A bill that would allow night-time hunting of wild pigs in Oklahoma won approval in a state House committee this week.
House bill 1068, by Rep. Bobby Cleveland would allow for nightime hunting and headlight hunting of feral swine on private land, if the hunter has permission from the landowner and has registered with the Department of Wildlife Conservation.
“Oklahoma has a serious and rapidly growing feral hog problem,” said Cleveland, R-Slaughterville. “Not only are these hogs violent and dangerous to humans, but they carry disease and they destroy crops and farmland.”
The legislator said if the pigs have any redeeming qualities, it’s not aware of them.
“We need to use all the resources we have to get rid of them and this bill will help do that.”
The Samuel Roberts Noble Research Foundation estimates the feral hog population in the state is as high as 1.6 million with hogs verified now in all 77 counties. State Agriculture officials say the wild hogs can carry up to 30 different diseases.
The bill passed by the House Wildlife Committee on a 4-1 vote would also require the Department of Wildlife to develop an online permitting process for the nightime feral swine permit for private land. The bill heads to the full House for a vote.
