Lawmakers in North Carolina and Pennsylvania are fighting for the state to allow Sunday hunting in an attempt to eradicate centuries-old laws which they say hinder economic growth and impede on basic homeowner rights.

Hog hunting is becoming increasingly popular in the southern Gulf States, where the feral hog population is growing at an alarming rate. A non-native species, feral hogs are aggressive animals that breed quickly and threaten the safety of native wildlife and crop. The current estimated feral hog population in the United States is in the millions; Texas alone currently has a population of almost 2.6 million. With the hog’s current breeding rate, about 70 percent of the population needs to be eradicated annually to prevent further growth.

Feral hogs are a destructive species which threaten the native wildlife and crop of the states they invade. Their omnivore diet and ability to adapt to environments give them an advantage over native species, and their high rate of reproduction puts residents and landowners at a disadvantage. The current estimated feral hog population in the United States is in the millions.

Two bills currently pending approval in the Louisiana House of Representatives aim to loosen the hunting regulations surrounding feral hog hunting, with the ultimate goal of reducing the escalating feral hog population in the state.

Rural Missouri is being plagued by a “dark force” according to one landowner: feral hogs.

Rural Ozark County landowner Mark Eisenmann told the Ozark County Times that feral hogs are overtaking the farmland in Ozark, leading landowners – fearful for both their safety and their crop – to join forces with the Missouri Department of Conservation (MDC) to “eradicate” feral hogs in the state.