From The OUTDOOR HUB:

Texas’ “Hogs-by-Helicopter” Law is a Booming Success

State lawmakers around the country seeking to lead their constituencies out of economic woe may want to make note of a new Texas law that’s having very positive financial effects for the state. The law allows landowners to sell permits for taking invasive and destructive feral hogs via helicopter and is being lauded as a huge success. The writer of the bill, Representative Sid Miller (R – Stephenville), said the law is a “win-win-win,” because of the positive results it is producing for all stakeholders.

“Farmers and ranchers are going from having the expense themselves to making income from it,” said Miller in an interview with The Dallas Morning News.

Since the bill was signed into law in September 2011, Texas Parks and Wildlife Department (TPWD) has issued 97 aerial-take permits, according to Harmony Garcia, who is in charge of issuing permits for the department. Twenty three of the 97 permits were to new holders. The permits are officially termed “Aerial Wildlife Management Permits” issued for the purpose of managing destructive species and the TPWD makes an effort to specifically note that aerial sport hunting of animals is illegal under state and federal law in an FAQ on the department’s website. There have been 1,716 authorizations issued to landowners to allow the excursions, 1,422 of which were probably for the purpose of controlling animals like hogs.

Participants are paying about $300 per hour for a seat in a helicopter to take feral hogs. The expeditions typically last three to five hours.

Farmers and ranchers were among the group of people most excited about the new law. They were the ones whose had land torn up, crops eaten, seeds uprooted and more by a rapidly growing population of feral hogs. These mostly-nocturnal hogs could potentially cause thousands of dollars in damage and ruin crops within one or two days.

Previously, landowners had to spend their own money to hire a helicopter company to eradicate the beasts. They also had to pay for a licensed pilot and shooter to be on board the flight. Now, in-state and out-of-state persons with permits from TPWD all have a shot at the quickly-reproducing hogs.

Still, hogs reproduce so quickly that this new law is just one more measure among many to keep the population down, and not an end-all solution.

The hogs “are so prolific that if you go and kill most of them in a specific area and come back in about six months, they have repopulated,” said Jim Barnhill, a coordinator between landowners and helicopter companies. “They just grow exponentially.”

Nevertheless, it’s one method for helping to control the invasive species that has positive economic effects for the state and its citizens.

Also, operators have started offering/been offering hog hunts using. night vision and black light technology. It is bringing money into the state and local economies, and it is helping gain control of a real ecological disaster as far as the states wildlife and plant communities are concerned.

I'd like to know where they are getting a helicopter for $300 per hour. $550 an hour has been the going rate for several years. If any landowners are making money off of this they are few and far between. But it is the most fun you can have with your pants on.

quote:

Originally posted by M16:
I'd like to know where they are getting a helicopter for $300 per hour. $550 an hour has been the going rate for several years. If any landowners are making money off of this they are few and far between. But it is the most fun you can have with your pants on.

That's what I was thinking as well....I recently saw a 5 hour helicopter hog shoot advertised for $2,500. That sounds more realistic.

We had a pilot come to the ranch for $500/ hour but it was well worth it. Definantly an experience of a life time!!

How many shooters per helicopter?

1 it was just a 2 seater like a bubble with with a rotor

quote:

Originally posted by aoudadhunter:
1 it was just a 2 seater like a bubble with with a rotor

An R22 ?

One of my TX friends has done a helicopter hog hunt. Said it was a blast. I think he said he killed 18 in 1 hour. They shot a modified AR-15.

How about re-introducing Jaguars back in Texas? Thery'll keep the population down.

This way, the pigs will need to be protected too cuz they will feed the Jaguars!

Won't work, too many cattle and horses in Texas. Between Beef/Horse and pig, pig is a really distant 3rd. place finisher. plus there is a slight problem with about 30 million humans and their tasty pets to be considered.

I'm not from Texas nor do we have any hogs around where I live but wouldn't trapping be much more effective than hunting to get rid of the hogs? I would think a simple pen style trap with a one way door could do more in one week than a group of hunters could do in a year at reducing the number of hogs.

Do the landowners really want the hogs elliminated or do they like the income it provides from selling hunts?

Trapping, while effective is only so effective, pigs get wise to ther traps.

Landowners appreciate the income from selling hog hunts. they do not appreciate the amount of damage pigs cause, and that damage is not just confined to crops and fences. Hogs kill and eat fawns, destroy turkey and quail nests, and will if given the opportunity, eat wounded deer and other game. Plus they carry Brucellosiss/Psuedo-Rabies and other diseases.

shooting them from helicopters or with night visision equipment on the ground are the only effective means of reducing their numbers.

From the information I have gathered over the years, biologist theorize that 60% of the herd would need to be removed annually to keep some kind of control on their numbers.

KILL THEM ANY WAY YOU CAN!!!

Where did all of those hogs originally come from?

How did this get to be such a problem, so quickly? I don't recall hearing about hogs being an issue 15 or 20 years ago, why now?

Maybe the most interesting question, as asked in an earlier post is:

quote:

Do the landowners really want the hogs elliminated or do they like the income it provides from selling hunts?

Is this a Texas concept? Years ago, I was hunting in northeastern Montana. While at a gas station I mentioned having a couple of unfilled doe antelope tags. A wheat farmer overheard me and said "you wait right here" and went out to his truck. He came back with directions to his place and a signed trespass permit. His only request was that I "find an empty semi trailer and don't stop shooting those !@#$ antelope until it's full." No money involved at all.

Without a doubt if I wanted to shoot a trophy buck on his place I'd have had to break out my wallet - if I could get access at all. But this farmer was serious about reducing the number of antelope doing damage to his crops. (And, yes, I was able to help him out.)

Shooting hogs sounds like a lot of fun but it's a bit strange to have to pay for the privilege of doing what amounts to pest control. (By that I mean simple access to the property, not the helicopter and specialized weaponry.) It would seem that if the hog problem is really as serious as it's being made out to be the landowners would be happy for any help they could get, any way they could get it.

Have you ever hunted in Texas?

quote:

Have you ever hunted in Texas?

Nope. New Mexico is as close as I ever got. That's why I'm asking questions.

If you will read, you are getting answers. If you do not want to read, here is the short version. I grew up in North Texas, and 40 years ago, hogs were localized in certain pockets of habitat.

About the time land owners started managing their lands for game instead of livestock, hog numbers began to increase. At the same time, quail numbers began to decrease.

As the habitat changed to produce more deer, the hogs benefitted. As more people began to supplementally feed the white tails the hogs reaped the benefits.

Does that clear things up just a little??? I am not meaning to ne an ass about this, but there are definite factors as to why the hog population increaserd so rapidily, and one of them is the changes in the way land was being managed.

quote:

Originally posted by larryshores:
One of my TX friends has done a helicopter hog hunt. Said it was a blast. I think he said he killed 18 in 1 hour. They shot a modified AR-15.

My best shoot was around 35 in one hour. I was shooting an M16. Full auto is the only way to go.

quote:

Shooting hogs sounds like a lot of fun but it's a bit strange to have to pay for the privilege of doing what amounts to pest control. (By that I mean simple access to the property, not the helicopter and specialized weaponry.) It would seem that if the hog problem is really as serious as it's being made out to be the landowners would be happy for any help they could get, any way they could get it.

Shooting hogs from a helicopter has been legal for a long time. The only thing that changed is that the landowner can now charge. We had several large ranches that would let us shoot their hogs if we payed for the helicopter. I haven't done it in a while so things have probably changed.