Texas Gov. Abbott Signs Bill Allowing Hunters to Kill Wild Hogs Without a License

Starting September first anyone in Texas will be ableto hunt wild pigs without a license.

Wild hogs are causing major issues for farmers and native species in Texas. Hunters could already harvest them in any way possible including from helicopters and with machine guns, but that has not been enough to stop their explosive population growth. According the to TPWD there are currently over 1.5 million of these invasive wild pigs in Texas alone.

In order to combat the spread of these animals the Texas legislature passed a bill, which was signed into law by the governor, allowing anyone to hunt wild pigs with out a hunting license. That even extends to non-residents if they have land owner permission.

Here’s the text of the State Bill 317.

AN ACT
 
relating to the taking of feral hogs without a hunting license.
 
       BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:
 
       SECTION 1.  Section 42.002(c), Parks and Wildlife Code, is
 
amended to read as follows:
 
       (c)  A resident landowner or any person, with the consent of
 
the landowner,
 [the landowner’s agent or lessee] may take feral
 
hogs [causing depredation] on the resident landowner’s land without
 
having acquired a hunting license.
 
       SECTION 2.  Section 42.005(f), Parks and Wildlife Code, is
 
amended to read as follows:
 
       (f)  A nonresident landowner or any person, with the consent
 
of the landowner,
 [the landowner’s agent or lessee] may take feral
 
hogs [causing depredation] on the nonresident landowner’s land
 
without having acquired a hunting license required by this chapter.
 
       SECTION 3.  This Act takes effect September 1, 2019.