Yeah the overpopulation of ground squirrels back in Cali is a big issue in many places, they carry fleas that carry plague, and degrade hillsides causing mudlsides too (personal experience with that). I always had great results with cheap and effective 22 LR hollow point. Our Beagle Rat Terrier mix was also an amazingly effective squirrel killer. In areas where they don't try to cut back on coyotes they do a pretty good job too.
In Texas now, and several detailed studies have shown that the Californians moving here are actually more conservative than the average native Texan. The biggest factor affecting a slight shift to the left is younger native born Texans. Go figure. Can't speak for Colorado of course. No surprise but in all states it is the big city folks that lean left. If you do a red/blue overlay of all states it is pretty obvious where the densely populated counties lean. Bat sh8T crazy folks in both parties these days make me not want to identify with any party right now.
Regarding feral pig population they used to fluctuate up and down a lot on our ranch, and many claimed it was due to "hog cholera" sweeping through and killing them off every decade or so. Just a possibility.