Hogs and helicopters, can I clear this up for you folks!

[A Guy Out West]

Not sure if this should be posted in this section because it’s not really about big game, here goes though. Over the last several years I have read where many of you are just sickened by the videos of people machine gunning hogs from helicopters. You spout it as barbaric hunting and unsportsmanlike etc. It is not hunting!! It is varmint extermination!!!!!!!!! I don’t believe there is any state where you can hunt anything from the air, not even in Texas. Many states do not allow you to even hunt big game on the same day you fly in a private plane. No state allows full automatic firearms for hunting big game, or even small game for that matter. The fact is that hogs in Texas and other places, cause extensive damage costing BILLIONS of $$$$$. Drastic measures have been taken to correct the problem. When you see hogs being shot out of helicopters, you are seeing varmints being exterminated. The guys doing it are not hunting, they are not big game hunters, they are people eradicating varmints. Full fing stop!!!!! Do you feel sorry when someone uses poison spray to kill a cockroach? Same thing. Don’t confuse exterminators with hunters.

 

[John Gryphon]

Choppers in Aus mow em down too Guy.

Among the targets are.

Camels
Goats
Pigs
Deer
Donkeys
Buffalo
Dogs
They do horses in some places also.

 

[Stalker62]

Over the last several years I have read where many of you are just sickened by the videos of people machine gunning hogs from helicopters.

I will (without recourse to CAPITALS - see what I did there) or lines of exclamation marks, calmly give my 2p worth.

I understand why it is necessary.
I understand that it is not hunting.





I don't understand why you would film it and show it to the world.

 

[Mike L]

3/10 for the rant, you could do sooooooooooooo much better.

 

[A Guy Out West]

I will (without recourse to CAPITALS - see what I did there) or lines of exclamation marks, calmly give my 2p worth.

I understand why it is necessary.
I understand that it is not hunting.





I don't understand why you would film it and show it to the world.

Totally different issue. I personally don’t like watching any animal being killed, even if it is proper hunting. The issue is that people need to stop thinking of hog eradication as hunting.

 

[John Gryphon]

When the numbers are huge then the shooting begins and is a far better option than using poisons.
Some of those TX places are over run with pigs,amazingly so considering those good old TX boys are armed to the teeth!

A snippet re buff here

By the 1980s, the buffalo population had exploded, reaching an estimated 350,000. With the risk of a brucellosis or tuberculosis outbreak that could have had lethal implications on the growing beef cattle industry, the Northern Territory government issued an aerial cull on water buffalo, killing over 200,000 animals between 1979 and 1997. Since then, the population has once again spiked, as the water buffalo continue to flourish in their environment. The current population is said to be around 200,000 animals.

 

[Rusty Gate]

Not sure if this should be posted in this section because it’s not really about big game, here goes though. Over the last several years I have read where many of you are just sickened by the videos of people machine gunning hogs from helicopters. You spout it as barbaric hunting and unsportsmanlike etc. It is not hunting!! It is varmint extermination!!!!!!!!! I don’t believe there is any state where you can hunt anything from the air, not even in Texas. Many states do not allow you to even hunt big game on the same day you fly in a private plane. No state allows full automatic firearms for hunting big game, or even small game for that matter. The fact is that hogs in Texas and other places, cause extensive damage costing BILLIONS of $$$$$. Drastic measures have been taken to correct the problem. When you see hogs being shot out of helicopters, you are seeing varmints being exterminated. The guys doing it are not hunting, they are not big game hunters, they are people eradicating varmints. Full fing stop!!!!! Do you feel sorry when someone uses poison spray to kill a cockroach? Same thing. Don’t confuse exterminators with hunters.

I just don't understand people or stupid
(it can be a fine line) not sure which.
You tube has a video clip diplayed & a title. Call me old fashioned but a guy with firearm shooting from the side exit of a heliccopter with pigs below is quite a giveaway to me, not my kind of thing & move along to some scope review or auto trickler tuning tips etc. I find that no challenge at all.
Stupid however see's the same as me, maybe dont shoot themselves but click on it just to make sure its not a joke video (the ones that turn into a loud sreaming scary face to make you jump), yep its def not & watches all the way through! Then uploads a link to it detailing how many seconds in all the worst parts are, I mean its so bad they had to watch it several times just to get their facts straight before sharing the disgusting link that's now enjoying more coverage & views than if they'd just skipped forward to the extreme crochet knitting championship highlights.
So many things I dont like so I don't watch

 

[John Gryphon]

I am re posting this one for those of you that havent seen it with staggering numbers on show for the UK members. The damage done by feral animals is enormous.
I believe the feral pig is the worst pest.

 

[Jamsie]

Not sure if this should be posted in this section because it’s not really about big game, here goes though. Over the last several years I have read where many of you are just sickened by the videos of people machine gunning hogs from helicopters. You spout it as barbaric hunting and unsportsmanlike etc. It is not hunting!! It is varmint extermination!!!!!!!!! I don’t believe there is any state where you can hunt anything from the air, not even in Texas. Many states do not allow you to even hunt big game on the same day you fly in a private plane. No state allows full automatic firearms for hunting big game, or even small game for that matter. The fact is that hogs in Texas and other places, cause extensive damage costing BILLIONS of $$$$$. Drastic measures have been taken to correct the problem. When you see hogs being shot out of helicopters, you are seeing varmints being exterminated. The guys doing it are not hunting, they are not big game hunters, they are people eradicating varmints. Full fing stop!!!!! Do you feel sorry when someone uses poison spray to kill a cockroach? Same thing. Don’t confuse exterminators with hunters.

I think that you may be preaching to the wrong crowd on this forum buddy. We all know and fully understand the reasons why the process you describe is carried out in that manner.

Jamsie

 

[Dan Gliballs]

Not sure if this should be posted in this section because it’s not really about big game, here goes though. Over the last several years I have read where many of you are just sickened by the videos of people machine gunning hogs from helicopters. You spout it as barbaric hunting and unsportsmanlike etc. It is not hunting!! It is varmint extermination!!!!!!!!! I don’t believe there is any state where you can hunt anything from the air, not even in Texas. Many states do not allow you to even hunt big game on the same day you fly in a private plane. No state allows full automatic firearms for hunting big game, or even small game for that matter. The fact is that hogs in Texas and other places, cause extensive damage costing BILLIONS of $$$$$. Drastic measures have been taken to correct the problem. When you see hogs being shot out of helicopters, you are seeing varmints being exterminated. The guys doing it are not hunting, they are not big game hunters, they are people eradicating varmints. Full fing stop!!!!! Do you feel sorry when someone uses poison spray to kill a cockroach? Same thing. Don’t confuse exterminators with hunters.

You not sleep well last night fella?

 

[User00033]

Whilst its clearly not hunting, its pest eradication pure and simple, the terms get confused. I think we get that. You’re possibly referring to me called them “helicopter hog hunters” in another thread? I don’t see driven boar shooting, pheasant shooting or rabbit shooting as hunting, it’s shooting, but the terms hunting, hunt or hunter often get caught up in the same frame reference, don’t you think?

There’s an awful lot of gleeful yee-hawing going on though. I guess the worst part of it is you can buy heli hog shooting time as a recreational activity no matter who you are or what your capability. Some of the videos I’ve seen are appallingly bad - useless arsewipes, crap shooting and lots of wounded hogs being left to die slowly.

So yeah, whatever. Fully understand the need to do it...

Compare the American versions with some of the Australian pro shooters and its a wholly different ball game. Somewhere on the iPad I’ve got video of a proper shooter doing proper aerial pest control, much like the Kiwi deer cullers. Completely different viewing experience. (1) AR-10, (2) quality chopper pilot, (3) patient.

Check out the Aussie Bushman channel for how it should be done.

 

[palmer_mike]

It kind of shoots down your argument that it’s just pest control when numerous outfits in TX are selling ‘Helicopter Hog Hunts’.

seems like that’s what all the outfits are calling it so that’s what everyone’s going to think of it as.......

Helicopter Hog Hunting Trips in Texas | HeliBacon

Do you want to eradicate herds of hogs from the air? Browse HeliBacon's helicopter hog hunting trips in Texas & book your memorable trip today!

www.helibacon.com

 

[palmer_mike]

I haven’t seen anyone on here regarding it as hunting? Which it clearly isn’t, its pest eradication pure and simple. I think we get that.

There’s an awful lot of gleeful yee-hawing going on though. I guess the worst part of it is you can buy heli hog shooting time as a recreational activity no matter who you are or what your capability. Some of the videos I’ve seen are appallingly bad - useless arsewipes, crap shooting and lots of wounded hogs being left to die slowly.

So yeah, whatever. Fully understand the need to do it...

Compare the American versions with some of the Australian pro shooters and its a wholly different ball game. Somewhere on the iPad I’ve got video of a proper shooter doing proper aerial pest control, much like the Kiwi deer cullers. Completely different viewing experience. (1) AR-10, (2) quality chopper pilot, (3) patient.

Check out the Aussie Bushman channel for how it should be done.

I like this one from NZ

 

[User00047]

It’s the videos of guys giggling away, blasting away at hogs from the air, accompanied by Rock music soundtracks, which give the false impression that these poor workers are having fun.

 

[flatliner]

It’s the videos of guys giggling away, blasting away at hogs from the air, accompanied by Rock music soundtracks, which give the false impression that these poor workers are having fun.

.......doing their best impression of the door gunner from Full Metal Jacket

 

[Freeforester]

Too bad (imv) it's being monetised and marketed, let alone publicised in the way it is, with media celebs and rich kids getting all whooped up at the prospect, I completely understand the need to control the pigs, but just find it uncomfortable some of the way it is being portrayed, as its all too easy for the general public to equate this with the conduct of other pest controllers and indeed hunters. Could be a cultural difference, I suppose.

 

[palmer_mike]

All too easy to point the finger at another form of hunting and say

‘thats not hunting because it’s not the way I choose to do it’

Who get to choose what’s hunting and what isn’t?

 

[User00033]

For aerial deer like the video @palmer_mike posted above, we also specify shot guns on deer when heli shooting on our properties, loaded with 00 buckshot, preferably the fast 1600ft./sec variety. As a rule, the pilot we use will not allow shooters to use AR .223 as the contracted recovery percentages often aren’t met due to too many runners that then fall into irrecoverable positions. The shot is placed straight into the base of the neck/shoulder junction, so the deer is dropped on the spot. They only get shot where they can be recovered.

I shoot running pigs / hogs / boar from time to time. With a .308 Winchester and a 165gr bullet. I’m pretty good at it. Usually sitting on a quad bike. There’s an Aussie YouTuber who is good at this, the channel is Hunting with Stu. He uses a .30-06, a .30-30 or a shotgun. He’s a good shooter. His sneaky sneaky shots from his kayak are worth checking out.

Hunting / shooting / varminting / pest controlling... doesn’t really matter what you call it. I think the amount of wounding vs clean killing is the issue.

If you wanna see crazy hog shooting, check out the guys racing around in zooped up ATVs with full auto rifles, at night. Mayhem, not pretty, not even that effective from what I’ve seen, but again, it’s the way its done and that’s all there is to it. Check out Huey Outdoors.

 

[A Guy Out West]

All too easy to point the finger at another form of hunting and say

‘thats not hunting because it’s not the way I choose to do it’

Who get to choose what’s hunting and what isn’t?

The law does! This is not legal hunting. This is not hunting allowed by the law.

 

[The Singing Stalker]

I have seen some of the videos, I watched some of them because they were using thermal and the amount of hogs is just amazing. You can see that it is out and out pest control.
So a couple of questions for those with knowledge, possibly stupid,
Could they not do driven hunting like in the continent? Would that be effective. One shot and they all take off.
If you had a long distance shooter aka, Dodgy knees work on goats where he can take a few out at 300/400 yards, would that work or if a hog fell would the others run off anyway?