COLUMBUS, Ohio (WCMH) — A bill that would legalize the shooting feral hogs took a step forward at the Ohio Statehouse on Wednesday.
House Bill 503, sponsored by Reps. Don Jones (R-Freeport) and Bob Peterson (R-Sabina), was voted out of the House on Wednesday 89 to zero.
“They can multiply very quick if something is not done and I think that’s what we have to understand: we don’t want to wait until there’s a real true problem before we address it,” Jones said. “Most of the time they’re very rough looking, they have longer hair, they’ll probably be a little on the thinner side.”
Jones said there are nearly 7 million feral hogs in the U.S., most of them in southern states. But, here in Ohio, there were more than 100 sightings this last year. Jones said the bill is a proactive measure to ensure the problem does not spread here.
“We have a small population here in Ohio now, but feral pigs are very destructive,” Jones said. “They eat crops they tear up property but more importantly they carry disease. We do not want our producers in Ohio worrying about having a problem because of feral swine.”
The bill allows feral hogs to be shot anytime without a license if one is spotted on your property.
“It’s not like you can go all around the state and shoot them,” Jones said.
If someone does shoot one, they must report it to the Division of Wildlife and follow their protocols. Jones said besides the destruction feral hogs can create, it is also a good security issue.
“We don’t want anybody to feel uncomfortable in the state of Ohio, like they can’t go buy a gallon of milk or packet of hamburger or steak and we want them to be confident that they have a good product that’s wholesome,” he said. “We just don’t want to see damage and disease being spread by something that has no service.”
The bill now heads to the Senate for committee hearings before a possible floor vote.