If you also look further down on page 73 a landowner or landowner agent can also take fur bearing animals without a hunting license if they are causing damage.

so we agree Coyotes are still legal without a license?

This is true IF you are the landowner, an agent of the landowner, or a person leasing the land.

AND you are taking hogs that are causing depredation to the land.

HOWEVER, if you keep the meat you are no longer merely killing hogs that are depredating the land, you are hunting. If you keep the meat you need a license.

Exceptions: a hunting license is not required to hunt the following:
• Coyotes, if the coyotes are attacking, about to attack, or have recently attacked livestock, domestic
animals, or fowl.
Yes sir, you can take them without a license if they fall in one or more of the situations stated above.

Der Teufel, where in the game laws does it state that you cannot keep the meat from a feral hog that you shoot that has been depredating your land???????

If the OP's out of state brother is not the landowner, landowners agent or named in the lease agreement he is required to have a license.
---------
Exceptions: a hunting license is not required to hunt the following:
• Coyotes, if the coyotes are attacking, about to attack, or have recently attacked livestock, domestic
animals, or fowl.
• Depredating feral hogs, if a landowner (resident or non-resident) or land owner’s agent or lessee is taking feral hogs causing depredation on the landowner’s land.
• Fur-bearing animals, if the hunter possesses a trapper’s license or if the fur-bearing animals are causing
depredation.
Note: All laws and regulations governing hunter education still apply.

* For a 100% correct answer all you have to do is click here ---> TPWD, then in the drop down subject box select Game Warden (law enforcement), then type in your question, provide your email address and you will get a response usually within 24 hours.

Actually, as I look through the 2011-2012 Texas hunting & fishing regulation, I don't even see that it's legal to shoot depredating hogs any more!. They're listed on p 73 under Exotic Animals & Fowl, but there's no provision for taking them without a license under any circumstances I can find.

Toward the bottom of the page, under Fur-Bearing Animals (which does NOT include feral hogs) there is mention that the landowner, agent, or lessee may 'take' these 'fur-bearing' animals while they are causing loss or damage to agricultural crops, but it includes the sentence "However, such animals or their pelts may not be possessed or sold."

So, it looks like the provision concerning depredating hogs no longer exist, and where that provision does still occur (concerning fur-bearing animals) it specifically states the animal may not be 'possessed'.

For additional info, I reference this link:
http://www.tpwd.state.tx.us/huntwild/wild/nuisance/feral_hogs/#hunt

Here's the pertinent quote:
"Although feral hogs are not classified as game animals, a hunting license is required to hunt them."

Teufel, read page 25 bud.

Rustler, the OP doesn't state that he is not the landowner, so basically, he could allow his brother to be his agent and YES shoot feral hogs without a hunting license.

Okay, got it.

The exemption still exists.

However, my experience with game wardens has been that killing a nuisance animal is okay to prevent damage but once you keep the meat you are profiting from it and that is hunting. Hunting requires a license.

Well, I'm guessing our game wardens need to get together for a pow wow, mine tells me to keep the meat, not to waste it. LOL

You can kill but not hunt without a license. If you are the landowner and the hogs are destroying your property you can kill them, you can not save any of the meat, nor save any trophies, the second you do you are hunting not killing.

I'm having trouble finding ANYWHERE, besides yahoos on here that say you can't keep the meat. Where is the law that states I can't keep the meat if I shoot depredating hogs without a hunting license???

i really hate to jump in on this thread because I'm getting worn out just reading all of this but... as defined in the regs manual;

Hunt:
To capture, trap, take, or kill, and includes any attempt to capture, trap, take, or kill.


They make a specific exception with respect to a license within the regs with respect to "kill" as provided thru a "depredating animal", but there is no specific exception provided for "take". So by absence of exception you are deemed to have "hunted" if you take any part of the animal.

Meaning you will need a license to keep meat or trophy as someone stated above.

I suggest that you get your brother a license (5 day - $48) and then you can relax and hunt all the pigs you want with corn and have a big 'ol time of it and not have to worry about someones interpretation or a regulation.

Hey... I've probably read the book as much or more than anyone here. I can ALSO read between the lines.

IF he was a land owner worried about depredation he would already know for sure what he could and couldn't do!
He's just a guy that wants to take his out of state brother pig huntin and doesn't WANT to buy a license.

TRUST ME, HE NEEDS A LICENSE!

NO we don't !

Since you are not going to believe us, check with a game warden. Or try it without a license until you get caught, then you can tell us how much the fine is. Take cash, most JP's prefer it.

Add another that doesn't agree. At some of the predator contests the GW shows up and checks licenses. It isn't for hos entertainment, it is to find game law violations and that includes not having a license.

CROTCH... I mean CROUCH,we're not "supposed" to stoop to name calling but since you started whith the "yahoo"...

Your the yahoo who's gonna end up getting fined someday for hunting without a license, or something else because you 'think' you know the law.

I think (hope) we can all agree that this topic has some ambiguous aspects. I guess I fall into the more conservative camp, which follows the notion of having a license. Even though I hunt on property which I manage for pay, and I shoot nothing but hogs, I buy a license. I'm clearly a land agent, and I don't shoot squirrels, rabbits, deer, or anything else (well, coyotes and such when I see them) but just figure the license is a cheap way to avoid potential trouble. For instance, if I'm ever stopped while I'm transporting meat in a cooler I won't have to convince the warden of anything. I'll just show my license and relax.

Personally, I reckon the odds of having the game warden show up and check licenses where I hunt are pretty slim. I suspect the chances the OP would have a problem are likewise close to nonexistent. Still, you pays your money or you takes your chances. I'm doing it my way, others are free to do what they wish. Is this a great country, or what?

Real EZ solution,,,,,,,,,jeez,,get a license.

Here you go Couch. Straight from the TP&W website. http://www.tpwd.state.tx.us/huntwild/wild/nuisance/feral_hogs/

But the annual says one isn't required if they are depradtited.

stop the the bickering and debating, and just get damn license. you guys sound like a bunch of school girls.

If thats the case then why on page 25 does it state you don't have to have a license if they are depredating your property???? Can you NOT read that on page 25 of the game law book or can you read at all???