Yes and no. Hogs sort of fall into their own category, but you still need a hunting license to shoot them. Unlike coyotes, which you do not need a license to shoot. A landowner can get a depredation permit if he can show that the hogs are causing damage to his land and shoot hogs without a license, but he has to have that permit.
Just to complicate things, wild hogs are also classified the same as domestic hogs to eliminate the sale of them to hunting ranches and slaughter houses. People do it all the time, but if you catch a wild hog in a trap, you have to prove that it has all the shots that a domestic hog has if you want to sell it. The process, in my opinion, was created to eliminate any loopholes that people were using in selling wild hogs for profit and saying they were domestic pigs.
Even hiring a trapper to come in and trap them has issues. I don't know of anybody enforcing them, but I do know of some trappers that are trapping the hogs for free to avoid the regulations that come with the sale of wild hogs.
It really comes down to whether you think the risk of getting caught outweighs what you can make off of selling them. And if you have a Game Warden in your area that is looking for a reason to see what you are up to. The wardens have almost unlimited power, they can do pretty much what they want without a warrent. I try to avoid dealing with them and sure don't want one curious about what I'm doing.
In my years of hunting, I've been stopped and checked by them dozens of times. I've never been issued a fine or written warning, but have been advised a time or two that I was doing something wrong. There are too many laws to know them all and they hold all the cards.
Eddie
I gotta agree with a lot of this. I don't mess with a game warden. When a cop pulls someone over there is a good chance they do not have a firearm in the vehicle. When a game warden pulls someone over, there is usually a 99% chance there is a firearm in the vehicle, so they can be a bit edgy. Once they get to know you there is usually not a problem.
I think the official rule is to get a hunting license if you hunt anything in Texas. I guess a fishermen can make a point on why they need a license if they catch and release! But if hunting during deer season, with a rifle, and get stopped, and you say you are only hunting hogs therefor you have no license, you are probably hosed. If you hunt hogs at night, with a spotlight, running with dogs (all legal BTW), probably good to have a license and give the local game warden a call and let them know the area you are hunting (oops, shooting) in.
All the wildlife belongs to the state...just the way it is. But there are also open/closed/no seasons on wildlife. Shoot a robin, get caught, get a fine. I was on a Type I state hunt once in the Hill Country. Dude shot a rattlesnake, brought it back to show it off. Biologist saw it, not happy, called a GW, dude got a nice fine. Now do I kill snakes, yep, do I wave them in front of the state....no.
Selling wild pigs, around Elkhart...in the past 5 years, people will trap and sell feral hogs. Use to get a about a 50 cent or better a pound. I don't know about shots and stuff, my BIL sells cattle all the time and they don't ask about shots, etc. Which I've only seen him give the small herd (40) once in 8 years.
I think a GW might give you a pass on shooting hogs if he is familiar with the area and the problem with the hogs. Without a license that is.
But I do repsect the GW and his job. He is the only officer that can block a road, search your vehicle without a warrent. I always make sure my papers are in order!
