Texas House votes to let hunters go hog wild, shoot feral animals from helicopters

[rickyrick]

http://www.dallasnews.com/news/stat...wild-shoot-feral-animals-from-helicopters.ece

I thought they already did this.....but, here you go

 

[Double Naught Spy]

Previously, I do not believe they could rent out seats, but maybe somebody else knows better.

 

[Art Eatman]

This is what I call, "Because we can!" legislation. Think about it: Once it has been decided by the wildlife folks that some species is indeed a problem, what difference does it make how the species is dealt with? As long as the public is not endangered by the methods, who cares?

 

[markj]

I know 2 help pilots that live in my area one a ret Lt. Col. Marine pilot the other a life flight pilot so I bet they could get a person on a hog.....

 

[natman]

It's not hunting, it's pest eradication. Given how pigs procreate it's likely necessary, but let's call it what it is.

 

[Double Naught Spy]

It's not hunting, it's pest eradication.

The two concepts are not necessarily mutually exclusive and by law, you need a hunting license (unless you are the landowner). You may not want to call it hunting, but what folks consider to be "hunting" varies widely and it seems that more often than not, it seems that many hunters think that anything that eases the process makes it not hunting. I can recall some of the old gun rag articles on the use of telescopic sights for hunting making hunting not hunting, LOL. Hunting a baited area isn't hunting, but hunting a food plot planted to attract animals is, LOL.

This law isn't about hunting, however. It is about allowing the commercialization of selling/renting seats on helicopters for the process of taking hogs.

Whether or not the hunters wish to engage in eradication processes or in an attempt to take trophy hogs is another matter.

 

[rickyrick]

forgive my smart phones spelling and grammar

In the end its probably fun so its hunting. It's especially hunting if someone flops down a hole wad of cash to do it.

My endeavours are probably eradication attempts, I still call it hunting, because its fun to a point...I have to make it fun any way.... weather the pigs wind up in the stew pot or piled up in the bone yard to

 

[bamaranger]

retirement gift

Forget the party, the watch, the corny gifts, the hollow praise. All the young guys glad I'm going (4 yrs).

Sign me up for one of these flights and I'm happy.

 

[RangerHAAF]

I'd love to see this come to Georgia as we have a large problem with them in the southern part of the state. I would pay to ride in a helicopter and shoot them during the day. For me it's the end result not the method used that is important.

 

[AJG]

pricey!

Wow... with the price of gas going higher and higher... can you just imagine what the price of something like this will cost?

 

[RangerHAAF]

Shouldn't cost much with federal and state subsidies through the various departments of agriculture along with private customers paying their own way.

 

[Double Naught Spy]

Shouldn't cost much with federal and state subsidies through the various departments of agriculture along with private customers paying their own way.

Since the bill IS about private customers paying their way, it likely will be very expensive for private customers to play. Some of the expense might be offset by state or federal subsidies (but I don't know which ones apply to helicopter eradication of hogs), but then there is the who insurance issue for each of the clients. The chopper operator will need to have it and funding it will likely come from the client's fees. So more expensive to go shoot hogs from the air for the paying client.

 

[snipecatcher]

I have a farmer friend who hires heli pilots for this. He says that they have to fax a form to Texas Parks and Wildlife Dept. every morning, and cannot go out until they have written permission EVERY morning. Seems like they could just license pilots to do this and not have to deal with all the BS paperwork, but then it's the gov't...

 

[Double Naught Spy]

That is great on the tax form! Too bad it has to be done daily.

 

[JRP2]

im moving to texas

 

[rickyrick]

Come on all are welcome in Texas.....'cept fer pigs LOL

 

[Mausermolt]

in oregon and idaho it is illegal to hunt coyotes from an aircraft for "sport" unless your property (livestock) are in jepordy, making it not "sport". it sucks lol. i am a helicopter flight instructor. anybody know of any jobs in texas as a pilot for said hunts? ill do it for free!

 

[thallub]

TX has good hog hunting laws. Example: You can night hunt with a light in TX. Not so in OK. In the OK WMAs you are not allowed to use a centerfire rifle, shotgun slugs or even a muzzleloader in small game season. You have to use a rimfire rifle or a shotgun and small shot: There goes your hog hunting chances in small game season.

Then the OWDC hires helicopters to kill hogs in the WMAs. Go figure.

 

[rickyrick]

Like i had elluded to I have seen people doing this, I work in remote areas of Texas and have witness people shooting hogs and coyotes from choppers..... but I guess the difference is a known paid hunt, I am sure some people have paid to do it, probable under the table..