Want to hunt hogs in Texas? You'll need to head for the skies.
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According to the Associated Press, Texas lawmakers just passed House Bill 3535, which approves the hunting of feral hogs and coyotes from hot air balloons.
So what's the point of hunting from a balloon? Some say increased efforts to lower the hog population by hunting have proven difficult. These careful critters have learned to quickly evade predators. Shooting hogs by helicopter has already been made legal, but the loud noise tends to scare pigs away quickly.
Earlier this year, Texas Agriculture Commissioner Sid Miller approved the use of a pesticide to lower the state's feral hog population. That drew mixed reactions from residents, many of whom were concerned over the effect the poison would have on the hog's ecosystem.
Read More: Texas Approves Use of Controversial Pesticide to Combat Feral Hogs
Why is hunting pigs so important? Texas researchers recently reported that more than 2 million hogs occupy 230 of Texas' 254 counties. And free-roaming hogs can do a lot of damage to local farms and properties.
Sure, this might be a safer and more successful option of help reduce the ever-growing feral hog population. But you can't say the mental image of a gun-toting hunter floating in a hot air balloon isn't worth a few chuckles.
This article was originally published in 2017.
