once vied for the title of Miss Texas, but in her hot pink chaps she does a lot more than just look good. With a six-shooter on her hip, Krystal hunts, rides, and ranches with the best of the boys, and has done so since her first hunt at the age of three. For twenty years she's been learning the finer points of hog handling from Jerry and now aspires to turn the family affair into a full-fledged business. Krystal knows her Campbell bloodline means she has the goods to get the job done, and she's not afraid to straighten out the old-school cowboy from time to time.

It takes some kind of woman to wrangle a house full of cantankerous cowboys, so it's a good thing that Kathie Campbell is up to the job. You may not catch her on the hog hunts - the closest she'll get to a horse is running around town in her mustang convertible - but she's got her hands full as the glue that holds the family together. Without her, the strong personalities and generation gap might just have Jerry and the kids warring with each other instead of the hogs. An overseer and confidant, the Campbell clan's battles are frequently settled in Kathie's court. On the job Jerry may be boss, but at home it's Kathie who rules the roost.

Lea Penick isn't a Campbell, but according to Jerry she'd make a fine addition to the family. An accomplished horsewoman and Campbell family friend, Lea's claim to fame is a knack for riding horseback. A competitive barrel racer, Lea's horse handling skills are some of the best in Texas, which comes in handy when you're chasing a herd of wild hogs. For Lea, hunting is a part of her family heritage and a way of life. Whenever the terrain calls for it, or a job is just a bit too big for one family to handle, she's always ready to bring a steady hand and stable of horses to bear when the hunt needs a leg up. Or four.

The Campbell ranch is home to a variety of purebred and mixed hunting dogs. Jerry’s favorite breed for catching hogs is the Walker Hound: “I’ve been fathering a pack of hounds since I was twelve years old. I’ve worked with thousands, but the best hunting dog I’ve come across is the Walker Hound. They’re a derivative of the American Foxhound, which George Washington helped to perfect. The Walker Hound is the quarter horse of the hound breed.” The newest addition to the Campbell household is Doce, a Blue Lacy Game Dog, also known as a Lacy Hog Dog. Lacys are intelligent, intense, active and alert. Originally bred to work with feral hogs, Lacys’ natural herding instincts make them an excellent all-around working breed for ranchers, cowboys, hunters and trappers. The decline of the family-owned ranching industry, as well as the introduction of technology such as all-terrain vehicles, has brought the Lacy breed near extinction. However, their rediscovery as a masterful hunting companion has dramatically increased the demand for Lacys. They are now the most common breed used by United States Trappers and are the official Texas State Dog.

These aren't your average piggies. These wild boars are a mix of domestic hogs and non-native Russian boars. They can weigh up to 400 pounds and are not afraid to attack humans. There are three million of these snorting monsters roaming the state of Texas. That's roughly half the total boar population of North America. Their habit of rooting through farmland costs Texas $50 million a year in damages. And, just to make things more exciting for the Campbell family, these boars live among some of the highest concentrations of poisonous rattle and copperhead snakes in all of Texas. Yikes.