I support the RKBA , I own a gun , I hunt , but

[Katya Mullethov]

"But I like to do it from the back of daddy's helicopter . "
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xiHmYsyVniE&feature=popt11us16&hd=1

[BrklynLiberal]

1. Must be related to the barracuda. She likes to hunt wolves from planes.

[PavePusher]

2. Just for the record...

Hunting from an aircraft is incredibly difficult. It's hard enough to hit a stationary target by a stationary shooter. Aerial "hunting" is mostly a pest-control tactic, which is what this looks like. (Yes, wild pigs are pests in many places.) It's meant to down as many fast-moving animals as possible, as quickly as possible. (This is known as 'efficiency'.) There is/should be a crew on the ground during/after the shoot to administer any required coup-de-gras and to collect the carcasses. The shooters are using semi-autos because they are ideal for this task, where it takes several shots to hit a target.

[Euromutt]

3. The sidebar does say the targets are feral hogs

You're right that this isn't "hunting," strictly speaking, it's pest control. And given that these are feral hogs, we're not talking about partially eradicating native wildlife; we're talking about culling an introduced critter that was never meant to be introduced. And the use of semi-autos is not just because it may take multiple shots to hit a target, but also to be able to engage as many of them. There's segments in that video where the helo's chasing more entire packs.

That pilot's got a pair of brass ones, incidentally; judging by the shadow of the helicopter in the image, and the fact that you can hear some of the pigs squealing and grunting as they're taken down, he's got to be keeping the bird so close to the ground that he's at risk of coming home with several Stetsons impaled on the skids.

[spin]

4. Wild boar hunting in Florida...

Hogs are anything but endangered. In Florida, they are something like the computer virus of the mammal world, known for a voracious appetite for fragile native plants, birds, snakes and small animals. A couple of hungry hogs, rooting for vittles during the wee hours, can turn a lush field into a moonscape by sunrise. The state hires folks such as Whidden to get rid of them.
http://www.sptimes.com/2006/05/07/Floridian/Hog_wild.shtml


Civilians also hunt them. Let me tell you, they are damn tasty if properly prepared.

[Hoopla Phil]

5. I had to back out of an opportunity to hunt hogs from a helo.

Talk about a meat harvest! I didn't get to go but my buddies sure were generous with the harvest.


Edit to add: My missed opportunity was also in Nueces county.