Alabama hunters are now buying licenses to hunt feral pigs and coyotes at night in an effort by the state to try to control these destructive animals.
According to the Associated Press, more than 500 hunters have purchased licenses to date after a bill was recently passed to allow nighttime hunting.
Wild pigs cause more than a billion dollars in damage annually, USDA reports. Although experts believe nighttime hunting could help, trapping and killing is the best way to control the wild pigs, the article said.
Prior to the issuing of the new licenses, landowners could obtain a depredation permit that allows hunting feral hogs at night.
Chuck Sykes, director of Wildlife and Freshwater Fisheries at the Alabama Department of Conservation and Natural Resources, told AL.com that the department will keep the permit program but said new nighttime hunting licenses will be more practical for most people.
The licenses are being sold for $15. In addition to the 500+ Alabama residents who have purchased the new licenses, AL.com reports that another 41 hunters who live outside Alabama have bought non-resident licenses for $51.
It is legal for licensed hunters to kill coyotes and feral hogs during daylight hours year-round, but experts believe nighttime hunting will make a difference because hogs tend to be more active at night, especially during hot weather.
More from Farm Journal’s PORK:
Monster-Sized Wild Pigs are on the Rise in Canada
Can You Really Trap Feral Pigs with Your Cell Phone?
Feral Swine: USDA Monitors World’s Worst Invasive Alien Species
How Colorado Eliminated Feral Hogs
Feral Hog Stomachs Tell Story of Destruction
