Posted: 8/17/2007 8:51:57 AM EDT
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Can you use a weapon mounted light in Texas? I am thinking about a scope mounted spot light for hunting pigs at night. Thanks as always |
Can be used on any non-game animal. The most fun you can have is a truck, 4 guys, 2 spotlights, 2 semi-auto or auto rifles and a bunch of hogs. 
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| Having a hunting license on you may be a good idea. Even though hogs are not game animals some wardens may give you some shit about it. It may be also be a good idea to call the warden ahead of time and tell him you will be spotlighting pigs, so when he gets a call from a nosy neighbor that someone is firing large caliber rifles at night he won't be heading your way to investigate. |
Actually, you do need a hunting license to shoot hogs, now. Unless its as part of a pest eradication program. There's still no limit or season. |
I swear I just read in the outdoor manual yesterday that one was not needed for hog hunting. |
They switched classification from "non-game" to "exotic." Look in the regulations pertaining to "exotics"... if you can find it. That TPWD website is very poorly designed. Like most of the laws it contains... |
TDPW says you need a hunting license to hunt hogs except when you are protecting your crops or livestock. |
Actually, you could even hunt deer or any other game animal with a belt-fed in Texas, no problem. Just as long as it's semi-auto and fires a center-fire cartridge. For "non-game" animals, any legal firearm is ok. Meaning suppressed, full-autos, etc... But, Hogs are not "non-game" anymore. They're "exotics." So I don't know how that would work... eta: I'm not a lawyer. but please, if you try any of this stuff, be sure to have someone recording the moment for the rest of us. |
If we're in red truck you can mount that 60 on the headache rack if you want to. |
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As far as hunting regs. If it is a nuisance animal, (beaver, feral hog, etc.) it's fair game without a lic.. If it is not screwing up hay fields, or crops of some sort you need a lic.. No limit on kills, nor on what type of firearm used. YMMV I had no idea they were changed over to exotics, guess it's something I need to look into. |
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Yep, they're changed over to exotics. I'd follow this rule of thumb -- If you're killing hogs on your property becuase they're tearing up your crops, pastures, cattle fences, etc. then you're okay. If you're going to someone else's property to hunt them for fun then you need a license. Technically if you're killing depracating hogs at the landowner's request, you still don't need a license. So let's say HKpre86 calls and says "The hogs are tearing up our horse pasture's, let's kill 'em." I grab my M16, htr4me grabs his M60, HK grabs his G3, and firebugfab grabs his AC556. We load up Red Truck with spotlights and cold ones, and none of us have hunting licenses. Technically we don't need them. But when Mr. Game Warden shows up, he may not see it that way. I think TPWD can sieze your car, guns, and firstborn for poaching. I'm not sure if that includes hunting without a license. Either way, we're looking a about $30 worth of fine malted beverage down the drain. Red truck is probably worth AT LEAST $400. And the combined values of our guns is somewhere in the $80K range. A basic hunting license is what -- $25-30? I buy one, just to be safe. |
So have we set a date for this? I'm in. Heck, I don't care if we don't see any hogs. I bet we will see some rabbits, armadillos, etc... If nothing else, there's always the very shiny aluminum shelled animal that is always abundant. (I have a lifetime combo, I'm safe) |
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Just an FYI, hogs being classed as exotics is nothing new. They have been classed as exotic for at least the past three seasons. Here is the exact sentence regarding whether or not you need a license to hunt them; "A landowner on their own land or their authorized agent is not required to have a trapper's or hunting license if these nuisance animals are taken while causing loss or damage to agricultural crops, livestock, poultry, or personal property. However, such animals or their pelts may not be possessed or sold. Note: All laws and regulations governing hunter education still apply." I think I would get a license just to be on the safe side even if I had proof they were destroying stuff, a basic resident hunting license is only $23 and that is more than worth it to cover your ass. |