Feral Hog Hunting from Hot Air Balloons? It Could Happen in Texas This Year

The feral hog population continues to rise and Texas is still trying to figure out how to deal with the issue. For instance, we wrote about Texas planning to use pesticides to lower the feral hog population in February. Because let's face it, these hogs do a lot of damage to farmers and families, tearing up yards and ruining crops like clockwork.

But a new bill (House Bill 3535) has been introduced that would allow feral hog hunters to take aim from hot air balloons, according to the Texas Observer. The article mentions the "pork chopper" bill, which permits Texans to hunt feral hogs from a helicopter. The only issue here is, it's not that easy to shoot from a helicopter.

Republican State Representative Mark Keough says hunting from helicopters is not effective enough to make a difference in the hog population. The Observer also noted that it can cost up to $3,000 to hunt from a helicopter - another reason why this method proved ineffective.

But consider a hot air balloon chase. How SLOW would that be? You'd lose your target in seconds! So again, this may just be another Texas hunting novelty, but I sure am entertained with some of the ideas lately. What's next? Drone missile strikes launching 'The Mother of all Hogs"?

If the bill is turned into law, Wide Open Spaces says Texans could start hunting from hot air balloons as soon as September 1.