Texas Adds Aoudad to the List of Animals You Can Hunt from Helicopters
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.
Aoudad, also known as Barbary sheep, aren't native to Texas. Originating in North Africa, the species is well-suited to the rough and rugged terrain of West Texas. The animals were introduced to the state in the late 1950s primarily for exotic game ranching and hunting opportunities. Since then, this hardy big game species has flourished — often to the detriment of commercial livestock and native species such as mule deer and bighorn sheep.
'Aoudad sheep bring sheer destruction — they eat everything, spread disease, and push out native species,' representative Ed Morales, Jr, a sponsor of the bill, wrote on X.
High numbers of aoudad in dry environments can have a significant negative impact on browse resources, according to TPWD mule deer and pronghorn program leader Shawn Gray. 'The desert ecosystem is so fragile. We're not supposed to have thousands and thousands of animals on them long-term,' Gray told Texas Farm Bureau.
More than 30,000 aoudad currently roam the state of Texas. That's a major increase from the 31 animals originally released in Armstrong County in 1957. Natural predation is not enough to keep the population in check.
'A coyote is not going to take one down. The lion could take one down, but it's going to be a fight. So they're breeding faster than you can manage them with a straight hunt,' West Texas rancher Warren Cude told The Texas Tribune.
Aoudad also carry the harmful bacteria Mycoplasma ovipneumoniae (M. ovip.), which spreads in respiratory droplets and secretions and can cause severe reactions and even death in commercial sheep and goat herds.
Read Next: Aoudad in West Texas: Is the 'Poor Man's Sheep Hunt' Really a Sheep Hunt?
Texas aoudad hold plenty of appeal for hunters, whether they choose to pursue them from a chopper or stalk them on foot. Because the animals live in rugged country, they offer would-be sheep hunters the chance to pursue a challenging species without waiting a lifetime to draw a tag or pay tens of thousands of dollars to hunt native sheep. Texas considers aoudad an exotic species, so there is no closed season or bag limit, although a valid Texas hunting license is required.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Newsweek
7 hours ago
- Newsweek
Texas Homeowners Worry About 'Loopholes' in New Property Tax Cut Law
Based on facts, either observed and verified firsthand by the reporter, or reported and verified from knowledgeable sources. Newsweek AI is in beta. Translations may contain inaccuracies—please refer to the original content. Texas homeowners struggling under the growing burden of rising housing costs are supportive of the new package of property tax cuts signed into law by Governor Greg Abbott on Monday. However, some are worried that appraisers may find "loopholes" around them to keep bills high. "The governor is trying to help, but local counties will just find loopholes in the laws and pull the money from our pockets," Jeff, a Parker County Texas homeowner, told Newsweek, revealing a deep frustration with Texas' County Appraisal Districts (CAD) which seems to be shared by several other readers. What's Behind Texas Homeowners' Frustration? Property tax bills have surged over the past five years in Texas due to skyrocketing home values exacerbating locals' affordability struggles. Between 2019 and 2023 alone—years marked by the pandemic homebuying frenzy—property taxes in the Lone Star State jumped by 26 percent, according to Cotality. As of 2025, Texas homeowners pay the seventh-highest property taxes in the country, according to SmartAsset, at an effective rate of 1.63 percent, significantly higher than the national average of 0.90 percent. Photo-illustration by Newsweek/Getty/Canva On average, a Texas homeowner pays $3,872 a year in property taxes, which are levied by local governments and used to fund public services, including schools, roads, police, and firefighting. The rise in property taxes, which has occurred nationwide, has hit senior homeowners the hardest, as they often rely on a fixed income and are less well-equipped to shoulder a suddenly heavier financial burden. What Do the New Laws Promise Homeowners? The new package of property tax cuts, which includes two key bills raising the homestead exemption in the state, is Abbott's latest attempt to offer homeowners relief after signing into law what was the largest property tax cut in the state's history in 2023. One bill contained in the package, signed by the governor on Monday, SB 4, would raise the existing homestead exemption from $100,000 to $140,000 for all homeowners. Another, SB 23, would raise it to $200,000 for those with disabilities or those aged 65 and above. The two bills include constitutional amendments that would need to be approved by voters in November to be enshrined into Texas state law. Why Do Homeowners Remain Skeptical About Relief? Several readers wrote to Newsweek, expressing enthusiasm for the new property tax cuts, but also voicing concerns that they might not result in a significant reduction in their bills. "No homeowner over 70 should pay property taxes. And 65 to 70 only half. Our senior years are fraught with enough worries, medical, food, insurance etc without worrying about losing their home," one Austin-based homeowner said. "I've had to sell all of my investment holdings to afford property tax for my remaining years. But it seems that the CAD just raises our appraised values to counteract Abbott's help." Jeff said that his home has appreciated in market value by 73 percent since 2020, a number that he can hardly believe is accurate. "Local governments blame [price] growth, but in all reality, it's poor management by our local government," he said. "I personally have now protested my taxed appraised market value three times now, each time getting minimal relief. The fact that they are willing to adjust your market value tells you they are playing the numbers to bring in more money," he said. John, another Texas homeowner, said that, on average, his property evaluations have increased from $270,000 to $563,000 over the last eight years. "My annual property tax leapt from $4,300 annually, to just north of $7,000," he said. "This past year, as well as this year, upcoming, will be in the neighborhood of $6,200, largely due to the efforts of the past two legislative periods," he added. The news of the new property tax cuts signed by Abbott was "music to my ears," John said. "You've always heard that mantra, 'I don't want to rent my home after it's paid for from my school district,'" Texas Lieutenant Governor Dan Patrick said after the two bills passed the state legislature. "Well, seniors, to the average senior out there, you're never going to have to do that again." John said that Patrick's comment about paying rent to the school district "is no quip." "My breakdown, most recently, is at $15,00 city, $1,250 county, and $3,500 school district distribution," he said. "While it's true that 'it takes a village,' my kids are adults in the workforce themselves. While paying much higher property taxes to schools, I was still on the hook for community pencils, paper, notebooks, and Kleenex, for distribution to children by the teachers," he said. "Along with anything teachers did to create a more engaged environment in their classrooms, that was out of their pockets." While John appreciates how municipal governments spend the money he pays in property taxes, he feels that there is insufficient transparency regarding the way school districts allocate their funding. "Long story short, I will support this legislation to the extent of posting pro-bill signage in my yard, and on my vehicle, if I do think it will come to that," he said. "People are sick to death of the Central Appraisal Districts and their chokehold on property owners." Are you a Texas homeowner? I'd like to hear from you about your experience with property appraisals and rising property tax bills. Email me at
Chicago Tribune
16 hours ago
- Chicago Tribune
Embattled Kenwood shelter housing migrants and homeless Chicagoans to close in coming months
A Kenwood shelter housing both migrants and Chicagoans experiencing homelessness will close in the coming months following a divide amongst neighbors, according to an email update from state Sen. Robert Peters. Located at 4900 S. DuSable Lake Shore Drive, the shelter opened in summer 2023 to accommodate migrants sent to Chicago by Texas Gov. Greg Abbott. Its opening drew sharp pushback from residents concerned about how newcomers from crisis-affected regions would integrate into the neighborhood. Tensions deepened when the facility was later expanded to include homeless Chicagoans, part of the city and state's One System Initiative aimed at merging shelter services for both populations. Early months of combined migrant, homeless shelters in Chicago see success, structural challengesPeters said he was notified of the closure by city and Illinois Department of Human Services officials at 3:15 p.m. Friday. Those currently housed at the shelter will move to new facilities over the next three to six months, he said. Neither the city nor the state was immediately able to provide a comment Friday afternoon regarding the reason for the closure or the number of people affected. 'We've always believed that housing is a human right,' Peters said. 'But also, at the end of the day, what matters most is being transparent with everybody.' As tens of thousands of people arrived by bus over roughly two years, the city and state scrambled to open enough shelters to stave off a full-blown homelessness crisis in Chicago. The city and state were running 28 migrant-exclusive facilities at the peak of arrivals in January of last year, according to city census data. The idea of a combined system was championed by some who said it would spread out resources to a wider range of people. There are dozens of shelters in the new system. The closure announcement also comes as President Donald Trump has ramped up immigration enforcement in and around the city, targeting courts and offices where people are reporting for check-ins. Many of the migrants being housed by the city are from Venezuela, a country that Trump has repeatedly singled out in immigration policy.
Associated Press
a day ago
- Associated Press
Texas creating task forces to target Permian Basin oil field thefts
ODESSA, Texas (AP) — At least three times a week, Darin Mitchell gets the call. Oil drums have been stolen. Copper wires were yanked. Other field equipment at an oil and gas facility was pilfered. The Winkler County Sheriff dispatches his officers to investigate, but they rarely catch the crime in the act or find the stolen product, worth tens of thousands of dollars. The West Texas county's ten deputies are overextended, policing 841 square miles, a combination of neighborhoods, a downtown area and the oil and gas facilities surrounding them. He doesn't have the manpower — or the money, he said — to investigate every instance. 'I don't have a dedicated person to just sit out there,' he said. 'The county can't afford just to hire somebody full-time to do oil field thefts.' The Texas Legislature has stepped in, passing a suite of bills that lawmakers, the sheriff, and oil and gas industry leaders said are crucial to combat what they say is a billion-dollar loss in oil field thefts in the Permian Basin, the state's largest oil field. Gov. Greg Abbott signed all three this month in Midland, saying in a statement that Texas is 'bringing the full weight of the law to crack down on oil theft in the Permian Basin to protect the critical role energy development plays in fueling our economy.' Written by state Rep. Drew Darby, R-San Angelo, and Sen. Kevin Sparks, R-Midland, the bills instruct the Department of Public Safety and the Texas Railroad Commission, which regulates the state's oil and gas industry, to create task forces that will investigate oil field robberies. The effort will cost taxpayers nearly $5 million. House Bill 48, by Darby, establishes a DPS-created oil field theft prevention unit. The members comprising it can enforce existing laws, in addition to providing training, resources and strategies specific to deterring such thefts. The task force is also charged with conducting public awareness campaigns. Every two years, the body must report back to the legislature. In a statement to The Texas Tribune, Darby called oil field theft 'a complex, highly coordinated criminal enterprise, often with direct connections to cartels. This escalating threat poses serious risks not only to the oil and gas industry — a cornerstone of our state's economy — but also to the safety of our communities and the survival of small, hardworking businesses.' He said his bills are meant to 'systematically take apart' criminal networks profiting from energy infrastructure. Senate Bill 494, authored by Sparks, directs the Railroad Commission to create a second task force to prevent the theft of petroleum products. This body must consist of proxies from the oil and gas industry, an oil and gas trade association and law enforcement agencies. They will conduct ongoing studies regarding theft, review the effectiveness of laws and analyze whether local and county governments are losing money in sales taxes as a result. Another Sparks bill, Senate Bill 1806, authorizes DPS to inspect oil field cargo tanks they suspect of being used to transport stolen oil, take samples from the vehicle and study them in a crime laboratory. The bill authorizes apprehending officers to return the product or sell it and reimburse the company from which it was stolen. The bill also increases the penalties for oil and gas theft. Transporting petroleum products to a waste disposal location is a felony with a penalty of at least $100,000; purchasing petroleum products without authorization from railroad commission can bring a penalty of up to $100,000; storing, purchasing or trading a petroleum product without authorization from the railroad commission can result in in a penalty of up to $10,000. Ed Longanecker, president of the Texas Independent Producers and Royalty Owners Association, a trade group, said the bills were their top priority. He said one of their largest members lost $1.1 million in crude oil and equipment theft and damages between 2023 and 2024. 'And, again, this is just one of thousands of operators in Texas that have been victims of these crimes,' Longanecker said. A task force led by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, he said, estimated that operators in the Permian Basin lose up to $300,000 a month in stolen tools, pipes and valves. 'Considering more than 2 billion barrels of oil and condensate were produced in Texas in 2024, the loss is estimated to be in the billions of dollars annually,' he said. ___ This story was originally published by The Texas Tribune and distributed through a partnership with The Associated Press.
