3 ms·

I mean, it kind of is. As other comments have mentioned, most of Texas' population lives in large urban areas. Even though hogs are starting to show up in and

I mean, it kind of is. As other comments have mentioned, most of Texas' population lives in large urban areas. Even though hogs are starting to show up in and around cities (I have personally seen them right next to I-45 in The Woodlands/Conroe area immediately north of Houston), it's illegal to shoot them there. And there are only so many people willing to spend their own time and money to leave the city and go kill them. If we're talking straight theory (and this is HN so why wouldn't we), all it should take is enough predators to reduce/eliminate any given prey population to the desired number. The predator count that is needed could itself be reduced if more effective predation methods are available, but it's still a numbers game.

hnick 6y ago
> And there are only so many people willing to spend their own time and money to leave the city and go kill them. Have permits and bounties been discussed? It has backfired with cases like cobras in India, but I don't see such a risk here. I'm not always one to go for a market based solution but it looks like it could help here.
- cwcurrie 6y ago
  I'm not sure if Texas Parks & Wildlife has discussed bounties to encourage culling. Such a program would probably require increased taxes to fund, which is not likely to be popular... though with the apparent increasing coverage of the issue, maybe that wouldn't be a problem. If everyone is on board, then it's just a question of how much the people (read: the government) are willing to spend. I would also be concerned about unintended consequences, like you mentioned. I know for a fact that there are people today who, if they manage to trap the right pigs, would try to sell them. Their market would be landowners that offer canned hunts on a high-fenced property (say, $300 for a guaranteed large hog kill). Sure, the hog is still dead - but what if it breeds first? What if the piglets then escaped? Personally I'd feel dirty if I didn't cull the animals I trapped immediately, but if I were less financially secure, maybe not.
  - hnick 6y ago
    Gaming the system could be a problem but I think an equilibrium can be reached where the payoff is attractive but won't cause huge problems. If the boars are as destructive and dangerous as stated, it seems like a poor payoff to take a risk and corral them compared to more traditional farming/ranching. I'm guessing a real blocker is tax funding as you say. It is a little odd since solving this seems like it should be appealing to a wide range of people on the political spectrum for various reasons.
    - cwcurrie 6y ago
      Agreed. It's clearly a known problem in the state legislature, as they specifically removed the requirement to have a hunting license on private land for feral pigs. I hope they're at least considering adding incentives.

hnick 6y ago

> And there are only so many people willing to spend their own time and money to leave the city and go kill them. Have permits and bounties been discussed? It has backfired with cases like cobras in India, but I don't see such a risk here. I'm not always one to go for a market based solution but it looks like it could help here.

cwcurrie 6y ago
I'm not sure if Texas Parks & Wildlife has discussed bounties to encourage culling. Such a program would probably require increased taxes to fund, which is not likely to be popular... though with the apparent increasing coverage of the issue, maybe that wouldn't be a problem. If everyone is on board, then it's just a question of how much the people (read: the government) are willing to spend. I would also be concerned about unintended consequences, like you mentioned. I know for a fact that there are people today who, if they manage to trap the right pigs, would try to sell them. Their market would be landowners that offer canned hunts on a high-fenced property (say, $300 for a guaranteed large hog kill). Sure, the hog is still dead - but what if it breeds first? What if the piglets then escaped? Personally I'd feel dirty if I didn't cull the animals I trapped immediately, but if I were less financially secure, maybe not.
- hnick 6y ago
  Gaming the system could be a problem but I think an equilibrium can be reached where the payoff is attractive but won't cause huge problems. If the boars are as destructive and dangerous as stated, it seems like a poor payoff to take a risk and corral them compared to more traditional farming/ranching. I'm guessing a real blocker is tax funding as you say. It is a little odd since solving this seems like it should be appealing to a wide range of people on the political spectrum for various reasons.
  - cwcurrie 6y ago
    Agreed. It's clearly a known problem in the state legislature, as they specifically removed the requirement to have a hunting license on private land for feral pigs. I hope they're at least considering adding incentives.