Feral hogs root around in a field. The hogs cause an estimated $115 million of damage in South Carolina each year. (Provided by Marion Barnes, Clemson Extension)
COLUMBIA — Drones could be the newest tool in the arsenal of South Carolina farmers in their constant battle against destructive wild hogs.
A bill advanced by a House subcommittee Tuesday would define the legal use of drones to photograph, locate or otherwise assist in the capture of feral swine with a permit from the Department of Natural Resources.
Hogs have been a nuisance for South Carolina farmers for years and drones are just the latest option legislators are encouraging, said the chairman of the House’s agriculture committee.
“Anything to try and get rid of some of these hogs,” Rep. Bill Hixon, R-North Augusta, told the SC Daily Gazette.
Texas has already legalized the use of drones to capture feral hogs, while a similar Mississippi bill passed its Senate on Monday.
Lawmakers have made multiple efforts to quell the problem of pesky pigs in South Carolina. People can hunt hogs during daylight hours year-round. They can hunt them at night if the property is registered with the Department of Natural Resources.
Yet, the problem persists, which surprised House Majority Leader Davey Hiott, R-Pickens.
“Have we done about all we can do killing hogs, and it still has not been successful?” asked Hiott, who sits on the subcommittee.
This bill moves to full committee only nine months after lawmakers’ latest act to limit hogs. In May, a law allowing the Department of Natural Resources to issue permits for using helicopters to kill hogs went into effect. However, there had been no requests for a helicopter permit as of Tuesday, according to the agency.
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A Chesterfield lawmaker gave a reason as to why that might be.
“That cost is a lot to my small, rural farmers,” said Rep. Richard Yow, R-Chesterfield.
Yow, the lead sponsor of the drone bill, said this would be a much more financially viable option for many of his district’s farmers.
The Air Force veteran said swine have done “astronomical” damage in Chesterfield County. He hopes that drones are able to save farmers time and crops, particularly at night when feral hogs tend to do most of their damage.
It’s difficult to eradicate a problem that populates so quickly.
Feral hogs can start breeding before they are six months old. They usually give birth to three and eight piglets per litter, but sometimes as many as 13, and some have the ability to reproduce more than once a year, according to the Department of Natural Resources.
This means their numbers can grow quicker than farmers can catch them.
“We call it chasing the population curve,” said Billy Dukes, chief of wildlife for the Department of Natural Resources. That’s the primary reason the agency is focused on capturing groups of pigs instead of settling for finding them one at a time.
Dukes told the committee he supports Yow’s proposal. But he also pointed out there’s nothing stopping farmers from using drones now.
“There’s nothing currently in law that prohibits the activities that would be allowed by this bill,” he said. “If the goal is to put some sidebars or guide rails on the activity, then this bill would certainly be a good start.”
Hog damage has been reduced in South Carolina, Dukes said, but it “will be an ongoing battle for many years.”
After the meeting, he told the Gazette he does not see drones being a crucial component to victory in that battle.
“You can’t see tracks from a drone,” he said. “It’d be very difficult to see rooting.”
In Dukes’ mind, farmers being on the ground and looking for signs is the best way to corral the problem.
“A lot of it is truck miles and boot leather,” Dukes said.