From Savoia's post in the other thread....
Why such drastic action by state lawmakers? There’s a simple answer. These wild porkers are taking over the state’s agricultural land and are even moving into the outskirts of some urban areas. We’re talking millions of hogs here, not just a few thousand. Less than 10 years ago the estimate of the Texas feral hog population was 2.2 million and today it is over 4 million and climbing rapidly. Texans can brag that they have over half the feral hog population of the U.S. within state borders.
In Texas, feral hogs cause more than $400 million in damages to crops, fences, irrigation ditches, livestock, wildlife, golf courses and even yards each year. They carry a number of diseases, some of which are transferable to humans and livestock. Hog brucellosis, pseudo-rabies, tuberculosis, trichinosis, hog cholera, anthrax, tularemia, six varieties of stomach worms, Lyme disease—and of course fleas, ticks and lice—are all part of the package. And they almost breed exponentially.
Enter the helicopter. Of all the methods tried for control such as no season, no limit hunting, trapping and snaring, the helicopter and aerial shooting have proven to deliver the best results. As an example, ground hunting usually produces a kill of six to eight per hour or, at best, 60 hogs a day. Helicopter shooting, on a good day, could produce 30 per hour. Even with those statistics, aerial shooting for the past 12 months has resulted in an estimated kill of only 70,000 hogs, a drop in the bucket, so far. The new regulations should elevate that number.
Tec....if we were talking about Moose, Elk, Deer, Bear, Buffalo, Wolves perhaps....but when it is Feral Hogs....that is a different matter. These Hogs are Vermin...causing enormous damage and are out of control.
Each hog killed is recovered, butchered, and used as much as possible.
I love the usual anti-gun...anti-hunting approach to the responses....and usually so full of ignorance about the actual issues at hand.
Shooting from a helicopter is safe....both for the crew, shooter, aircraft when done with a modicum of commonsense. Have not the military been doing it for over fifty years now?
Mustering which is the flying most common to this Hog Hunting has its own share of crashes.....and the Robinson R-44 figures in more than a few as well. So it isn't the mere fact some guys hunting hogs have found themselves in the dirt or trees.
Unlike most in Europe (which includes the UK) are all about stopping others from doing something if one objects to it being done....rather than merely "not engaging in the activity oneself". That is perhaps a difference to those of us here on this end of the Saltwater Divide.
If the folks in Texas want to go Hawg Hunting in Helicoptes using machine guns and its legal....then fair dinkum for them!
I could happily engage in some Hawg Hunting that way....but will still reserve the old fashioned method for my Elk, Deer, and Beer hunting. I prefer to get out on foot and murder them by ambush which I guess is seen as being far more sporting. Granted...I am using a modern firearm with a telescopic sight rather than a spear or arrow but then is not all hunting a degree of barbarity? But then I see Slaughter Houses as being palaces of barbarity....despite enjoying that Hamburger, bacon, ham, steak, and chop!
As I said in the initial post....our gang of Huggy Fluffs would have to lodge their usual protests....and I see nothing has changed here.
The Farmers are feeding the Hawgs....yes....and in the same way of thinking... residents of the City of London are feeding Rats too I guess? Are Rats welcome in London? If so...why are there Exterminators specializing in Rat Removal? Do they relocate them or put them down?