Texas Measure Allows Wild Boar Hunting From Hot Air Balloons

AUSTIN, TX — Even the fertile imagination of Jules Verne, author of "Around the World in 80 Days," could not have conceived of this: The hunting of wild pigs from hot air balloons — a measure that actually passed muster recently in the Texas Legislature.

In the waning days of the legislative session late last month, lawmakers approved the hunting of feral dogs (and coyotes too, as an added value) from basket perches propelled through the air with propane exhaust.

Marauding packs of wild pigs have long been an Achilles heel for farmers, decimating crops and property as they wander the landscape to the tune of millions of dollars in property damage. Prolific breeders, the pigs have shown no signs of dwindling despite many incentives for hunters to shoot them.

For one thing, there's no limit to the number of pigs (or coyotes) that hunters can shoot dead in Texas. And Texas allows hunters the thrilling option of taking pigs down from helicopters, sparking something of a cottage industry among chopper providers.

The air balloon option is being viewed as a less expensive alternative to helicopter-aided hunts, and a flight less choppy (no pun intended) than one involving blade-and-rotor-aided transport. To be sure, helicopter hunts are pricey. One company offers a hunting package for two priced at $3,695, which includes two hours of flight time, safety course, semi-automatic gun rental and unlimited ammunition. Upgrade for a mere $395 per person and one can enjoy hunting from a helicopter with full-auto machine guns.

Texas lawmakers seemingly sensed the frustration of helicopter hunting — out of reach financially for the everyday wild pig hunter, too noisy of an option that tends to scare away porcine prey and too unstable as a hunting platform. Hence, the hot air balloon option was born in a bill that passed the state Senate last week.

Texas Agriculture Commissioner Sid Miller's controversial plan to allow the poisoning of feral hogs was recently scrapped, further inspiring lawmakers to float the idea of hot air balloon hunting as another option at eradication. Miller had proposed the idea as a way of curbing what he categorized as a "Hog Apocalypse."

Firearms in close proximity to propane tanks. Cloth balloons easily pierced by errant bullets fired by excited hunters. Wicker baskets as a sniping platform. Hunting nocturnal feral hogs in a mode of transport meant for daylight hours. The prospect of unforgiving, trajectory-altering wind currents.

What could possibly go wrong?

The bill now awaits the governor's signature to enact the measure into law.

>>> Photo credit: U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service