Written by Justin Park|
Last updated
For hunters, wild hogs are one of the few species that can be hunted year-round, providing a challenging hunt (and a chance to refill the freezer) in the off-season. For farmers, ranchers, and landowners, hogs can be a destructive nightmare, causing an estimated $1.6 billion in damages every year, according to surveys from the goverment's National Feral Swine Damage Management Program.
The survey also found that 63% of farmers in Georgia (among other states) reported feral hog damages and that the problem has "somewhat or substantially increased over the past three years." So it's perhaps no surprise that Georgia last week passed a bill liberalizing hunting rules on this invasive species.
The biggest change coming out of House Bill 946 is the ability to use drones for scouting for wild hogs. Flying drones, especially thermal drones, makes it far easier to locate groups of these secretive animals. They're also an incredibly helpful tool for recovering dead or wounded game.
The other big changes are legalization of trapping and allowing hogs to be hunted from vehicles on private land. Trapping, as this Outdoor Life article on the bill notes, is an important management tool when whole family groups are captured and killed.
Impact of Loosened Hog Regulations
The changes allow hunters and private land owners and managers more options for eliminating wild hogs in Georgia, catching the state up with Texas which already allows trapping, night hunting, and most available methods for culling feral hogs.
Hunting laws in Georgia were already liberal in many ways, however, with no bag limits and night hunting already legal, yet the hog population has continued to grow. The hunting law changes come paired with a recently approved state budget that earmarks nearly a million dollars for wild hog control, including an incentive program for landowners.
The long-overdue federal Farm Bill expected to be tackled in Congress soon currently lacks any funding for feral hog management, so states such as Georgia are taking the necessary measures themselves.
How to Hunt Wild Hogs on Private Land in Georgia
If you want to be part of the solution and have a good time doing it, consider securing a private land hunting lease in Georgia through HLRBO. Hogs are found in every county in the state and HLRBO has a strong presence with dozens of listings stretching from the Florida-Georgia border through to the Northern part of the state.
Justin Park is a Colorado-based writer, editor, and avid hunter with a passion for the outdoors. He contributes to leading publications such as GearJunkie, Popular Mechanics, Powder, and Men's Journal, and serves as Editor of Wild Snow. Park is deeply involved in conservation and recreation advocacy, serving as Chapter Chair of the Rocky Mountain Elk Foundation (RMEF) in Summit County. He also represents RMEF on a state recreation committee focused on proactively addressing land use conflicts.