Mulefootedness is a genetic mutation that you can find in hogs very rarely. Descriptions of them go back at least as far as ancient Greece. However, at some point in the late 1800s, hog farmers realized that mulefooted hogs did not succumb to hoof rot as easily (from standing in muddy pens all day long) and started breeding for the condition. By the early 1900s, mulefoot hogs were considered a premier breed of hog, purportedly with superior meat taste (likely just marketing, LOL) and thought to be disease resistant. There were nearly 240 registered herds on record in the early 1900s. Eventually, the beef industry out competed the hog industry and pork declined in popularity and the demand for premier hog meat dropped. Nowadays, the mulefoot domestic breed is nearly extinct, though there are a couple of breeders still around. It has a certainly level of novel popularity for some ranchers.

The big question for me is why am I seeing so many. My guess is that I am seeing far too many for this to be genetic mutations that have popped up randomly. My guess is that there was one or more breeders in the area historically and that this trait is now present in the local feral population and so it shows up with some regularity.

I would also hazard a guess that mulefootedness probably occurs more often that most hunters realize, but the trait is subtle and if you aren't looking for it, you aren't apt to notice it.