CA wild pigs under attack

[dustin ray]

From A Email i got from SCI
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Member Alert
Oppose California AB 2805
SCI strongly opposes AB 2805, legislation that could destroy wild pig populations. Please use SCI's Action Center to contact your state legislators now and tell them you oppose AB 2805.

Assembly Bill 2805 is scheduled to be heard in the Assembly Water, Parks and Wildlife Committee April 10 at 9:15 a.m. in Room 444 of the State Capitol.

After contacting state legislators, go the next step and contact the bills' author, Frank Bigelow, and tell him you are opposed to this bill. Call his office at (916) 319-2005, fax him at (916) 319-2105 or email him at assemblymember.bigelow@assembly.ca.gov.

Potential effects of AB2805:

The wild pig would lose its game mammal status and be reclassified as non-game, exotic or another designation that would allow them to be killed in large numbers by any means;
Wild pigs could be trapped and killed in the traps and possibly even poisoned. These methods could affect non-targeted animals as well as the pigs;
The requirements for property owners to obtain a permit to kill depredating wild pigs and to report on the number killed would be eliminated, thus doing away with any Department of Fish and Wildlife (DFW) oversight and recordkeeping needed for proper management of wild pig populations;
Landowners could freely kill pigs by claiming they are threatening their property. The pigs would no longer be managed under the principles of scientific wildlife management, but by politics, speculation and emotion;
Would repeal the requirement that DFW notify landowners of the option to use hunting as a means of reducing the number of wild pigs on their property; and
Wild pig tag/validation money could no longer to be used by DFW to engage in programs that benefit wild pigs, and thus hunters, but could be used instead to develop "management" that could authorize the indiscriminate killing of pigs on a large scale by property owners. Using hunting-generated fees in this manner is unethical.

[nv-hunter]

Called in support of this bill it is the correct way to handle an invasive species, which means in ca it has zero chance of passing and will probably backfire and they'll get protected like so many other things.

[dustin ray]

Sounds like a disaster to me leave it up to CA gov to screw up one of the funest things to do in CA

[HighPlainsHunter]

Seems like California is following other states lead on these animals. Treat them like an invasive species and reduce rules and regulations to allow landowners to do more. I don't really see the issue.

Now you will be able to shoot them from a helicopter like they do in Texas, except with non toxic bullets. LOL.

This part is quite funny.
Wild pig tag/validation money could no longer to be used by DFW to engage in programs that benefit wild pigs, and thus hunters, but could be used instead to develop "management" that could authorize the indiscriminate killing of pigs on a large scale by property owners. Using hunting-generated fees in this manner is unethical

[Colorado Cowboy]

California has been hunting pigs since before it got to be a problem and popular. I shot my first pig in 1960 north of Paso Robles. Back then all you needed was a hunting license. Later F & G realized they could make $$$ on them and then required a tag for them. Lots of $$$ made on private prop for hunting them as most are on private land.

As I see it the real reason for this legislation is where the tag $$$ is spent. Many years ago when the state started their "trout stamp" program, the $$$ generated was supposed to be used for fish hatcheries and stocking trout....a pay as you go type of program. F & G started diverting $$$ to other programs and got taken to court. The legislature passed a bill requiring monies generated by these special stamps ( upland game, trout, hogs, ocean enhancement, etc) to be spent on the individual programs only. F & G was pretty unhappy. By passing this legislation on hogs, it lets them spend the tag money on anything they want. It will probably generate a lot more money too by taking all the controls off the hunting....just buy the tag!

[Tim McCoy]

They are feral, right? Damage habitat by tearing things up, right? They ought to be classified as a pest. You can hunt them about all you want, and there will still be plenty...

[Gr8bawana]

There doesn't seem to be any shortage of feral pigs in the southeastern states where they are considered vermin and hunted day and night with no limits. With all the damage they do they really are vermin.

[BOHNTR]

I can remember when they weren’t classified as a big game species in CA.......I’ll need to do more research on this, but it doesn’t sound like a terrible idea.

[Colorado Cowboy]

Like I said in my post, Cal F & G made them a game animal so they could sell tags for them.

Back in the 50's they were called "Russian Boars" and were supposedly stocked pre WW II by Hearst on his land where Hearst Castle is. As I remember they were stocked from Tennessee or Kentucky.

[WapitiBob]

A 15 second look at Texas should be enough for anyone to put their support in favor of the Bill.