Published: May 15, 2009 11:22 am      

Feral hogs beware: lawmakers are gunning for you

AUSTIN (AP) — 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.