This is an archived article that was published on sltrib.com in 2017, and information in the article may be outdated. It is provided only for personal research purposes and may not be reprinted.
Tulsa, Okla. • Oklahoma could soon join Louisiana and Texas in allowing hunters to shoot feral hogs from helicopters.
The Tulsa World reports that aerial gunners are already used to help control feral swine in Oklahoma, but the work can only be done by trained, licensed contractors with support from the Oklahoma Department of Agriculture Food and Forestry.
Lawmakers are considering a bill to expand that to private operations. Under the proposal, landowners, companies and pilots would have to apply for a state license and be responsible for the activity.
But hunters on board the aircraft wouldn't need a license, nor would they have to provide their names to the state.
The agriculture department says its agents killed more than 11,200 pigs, mostly by air, last year.
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Information from: Tulsa World, http://www.tulsaworld.com