Helicopter...

If I were the manager of a large property, the only way I would bring in a helicopter is if the fencing around the entire perimeter was hog proofed (if there's a such thing). Then I would bring in the bird to wipe out the hogs inside the property. I have seen this approach successful in ridding the property of hogs effectively. So without the ability to keep the hogs from coming back, using dogs or flying a bird are only measures to mitigate the population.

There is undoubtable a cost vs value that property managers will decide upon their approach to mitigate hog populations whether it is to fly a bird or allow hog dogs. This depends greatly on the characteristics of the property. I don't believe there is any reason to get upset at using helicopters to kill pigs. The right to use dogs to hunt is a HUNTING RIGHT. Helicotors aren't threatening your right to use dogs to harvest pigs. For the majority, I would speculate that most hog doggers and the places they hunt will be uneffected.

I believe that some hog doggers get into the sport and believe that because hogs are destructive, they are the saving grace to all property owners. While evidence supports the facts behind hog numbers, destruction, and hog dog effectiveness, some hog doggers may become threatened by helicopters. Threatened because helicopters ARE more effective at elliminating hogs and defeat the self -asserted right that hog doggers are the saving grace.

So that leads to the insecurity question that what if hog dogging was left solely up to be classified as "sport" for havesting pigs. Would our right continue to exist? If helicopters came in and removed all the hogs off all the propertys that a hog dogger was hunting in a population mitigation position, and was left only the propertys that allowed the sporting havesting of pigs, could the hog dogger survive? The cost vs hunting/harvest opportunity would begin to take a toll on hog doggers when it actually starts to effect them. While I have not personally experienced any loss of hunting because of helicoptors, I would share on the support for other hog doggers who have. I believe that there are not enough hog doggers being effected to gather a non-supportive position towards helicoptoring that could mount agianst the reasoning for allowing helicoptoring in the first place.

Hogs can not be totally eliminated in Texas and everyone in Texas can not afford to fly a bird on their property, therefore, there is no true threat agianst our right to hunt hogs with dogs in the State of Texas. I am completely neutral towards flying a bird and actually only hope that one day I could be the trigger man...