Feral hog hunting in Texas

[GreyGeek]

adapting what we've learned hunting feral animals in Afghanistan...


At the current cost of 60 cents per round, the rate at which they were shooting off rounds suggests that it is an expensive sport.

But, it seems to me that using that method to hunt pythons in Florida would be equally fun and useful.

[CitizenClark]

adapting what we've learned hunting feral animals in Afghanistan...

Which animals are those?

One of these?: http://www.outdoorlife.com/photos/gallery/hunting/2010/09/hunting-afghanistan

At the current cost of 60 cents per round, the rate at which they were shooting off rounds suggests that it is an expensive sport.

But, it seems to me that using that method to hunt pythons in Florida would be equally fun and useful.

I'm guessing that the helicopter operating time probably cost as much or more than the ammo.

[NENick]

Now that is just sweet.

[AAllen]

Yes it looks like a lot of fun.  But I wouldn't call it hunting, it's more varmit control.

[Chris C]

That would be a lot of fun and a heck of a challenge shooting out of the helicopter for the normal person too. 

[unfy]

I'm just drooling at all that bacon...

[whatsit]

Yes it looks like a lot of fun.  But I wouldn't call it hunting, it's more varmit control.

Certainly not sporting. From what I understand the helicopter companies have been given permission from some of the southern states to sell tickets to people that want to come and do this. The hogs are out of control and the states down there are getting wise and helping the land owners out by eradicating them. I also think hanging out of a helicopter and shooting a gun at a moving target would be a ton of fun -- I have a feeling the tickets are pretty pricey though!

I'm just drooling at all that bacon...

Ah yes, the bacon! A lot of hunters eat hogs and even more of them donate them to non-profits that use the meat to feed the hungry. From what I've heard, it's pretty impractical to recover the carcasses from the helicopter "hunts" though. What a waste of bacon... 

[shovelhead69]

Cool vid.

Unlike NE. OK and TX actually let you take on these pest. I hate the fact that we have to load up and travel that far just to hog hunt. If it wasn't for me having family and land in OK I wouldn't do it near as much.

Your right though that's not hunting it just rich people engaging in pest control. We either get paid by the farm/land owner when we go (they love what we do) or have people pay to come along with us on hunts. We use cur dogs to find them and a good strike (catch dog) or 2 to hold them, when we want to take them back alive to get ready for processing.

My family members also have people come from all over to try thier dogs out for the trail or the catch in  canned trials.

You better be in shape and you better have the right equipment because it gets kinda hairy at times lol!

[Burnsy87]

Why is it, again, we can't hunt hogs here?  I know I've been told, just don't remember the reason.

[M7025-06]

Why is it, again, we can't hunt hogs here?  I know I've been told, just don't remember the reason.

The State had a case where a guy down in Falls City was importing wild hogs with plans to start his own high-fenced hunting ranch.  I think in order to stop him, they made hog hunting illegal. 

A friend of mine shot a hog they ran across while deer hunting down by Republican City some years ago, called the game & parks, and got a nice ticket.

[SemperFiGuy]

Some time ago I discussed the feral hog hunting issue in Nebraska with an official of the NG&PC.

He told me that we civilians who might hunt wild hogs do not do so in a sufficiently well-thought out, efficient, organized manner such that the entire local herd will be wiped out in One Swat.

He said that we civilians go out and shoot a few hogs, widely disperse the rest of the herd,  go back home (to barbecue?), and leave the feral hog herd now scattered over a much wider area, thus to root their way to much wider harm.

I did not ask him to elaborate NG&PC techniques for lining the hogs up in a row and shooting them all at once.

Or packing them into a tight circle and taking them out with cluster bombs.

Or whatever other Hogicide techniques they might use.

I just listened politely and quietly to what he told me regarding the reason that NG&PC can shoot the feral hogs in Nebraska and we civilians cannot.   I did not even express my surprise or admiration that they have the resources to put together a Quick Response Hogswat Team to address this critical environmental problem on short notice.   While the hogs are all clustered together.   Before they run off somewhere else.   And widely disperse.

FYI,

sfg

[CitizenClark]

Some time ago I discussed the feral hog hunting issue in Nebraska with an official of the NG&PC.

He told me that we civilians who might hunt wild hogs do not do so in a sufficiently well-thought out, efficient, organized manner such that the entire local herd will be wiped out in One Swat.

He said that we civilians go out and shoot a few hogs, widely disperse the rest of the herd,  go back home (to barbecue?), and leave the feral hog herd now scattered over a much wider area, thus to root their way to much wider harm.

I did not ask him to elaborate NG&PC techniques for lining the hogs up in a row and shooting them all at once.

Or packing them into a tight circle and taking them out with cluster bombs.

Or whatever other Hogicide techniques they might use.

I just listened politely and quietly to what he told me regarding the reason that NG&PC can shoot the feral hogs in Nebraska and we civilians cannot.   I did not even express my surprise or admiration that they have the resources to put together a Quick Response Hogswat Team to address this critical environmental problem on short notice.   While the hogs are all clustered together.   Before they run off somewhere else.   And widely disperse.

FYI,

sfg

I just talked to a G&P biologist about this on Sunday morning after church. He said that the main reason that they don't allow hog hunting is that they don't want people organizing hunts and having a good time such that people might start trying to "manage" (rather than exterminate) the populations that occasionally find their way into the state.

[just_me_mongo]

It would be sweet if the G&P offered a reward for feral hogs taken.  A lil' incentive would go a long way 

[M7025-06]

The hog confinements would have to hire armed guards if they did that.   

[fishguy]

There are several businesses out there that advertise this. For 1200 bucks you get a 1 hour training session and an hour in the helicopter. Unlimited ammo with your caliber choice AR. I'll have to find the link... I'm pretty sure that would be a GREAT time.