A House bill filed by Jonesboro Republican Jack McFarland aims to allow nighttime hunting for feral hogs on private property at any time of the year. Similar legislation has been attempted in the past, but McFarland believes the problem has gotten worse and feels it would have more support this year.
“I believe we’ve worked out a compromise between the Louisiana Department of Wildlife and Fisheries, between the landowners, and everyone else involved. We’ve taken some of the complicated permitting process out of it,” said McFarland.
A hunter would need a basic hunting license and as well as permission from the land owner. McFarland says the bill would also extend to other damaging species.
“You still have to notify the sheriff that you are going to be harvesting, or attempting to harvest, a feral hog at night or a nutria or a beaver. If you do harvest one, you notify the sheriff that you did,” said McFarland.
McFarland says feral hogs will eat anything and have a negative impact of row crops as well as other wildlife, but adds the problem isn’t just limited to rural communities.
“When my colleagues that live in downtown New Orleans tell me that feral hogs are rooting up the flower beds in downtown New Orleans, I knew we have a feral hog problem now,” said McFarland.
