Texas Adds Aoudad to the List of Animals You Can Hunt from Helicopters
BY Herschel Smith
3 days, 3 hours ago
Lone Star lawmakers recently added aoudads to the list of animals hunters can shoot from helicopters in Texas as part of a management tool to aid in the ongoing fight against the invasive sheep.
Senate Bill 1245, which passed both state legislative chambers and was signed into law by Gov. Greg Abbott in May, will go into effect Sept. 1. The bill expands Texas’ aerial wildlife management permit system, which previously only listed feral hogs and coyotes, to include aoudad. Aerial culling efforts have helped Texas with its burgeoning feral swine population. A 2019 USDA study found that helicopter hog hunting, also called “porkchopping,” has successfully reduced hog numbers by at least 31 percent.
Gross. Well, whatever. That’s just my reaction. Do as you wish – I see value in hunting hogs any way you can.
As for Aoudad, I think I’d rather stalk them.
On June 11, 2025 at 10:20 am, Matt said:
Hog hunting from a helicopter is a blast. At least according to several co-workers who have done it. My schedule hasn’t done me any favors. Lucky guys.
On June 11, 2025 at 10:52 am, Michael Gilson said:
I wonder if the law allows you to use a two person ultra light? You could do it Night Witch style, spot your target from a distance, shut off the engine and glide into firing range so they don’t hear you coming then restart the engine as soon as the shot is made.
On June 12, 2025 at 11:07 am, Ken said:
MG, no. Ultralights “generally” don’t/cannot fly at night per FAA regs. Including 30 minutes after sunup and 30 minutes before sundown. Former flight instructor.
On June 13, 2025 at 8:27 am, Don W Curton said:
According to Google AI (I know, I know, but it’s the quickest response), the Aoudad can cross breed with Big Horn Sheep which are endangered. Also, as with any invasive species, it can transmit diseases to native wildlife. I don’t know if the Aoudad is as destructive as hogs (highly doubt it), but the danger to the few remaining Big Horn Sheep populations is probably what is driving this. Also, their preference for mountainous areas makes them hard to stalk and difficult to control their population. So yeah, I can see the helicopter thing being necessary.
I’ve been to several of the so-called exotic game ranches up in the Texas Hill Country some 30 years back. Then you could do a $100 weekend hunt – archery only – for what rifle hunters at the time were paying $1000 a day plus kill fees. (I doubt it’s anywhere near that cheap today). The animals were, let’s say skittish, rather than fully wild. Pretty much like walking onto someone’s cattle ranch and shooting a domestic cow, only the meat’s not as good. I took a goat and a sheep and that pretty much covered all I wanted to do for “exotic game” hunting in Texas. I can’t imagine the people hunting with rifles when I could stalk up to 20 – 25 yards with a bow easily. Ranchers loved it, though, easy money from them there city boys.