California feral pig hunting bill wins state Senate OK

The California state Senate has approved a bill to promote hunting of wild pigs, a non-native species blamed for widening property damage around farms, vineyards and suburban neighborhoods.

The legislation authored by Sen. Bill Dodd, D-Napa, would ease existing regulations and allow unlimited harvests under a $15 annual tag.

“My bill is about controlling destructive, non-native wild pigs, which are endangering sensitive habitats, farms and other animals,” Dodd said in a statement. “We must increase opportunities to hunt them so that we may bring their numbers under control.

Feral swine descended from pigs set free by Spanish missionaries and other European colonists as far back as 250 years ago and are now found in 56 of the state’s 58 counties.

In addition to their damage to ecology, feral pigs can carry a host of diseases that can be transferred to humans.

Dodd’s bill now heads to the state Assembly for a potential vote. To become law, it also would need Gov. Gavin Newsom’s signature.

The bill would replace the state’s wild pig tag, which costs $15 per kill, with a season-long validation, also for $15, which allows an unlimited number of harvests. The new rules would go into effect on July 1, 2023.

In Sonoma County, Lake Sonoma is the only public land open to pig hunters, specifically bow and arrow and crossbow hunters from November to March.

You can reach Staff Writer Ethan Varian at ethan.varian@pressdemocrat.com or 707-521-5412. On Twitter @ethanvarian