A. Except as otherwise specified in the Feral Swine Control Act, any person with permission of the owner may remove feral swine from private or public property during daylight hours.
B. Any person who intends to kill or attempt to kill feral swine at night shall obtain a permit issued by the Department of Wildlife Conservation pursuant to Section 4-135 of Title 29 of the Oklahoma Statutes and promulgated rules.
Citation: 2 Okl. St. Ann. § 6-604.
A. During designated deer hunting seasons for primitive firearms and guns as specified in rules promulgated by the Department of Wildlife Conservation, an owner of private property shall not kill or attempt to kill feral swine during daylight hours that is damaging the property of the owner without first obtaining a special permit from the local game warden or other authorized employee of the Department of Wildlife Conservation. The special permit shall allow the owner and one person of lineal or collateral descent to kill feral swine on the property of the owner. The special permit shall be provided at no cost.
B. All other persons shall be required to obtain licenses and tags as required by the Oklahoma Wildlife Conservation Code and rules promulgated thereto.
C. Any person with a valid license to hunt deer is exempt from the requirements of this section during the appropriate licensed season.
Citation: 2 Okl. St. Ann. § 6-605.
A. No person shall import live feral swine into this state unless the live feral swine are going directly to a slaughter facility in a sealed trailer and accompanied by a USDA vs 1-27 permit for the movement of restricted animals.
B. All feral swine in this state that test positive for brucellosis or pseudorabies shall be immediately sent directly to slaughter or slaughtered on the premises pursuant to an order issued by the State Veterinarian.
Citation: 2 Okl. St. Ann. § 6-608.
A. The State Board of Agriculture shall promulgate rules for the testing and intrastate movement of live feral swine.
B. All persons that transport live feral swine in this state shall be required to obtain a transporter license from the Oklahoma Department of Agriculture, Food, and Forestry.
C. Live feral swine shall only be transported to the following:
1. A licensed sporting facility;
2. A licensed handling facility;
3. Directly to an approved slaughter facility; or
4. Pursuant to an order issued by the State Veterinarian.
Citation: 2 Okl. St. Ann. § 6-609.
A. It shall be unlawful and a violation of the Feral Swine Control Act for any person:
1. To refuse an inspection;
2. To fail to comply with importation, testing, permitting, licensing, or transportation requirements;
3. To fail to pay any fee, administrative fine, or penalty;
4. To fail to comply with any Oklahoma Department of Agriculture, Food, and Forestry order; or
5. To violate any provision of the Oklahoma Feral Swine Control Act, Oklahoma Agricultural Code, or Oklahoma Wildlife Conservation Code.
B. Any person that violates the Feral Swine Control Act shall be assessed a penalty or an administrative fine pursuant to Section 2-18 of Title 2 of the Oklahoma Statutes.
Citation: 2 Okl. St. Ann. § 6-610.
A. No person shall intentionally or knowingly release or engage in, sponsor, instigate, assist, or profit from the release of any hog, boar, swine, or pig to live in a wild or feral state upon public or private lands, except for:
1. Release into a licensed sporting facility pursuant to the Feral Swine Control Act; or
2. When utilizing the Judas pig tagging system, release onto the same private land on which a feral hog was trapped or caught. In order to come under the release authorization of this paragraph, the release must occur within twenty-four (24) hours of the capture of the hog.
B. No person shall knowingly or intentionally violate the importation, testing, permitting, licensing, and transportation requirements contained in the Feral Swine Control Act and rules promulgated thereto.
C. Any person violating the provisions of this section is guilty of a felony and subject to a maximum punishment of two (2) years in prison, a fine of Two Thousand Dollars ($2,000.00), or both fine and imprisonment.
Citation: 2 Okl. St. Ann. § 6-611.
All feral swine shall be restrained by the owner at all times and seasons of the year from running at large in this state. Any damages caused by feral swine trespassing upon lands of another shall be recovered in any manner provided by law.
Citation: 2 Okl. St. Ann. § 6-612.
A person shall not be considered the owner of a feral swine if, within a twenty-four-hour period, the person catches, tags, and releases the feral swine in the same location that it was caught.
Citation: 2 Okl. St. Ann. § 6-613.
A. The Oklahoma Department of Agriculture, Food, and Forestry is authorized to issue a permit to a person to engage in the management of depredating animals by use of aircraft. The permit may be issued without limitation by statewide season regulations or bag limits.
B. The permit holder may contract with and authorize other persons to engage in the management of depredating animals by use of an aircraft, provided that the permit holder accompanies the authorized person while engaging in the activity and, if engaging in the activity on private property, the authorized person has consent of the landowner. Any person contracting with or authorized by a permit holder pursuant to this subsection shall not be required to have a permit to engage in the management of depredating animals by use of aircraft. If contracting or authorizing other persons to engage in the management of depredating animals by use of an aircraft, the permit holder shall inform the person of the importance of safely keeping his or her aim and fire beneath the horizon. The permit holder shall have the authorized person sign a disclosure stating that the person is aware of the dangers of aiming and shooting over the horizon. The permit holder shall retain a copy of the disclosure for a reasonable period of time. Personnel of the Department of Defense and law enforcement shall not be required to sign a disclosure.
C. A pilot of an aircraft used for the management of depredating animals shall maintain a daily flight log and report. The daily flight log shall be current and available for inspection by employees of the Department at reasonable times. The permit shall be carried in the aircraft when performing management by the use of aircraft. Each permit holder, authorized person pursuant to subsection B of this section and pilot shall comply with all Federal Aviation Regulations for the specific type of aircraft. The Department shall not require the pilot to hold a specific type of pilot’s license. The Department shall also not require the permit holder or pilot to carry liability insurance.
Applications for a permit shall be submitted to the Department and shall contain all information as required by the Department. The Department may issue a permit if it finds that it will aid in the management of depredating animals. The Department may deny the permit if it finds that it will have a deleterious effect on indigenous species. The Department shall not require the names of the persons authorized by or contracting with the permit holder pursuant to subsection B of this section. The permit shall include, but is not limited to, the following information:
1. The name and address of the permit holder;
2. A description of the animals to be taken;
3. A description of the area from which the animals are authorized to be taken; and
4. The issue and expiration date of the permit.
D. A permit to manage depredating animals issued pursuant to this section shall be valid for a period of one (1) year from the date of issuance. Permits may be renewed by filing an application for renewal with the Department.
E. The annual fee for a permit to manage depredating animals issued pursuant to this section shall be Two Hundred Dollars ($200.00).
F. Not less than twenty-four (24) hours prior to managing depredating animals by use of an aircraft, a permit holder shall notify the Department of the date, time, and area on which management will occur. Notification may be made by telephone, fax, or electronic means, as determined by the Department.
G. The holder of a permit to manage depredating animals issued pursuant to this section shall file with the Department within thirty (30) days following the end of each calendar quarter or on termination of the permit, whichever occurs first, a report on a form prescribed by the Department showing:
1. The name, address, and permit number of the permit holder;
2. The name and address of the pilot participating in the flights;
3. The number and description of the depredating animals managed under the permit;
4. The types of depredating animals authorized to be managed under the permit;
5. Dates and times of authorized flights; and
6. Any other information required by the Department.
H. It shall be unlawful for a person issued a permit to manage depredating animals pursuant to this section or a person authorized by or contracting with the permit holder pursuant to subsection B of this section to:
1. Hunt, shoot, shoot at, kill, or attempt to kill from an aircraft any wildlife, domesticated animal, or livestock other than the depredating animals authorized by the permit;
2. Intentionally disturb, haze, or buzz any wildlife, domesticated animal, or livestock by the use of an aircraft other than the depredating animals authorized by the permit; or
3. Take or attempt to take any depredating animal for any purpose other than is necessary for the protection of land, water, wildlife, livestock, domesticated animals, human life, or crops.
I. During designated deer hunting seasons from the dates of October 1 through January 15 as specified in rules promulgated by the Department of Wildlife Conservation, it shall be unlawful to take or attempt to take depredating animals without first obtaining a special permit from the local game warden or other authorized employee of the Department of Wildlife Conservation.
J.
1. Any person convicted of violating the provisions of this section shall be punished by a fine of not less than Five Hundred Dollars ($500.00) nor more than One Thousand Five Hundred Dollars ($1,500.00), or by imprisonment in the county jail not to exceed sixty (60) days, or by both such fine and imprisonment. Any person convicted of violating the provisions of this section shall have the permit issued pursuant to this section revoked. No new permit shall be issued for a period of six (6) months from and after the date on which the revocation order becomes effective.
2. In addition to the criminal penalties specified by this section, the Department may:
a. assess an administrative penalty of not more than Ten Thousand Dollars ($10,000.00) per day of noncompliance, or
b. bring an action for injunctive relief granted by a district court.
3. A district court may grant injunctive relief to prevent a violation of, or to compel compliance with, any of the provisions of this section or any rule promulgated pursuant to this section, or order, license or permit issued pursuant to this section.
4. Nothing in this section shall preclude the Department from seeking penalties in district court in the maximum amount allowed by law.
5. Any person assessed an administrative penalty may be required to pay, in addition to the penalty amount and interest, attorney fees and costs associated with the collection of the penalties.
6. The Department or the district attorney of the appropriate district of Oklahoma may bring an action in district court for the criminal prosecution of a violation by any person of a provision of this section or any rule promulgated pursuant to this section, or order, license or permit issued pursuant to this section. The assessment of penalties in an administrative enforcement proceeding shall not prevent the subsequent assessment by a court of the maximum criminal penalties for violations of this section.
K. Any person convicted of violating the provisions of Section 4-106 of Title 29 of the Oklahoma Statutes shall have the permit issued pursuant to this section revoked. No new permit shall be issued for a period of six (6) months from and after the date on which the revocation order becomes effective.
L. As used in this section:
1. “Depredating animal” means feral hogs, coyotes, and crossbreeds between coyotes and dogs;
2. “Management by the use of aircraft” means to manage depredating animals by counting, photographing, relocating, capturing, or hunting with any firearm by the use of aircraft; and
3. “Aircraft” means nonexperimental manned fixed wing and non-fixed wing aircraft registered with the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA).
Citation: 29 Okl. St. Ann. § 4-107.2.