Legislators Approve Aerial Hog Hunting
Friday, May 15, 2009 | Updated 8:30 AM CDT
Wild hogs cause $400 million of damage each year in Texas.
The Texas House on Thursday tentatively approved a bill encouraging hunters to take on wild pigs from the air.
Rep. Sid Miller, R-Stephenville, said the measure would allow landowners -- who can get a permit to control feral hog populations from a helicopter -- to sell seats on the helicopter to some hunters.
The animals -- weighing up to 300 pounds -- destroy crops, trample fences and eat anything in their path.
Miller said his bill would allow landowners to recoup their losses -- and possibly make a profit -- while protecting their property from the hogs. He said more than 2 million hogs across Texas cause $400 million of damage each year.
Some detractors argued that allowing farmers to make a profit created a new area of sport hunting that was passed off as population control.
