PA ferrel hogs

[EatDeer]

I heard that the PA.  DNR, is begining to regulate the harvest of ferrel pigs.  I can't understand why the DNR would want to control the harvest ,when states like TX, and MO. are being over-run with crop damage ,and unheard of population numbers of wild hogs. MO. even considers ferrel hogs open game for non-residents without a state hunting license. Any of you PA. residents have any idea what your DNR is thinking? 

[SyracuseBowhunter]

My son-in-law lives in Philly, and I live in Central New York.  We've been talking about hunting ferral hogs in PA this year between Christmas and New Years so we have been checking into it.  From what I have read, the DNR is concerned that hunters are dispersiing the herds of ferral hogs in some counties and are afraid they will move to and breed more in other areas.  They don't want the population spreading because of the damage they are doing to crops.  The DNR is trying to control the population from exploding in several counties with sharpshooters and don't want hunters interferring.

[Highlander Archery]

First of all, this issue started because an Animal Rights Activist filed suit in PA Court to attempt to reclassify hogs as game animals in an attempt to shut down http://www.hunt-tioga.com/
She filed suit and was found to have standing because she is a taxpayer and tree harvest from PGC (PA Game Commision)owned property generates revenue. Some lawyer screwed up big time because PGC property is bought with hunter generated revenues, not general taxpayer dollars and although the property is public access, it is maintained by hunter dollars. She won the law suit.  PGC was court ordered to come up with regs on hogs and they did: Nussiace species, see one kill it like woodchucks.

[url=http://www.pgc.state.pa.us/pgc/cwp/browse.asp?a=458&bc=0&c=70172]PA GAME COMMISION
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[font="verdana,arial,geneva"][size="2"]Feral swine are not native to Pennsylvania and present many problems to wildlife and people. They can cause tremendous damage to habitat and property, and pose an ever-present threat to wildlife and the biosecurity of the state's multi-million-dollar pork industry. Pennsylvania would be a better place without these swine, and the Game Commission is committed to their eradication.

EXECUTIVE ORDER AFTER RULING
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[SyracuseBowhunter]

Thanks for clearing up my misunderstanding of the issue.  There was more to it than I had read about.

[Highlander Archery]

Yes there was, it went all the way to the State Supreme Court. Lawyers for PGC, IMO, missed a couple of key arguments that should have gotten the case dismissed. The woman filing really had no standing to bring the case and either that argument was missed, rejected by an activist judge or ignored by attorneys.

Rest assured, this method of getting cases to the courts will continue in PA and other States. The next possible target with this method can be Pheasant hunting, as can be verified at the HSUS website.