Oklahoma Governor weighs in on Feral Hogs with Veto Pen and Executive Order
Governor Mary Fallin issued an executive order directing the Oklahoma Department of Wildlife Conservation (ODWC) to streamline the issuance of permits to exterminate feral hogs on private land. She said her order will allow safe and responsible feral hog eradication in Oklahoma. The governor also vetoed a measure that would have allowed the eradication of feral hogs on public land with spotlights at night without game warden notification or a hunting license, citing potential safety issues. Fallin said Senate Bill 1142 contained several provisions -- such as eliminating the permitting requirement for those who want to exclusively shoot feral hogs, authorizing nighttime removal and allowing the use of certain technology to eradicate feral hogs -- that would endanger people on public hunting lands. "We must be willing to employ every available method of elimination if we want to eradicate this destructive nuisance," Fallin sa...