Hog hunting from balloons

[Lynyrd]

I have flown in a hot air balloon. I remember it being very, very quiet except for the dogs barking. If I remember correctly, the pilot said he thought the sound of the propane burner makes had some high frequencies in it that really stirred up the dogs. I don't know if hogs would also be able to hear that or not, but if they did they would probably run out of range very, very quickly. At least with a helicopter you can change directions and follow them. A balloon is going to go which ever way the wind blows.

[ELB]

Wonder if they are talking about tethered balloons...

That's what I'm thinking. Would be like a REALLY TALL tree stand.

[flechero]

My Sister and BIL bought land up by Salado. There is a helicopter hog service close by. The last time they were at their property they found 15 carcasses . They don't mind the killing of hogs while the land is not stocked with cattle. However, no permission has been asked or granted and hogs are left to rot.

You (they, rather) should contact the service- I used to know one of the pilots for a helo hog hunting service and they lease/ pay for permission to hunt over your property... your Sis & BIL have helo poachers if they are shooting hogs on their property with out permission.

[Lynyrd]

Wonder if they are talking about tethered balloons...

That's what I'm thinking. Would be like a REALLY TALL tree stand.

That might work.

[John Galt]

I'm thinking that the sound from the burner blast would put them on the run.

[ELB]

Found it. HB 3535. Oh, and coyotes.

A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
AN ACT

relating to the taking of certain feral hogs and coyotes using a hot
air balloon.
BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:
SECTION 1. Subchapter G, Chapter 43, Parks and Wildlife
Code, is amended by adding Section 43.1076 to read as follows:
Sec. 43.1076. USING HOT AIR BALLOONS TO TAKE CERTAIN
ANIMALS. A qualified landowner or landowner's agent, as determined
by commission rule, may contract to participate as a hunter or
observer in using a hot air balloon to take depredating feral hogs
or coyotes under the authority of a permit issued under this
subchapter.
SECTION 2. As soon as practicable after the effective date
of this Act, the Parks and Wildlife Commission shall adopt rules as
necessary to implement Section 43.1076, Parks and Wildlife Code, as
added by this Act.
SECTION 3. This Act takes effect September 1, 2017.

[Keith B]

I'm thinking that the sound from the burner blast would put them on the run.

That's my thought. I scare livestock and multiple forest creatures with the burner when down low.

[ELB]

I'm thinking that the sound from the burner blast would put them on the run.

That's my thought. I scare livestock and multiple forest creatures with the burner when down low.

Probably quieter than a helicopter though. Maybe not quite as fast.

[Keith B]

I'm thinking that the sound from the burner blast would put them on the run.

That's my thought. I scare livestock and multiple forest creatures with the burner when down low.

Probably quieter than a helicopter though. Maybe not quite as fast.

I have been known to sneak up on people and animals. I was flying one morning and I had not hit the burner for a while due to descending to land in a field. I came over a house and hit the burner to slow my descent and a lady walking on the sidewalk almost jumped out of her skin. However, once she realized I was landing in the field across the street she got super excited to see the balloon and was full of questions about ballooning.

[RSX11]

Legally it is the same as fixed wing; 1000 foot over congested, and 500 over sparsely populated. However, over areas where hogs would be hunted, the FAA never cares due to it being unpopulated.

Actually, for fixed wing aircraft, over sparsely populated areas or open water, you can fly as low as you want, but have to stay 500 away from any person, vehicle or structure. The law also says you have to maintain enough altitude to land safely in case of an engine failure, but, level flight over a flat field, that's only a few feet.

[CrimsonSoul]

Speaking of hog hunting. Do you think a 30-30 lever gun would make a good hog gun, and if so what type of ammo

[TXlaw1]

Thank you, ELB, for posting this text -

A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
AN ACT

relating to the taking of certain feral hogs and coyotes using a hot
air balloon.
BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:
SECTION 1. Subchapter G, Chapter 43, Parks and Wildlife
Code, is amended by adding Section 43.1076 to read as follows:
Sec. 43.1076. USING HOT AIR BALLOONS TO TAKE CERTAIN
ANIMALS. A qualified landowner or landowner's agent, as determined
by commission rule, may contract to participate as a hunter or
observer in using a hot air balloon to take depredating feral hogs
or coyotes under the authority of a permit issued under this
subchapter.
SECTION 2. As soon as practicable after the effective date
of this Act, the Parks and Wildlife Commission shall adopt rules as
necessary to implement Section 43.1076, Parks and Wildlife Code, as
added by this Act.
SECTION 3. This Act takes effect September 1, 2017.

I found it interesting that only a "qualified landowner or landowner's agent ... may contract to participate as a hunter or observer" using a hot air balloon. So it seems this is a very limited law that will only apply to landowners (or agents) on their own land being the hunter in the balloon. We'll have to see how the P&WC interprets this. Does not sound like helicopter hunting to me.

Because feral hogs are such a nuisance and their numbers are growing tremendously, I'd like to see the Legislature declare them to be a public nuisance that can be hunted at anytime and anywhere (with the landowner's permission) and without any charges being made by the landowners to the shooters. (They should be consider pest control exterminators rather than "hunters".) Seems many farmer and ranchers (at least in the Panhandle) realize the tremendous damage that they do to their crops and land but do not want to allow pest shooters to eradicate this public nuisance without charging them as though they were hunting as a sport. They want to have their cake and eat it too. I would be willing to shoot vermin to help the farmers and ranchers but I'm not going to take my time and effort PLUS pay them to do them a favor.

A few years ago we had a feral hog walk right along a main thoroughfare until it came to a playa lake developed as a public park in SW Amarillo where the police shot it. And about 5 or more feral hogs (a family?) came into the yard of a family in north Amarillo. A bunch of police with their AR-15's came in like a firing squad and opened fire simultaneously dropping them all. This is what I think needs to be done to help eliminate this public nuisance in the rural areas to prevent them from harming people and property in urban areas.

Just my $.02. YMMV.

[rotor]

Thank you, ELB, for posting this text -

A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
AN ACT

relating to the taking of certain feral hogs and coyotes using a hot
air balloon.
BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:
SECTION 1. Subchapter G, Chapter 43, Parks and Wildlife
Code, is amended by adding Section 43.1076 to read as follows:
Sec. 43.1076. USING HOT AIR BALLOONS TO TAKE CERTAIN
ANIMALS. A qualified landowner or landowner's agent, as determined
by commission rule, may contract to participate as a hunter or
observer in using a hot air balloon to take depredating feral hogs
or coyotes under the authority of a permit issued under this
subchapter.
SECTION 2. As soon as practicable after the effective date
of this Act, the Parks and Wildlife Commission shall adopt rules as
necessary to implement Section 43.1076, Parks and Wildlife Code, as
added by this Act.
SECTION 3. This Act takes effect September 1, 2017.

I found it interesting that only a "qualified landowner or landowner's agent ... may contract to participate as a hunter or observer" using a hot air balloon. So it seems this is a very limited law that will only apply to landowners (or agents) on their own land being the hunter in the balloon. We'll have to see how the P&WC interprets this. Does not sound like helicopter hunting to me.

Because feral hogs are such a nuisance and their numbers are growing tremendously, I'd like to see the Legislature declare them to be a public nuisance that can be hunted at anytime and anywhere (with the landowner's permission) and without any charges being made by the landowners to the shooters. (They should be consider pest control exterminators rather than "hunters".) Seems many farmer and ranchers (at least in the Panhandle) realize the tremendous damage that they do to their crops and land but do not want to allow pest shooters to eradicate this public nuisance without charging them as though they were hunting as a sport. They want to have their cake and eat it too. I would be willing to shoot vermin to help the farmers and ranchers but I'm not going to take my time and effort PLUS pay them to do them a favor.

A few years ago we had a feral hog walk right along a main thoroughfare until it came to a playa lake developed as a public park in SW Amarillo where the police shot it. And about 5 or more feral hogs (a family?) came into the yard of a family in north Amarillo. A bunch of police with their AR-15's came in like a firing squad and opened fire simultaneously dropping them all. This is what I think needs to be done to help eliminate this public nuisance in the rural areas to prevent them from harming people and property in urban areas.

Just my $.02. YMMV.

I guess that you could be a landowners agent with permission from the landowner to hunt. Considering that a balloon might drift over multiple properties I just don't see this as a reasonable way to hunt unless tethered. Right now I think you can hunt feral hogs anytime with landowners permission. I personally don't charge people for feral hog hunting on my property but I personally have to approve them and schedule their time so that nobody else is on the property when they are. If you shoot it though please take it with you. I can see though that property owners might want to charge as someone has to pay that property tax. Right now I pay it and it is not cheap.

[ScottDLS]

Is it legal to hunt armadillos? Do you need a license? They used to tear up my garden and lawn at night trying to get grubs, but I couldn't shoot them because I'm in city limits. They are dumb as dog mess. When I came out and ran at them they just looked at me. I got a metal rake and shoved them and they just stood there. Finally, I used a shovel and threw them in my neighbor's yard and they scurried off. From what I see on the roads nearby the preferred way of hunting them is via motor vehicle.

[rotor]

Is it legal to hunt armadillos? Do you need a license? They used to tear up my garden and lawn at night trying to get grubs, but I couldn't shoot them because I'm in city limits. They are dumb as dog mess. When I came out and ran at them they just looked at me. I got a metal rake and shoved them and they just stood there. Finally, I used a shovel and threw them in my neighbor's yard and they scurried off. From what I see on the roads nearby the preferred way of hunting them is via motor vehicle.

Don't physically touch an armadillo. They carry leprosy. They are amazing rototillers though but hogs are even worse. Texas just has so many wonderful critters. When I was in first grade in The Bronx 69 years ago we had an armadillo as a pet in our class. My body parts haven't fallen off yet so I guess it didn't carry leprosy. For whatever reason I haven't seem many armadillos in North Texas over the last few years. Maybe the hogs are eating them.