I thought I knew the answer to this but a buddy of mine just made me second guess myself. Must you have a hunting license or attended a hunter's safety course to hunt hogs on your property?

According to TPWD you must have a license. Never thought about the Safety course.

You need both to "hunt" no matter what you're hunting.

From the Outdoor annual.

Page# 23, 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.
• De predating feral hogs, if a landowner (resident or non-resident) or landowner’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.

Page #27, Every hunter (including out-of-state hunters) born on or after Sept. 2, 1971, must successfully
complete a Hunter Education Training Course. Proof of certification or deferral is required to be on your person while hunting.

Page #68,Exotic animals and fowl.
Includes feral hog/Russian boar
There are no state bag or possession limits or closed seasons on exotic animals or fowl on private property.
It is against the law to:
• Hunt an exotic without a valid hunting license.
• Hunt an exotic on a public road or right-of-way.

You ONLY need a hunting license if you were born Before Sept of 1971.

If you were Born after Sept 1971, you need Hunter Safety.

(I recommend everyone taking Hunter Safety. This will allow you to hunt Army Corp Land and hunt many other states.).

Neither if they are a nuisance on your own property.

Not quite right.
You can hunt hogs with no license.
The "catch 22" here is that you must let them lay. If you are wanting the meat, then you must have a license.

The OP didn't mention depredating hogs.

If born on or before Sept 2nd 1971 you need Hunters ed to hunt anything even depredating feral hogs

Page# 23, 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.
• De predating feral hogs, if a landowner (resident or non-resident) or landowner’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.

You do need a license

You will need both unless you really want to put your fate in the hands of the GW's mood.

If you hunt, spend the money and buy a license. See how easy that was.

You don't need a license if: It a depradating species ( hogs, coyotes, coons, etc) and it's your land, or you are the owners agent. All Commercial hunts, all shooters/hunters must hold license. The law was revised a few years ago thanks to Rep. Suzanna Gratia Hupp.
BUT, TPWD doesn't quite like not being able to ask for a license, so not forthcoming in all cases of approaching a shooter. Hogs are a non game species and can be taken any time, 24 hours a day or night, seven days a week.
Never seen a stipulation to leave them lay in the state of Texas.
Good Hunting.

According to the TPWD web site you need a liscence to hunt..I got the combo. Hunt and fish. Here is a link.. Feral Hogs

x2 just get it and avoid any problems!

Some say you do and some say you dont. Get an outdoor annual and read it yourself. There is an exception in there if you are the landowner, you can kill them with no license. Doesnt say anything in there about having to leave them lay.

De predating feral hogs, if a landowner (resident or non-resident) or landowner’s agent or lessee is taking


According to this you could probably win your case. The only problem is you will probably have to do it in front of a judge. Much easier to buy the license and have the saftey class. I am going to hunt and fish every year so I buy them every year.

I would just play it safe and buy one.

No!!!
If you are a landowner and don't hunt at all and your land is covered up in hogs, you can kill them without buying a hunting license.

License is cheap insurance

Per TPWD Officer Eddy Wood working da Clay County region.(last week: 11/20/2010), ya don't need a license to hunt ferrel hogs if da land owner/leasee want da hogs removed from the land under their ownership/lease, and you have da property owner/leasee's permission to hunt the land in question. But don't shoot ANYTHING ELSE...

save the trouble and go buy a hunting licences its like 25 dollars

As per Roy Johnson, gamewarden working Taylor county and his brother who is the county trapper in Runnels county, hogs are not "game" animals and do not require a hunting license when hogs are destructive to owners property.

You can leave the meat lay or eat it, your choice.

They're opinion on hogs becoming game animals in the future, "they don't think so because of the law in place of wasting of game animals", it would then be against the law to kill a hog and not consume, and who wants an old boar to eat."