Guys,

Am headed to Texas for Labor Day to hunt piggies on a friend's place near Dilley.

Last year I noticed that a license was not required if the landowner certified hog predation. Can't locate that this year. Been changed?

(I am aware that the "Special License" will cover pigs otherwise.)

Going to be in the Houston area for a couple of more weeks after the Dilley hunt. If anyone wants some help reducing the hog population please let me know

Yes the TPWD change the rules of hunting pigs and now require a license to hunt them. The non game species license is all you will need and remember to get the 2009 season license if you get here before September 1. You can still get a depredation waiver but I would advise you to just get the license to avoid unnecessary hassles.

Heading to Dilley (Southeast of Dilley just north of Los Angeles) next weekend to complete painting the lodge and of course chase pigs. We have shot 142 pigs this year with our group alone. Probably over 250 pigs have been killed there this year by all hunters.

Harold,

Is the piggie population good this year?

My buddy has been busy with work and there's not been much hunting there this year.

Thanks!

It is where we have been hunting. We have also taken some of our biggest boars this year. They have had some decent rain over the last month and with the TS in the gulf may get some more. This has kept the forage up and all the animals in South Texas look healthy. Good luck next month. I'll post up on our trip and hopefully have some video. Our last trip the hogs had gone nocturnal because of the heat and may be the same next weekend. Nearly all pigs were shot at or right after dark.

Depending on how long you are going to be in Texas for the hunt, or how many times you plan on coming back, you have two options at least as far as licenses are concerned for hunting feral hogs.

Non-resident Special Hunting (Type 107): $125
Valid to hunt: Exotic animals, all legal game birds (NOT VALID FOR TURKEY), all nongame animals, squirrel, javelina and alligator (not valid for other game animals, NOT VALID FOR DEER). Stamp endorsement requirements apply.

Non-resident 5-Day Special Hunting (Type 157): $45
Legal for any period of 5 consecutive days (valid hunting dates will be printed on the license when issued). Valid to hunt: Exotic animals, all legal game birds (except turkeys), all nongame animals, squirrel, javelina and alligator (not valid for other game animals, NOT VALID FOR DEER). Stamp endorsement requirements apply.

If you will becoming to Texas muliple times during the year, the $125.00 license is the way to go.

If you are only going to be here one or two times during the year, the $45.00 5 day license is your best buy. JMO.

Mike:

As so often happens on the net, you have been given some false information. IN FACT, the regulations regarding hogs have been changed slightly, if my memory serves, they used to have to be "declared" as depredating hogs for you to hunt them. CURRENTLY FOR THE LICENSE YEAR 2008-09 it is

from Page 25 Texas Parks and Wildlife Outdoor Annual

"Exceptions: a hunting license is not required to hunt the following:

Coyotes, if the coyotes are attacking, about to attack, or have recently attacked livestock, domestic animals, or fowl.

Depredating feral hogs, if a landowner (resident or non-resident) or landowner's agent or lessee is taking feral hogs causing depredation on the landowner's land.

Fur-bearing animals, if the hunter possesses a trapper's license or fi the fur-bearing animals are causing depredation.

Note: All laws and regulations governing hunter education still apply."

End quoted text:

Since no hog, no how, no where, no way is on someone's land and not causing depredation, ipso facto, with the landowner's, or as above outlined, permission you can act as his "agent" and hunt FERAL HOGS without a license.

Gat,

That's what I remembered from the 2007-2008 regs, but could not locate on a fast scan of the current regs.

Thank you for the quote and page reference.!

Will spend a couple of weeks exercising the 9,3x62 and others ;>

Very much appreciate the info and the current conditions on the ground around Dilley. My landowner buddy reports he took a 225 pounder on Saturday and has seen a number to the moisture has been good enough for them.

I wouldn't rely on that either.........

If you are hunting on a ranch that is doing paid hunts for hogs, I would invest the $45 for the 5-day license. This discussion about depredation and hogs has gone on for several years and game wardens can go either way.

In this case, since you are hunting on a friend's ranch, you won't need the license for hogs.

Good Hunting,

Bob

Devil's advocate:
-If a hog is eating corn at a bait site, is he in fact "depredating"?
-If you're hunting on a fenced ranch that keeps hogs for hunting, they're probably not really "depredating," right?
-Like Bob pointed out, if you've paid to hunt, it might be hard to prove that you're the "landowner's agent" out shooting depredating hogs.

Now, if you're just visiting, and there are some hogs misbehaving on your pal's land, then I think you oughta whack 'em!

Question - are there any restrictions on meat recovery for "depredating" hogs? I'm fairly sure there's no requirement to recover the meat of a feral hog (non-game animal) at any time, but does the state preclude you from using it if the animal is shot purely because he was causing depredation? I know it seems an odd question, but you never know...

I pesonally would not want to argue the nature of my agency relationship with the landowner in front of the game warden in lieu of buying a license, but then I am more risk averse than most.

I'm a firm believer that game wardens are just as much required to follow the law as anyone else, and the law is VERY CLEAR as outlined above. A pay hunt is not included in that outline nor is a ranch that has hogs penned in for a hunting operation, otherwise any hogs are depredating, that's what hogs do. Since I don't have the potential problem, I really am not worried about it, but I'd go to court IN A HEARTBEAT if I was in the right. I hate junior Napoleons in any form.

I'll probably get a license as I'd like to hunt other things later in the fall ... but, my land owner friend is a member of the Texas Bar and he'd enjoy handling this one

Might almost be worth the hassle!

quote:

Originally posted by Gatogordo:

from Page 25 Texas Parks and Wildlife Outdoor Annual

"Exceptions: a hunting license is not required to hunt the following:

Coyotes, if the coyotes are attacking, about to attack, or have recently attacked livestock, domestic animals, or fowl.

Depredating feral hogs, if a landowner (resident or non-resident) or landowner's agent or lessee is taking feral hogs causing depredation on the landowner's land.
Fur-bearing animals, if the hunter possesses a trapper's license or fi the fur-bearing animals are causing depredation.

Note: All laws and regulations governing hunter education still apply."

[Emphasis added]

Look at the bold language. If you are not the landlord, not leasing the land, and not an actual agent (in the legal sense) of the landowner, how do you fit within the exception?

I am not giving anyone legal advice. You may never see the game warden, and if you do he may not care, but I like to keep my nose clean and I do not read this to give an out when hunting with a friend who owns the land. Of course, I have been wrong before.

I know a few lawyers myself and I doubt many of them think that saving $45 is worth the enertainment value of fighting a citation when you are aware of the possibility in advance.

Edit: You could always call Texas Parks & Wildlife and ask them.

Geesh, leave it to a lawyer to think that something so plainly written in a public document would encompass the legal definition of agent or agency. It does not.

However, as you suggested, to absolutely clarify the matter once and for all, I just got off the phone after calling TPW (800 792 1112)and received the answer, "if a person is hunting on land with the landowner's permission in order to control depredating hogs, then he is acting as his agent AND DOES NOT NEED A HUNTING LICENSE to do so." I questioned the agent term and she said, "Anyone acting with the landowner's permission to hunt depredating hogs IS AN AGENT."

If that is not definitive enough for anyone, I suggest they call TX Parks and Wildlife themselves.

BTW, just as one example of the jr. Napoleon complex, there is or was (dunno if he's still in this area or not) last year a local game warden who was telling people including a close younger friend of mine, that they could not drive around with a loaded rifle in their car or he'd ticket them (note, they were NOT carrying any kind of spotlight or smilar). I told them to tell the game warden that he was full of shit, and should be fired, that I drove to and on my ranch EVERYDAY with a loaded firearm on public roads and invited him to come ticket me. After a few phone calls, he was informed by Austin that not only was he wrong but that he could be subject to civil penalties since it was his obligation to know the law and threatening and interfering with law abiding activities of citizens was not his job.

I only know one way to read laws -- the way the judge will do it.

Glad you got the low down. Between your time and mine we chewed up the $45 though!

Send Mstarling a bill for both of us.

quote:

Originally posted by Gatogordo:
Send Mstarling a bill for both of us.

Fee-sharing arrangements are regulated by the State Bar. I can pass along your invoice though!

The State Bar is aptly named, have a drink there on me with my share.....

Just fuel for the fire, but on page 72 of the Outdoor Annual, it states under Exotic Animals:
includes but is not limited to feral hog,...
It is against the law to:
Hunt an exotic without a valid hunting license.