Representative Phillip Lowe, (R) Florence-Sumter counties, has introduced a bill, H.4943, which would allow people to hunt hogs, coyotes and armadillos at night from March to June.
"It's time for South Carolina to declare war on hogs, coyotes and armadillos. Those animals were introduced to this state. They're not a native species and they're invasive and just taking over. We've got problems from the hogs they reproduce so quickly our daytime hunting keeping them thinned out," said Rep. Lowe.
Lowe says right now you can hunt the animals during the daytime and at night, but with just a pistol and dogs.
His bill allows you to hunt at night with a bow and shotgun with the use of bait. You would need to be on an elevated stand if you use a high powered rifle.
He says coyotes are problem because their eating on the deer fawn.
Lowe said, "Eighty percent mortality of deer fawn are caused by coyotes."
He added the animals are now starting to go near people's homes and eat their pets.
Lowe believes something has got to be done to stop the expansion of the animals because they're wreaking havoc across the state.
He says the South Carolina Department of Natural Resources estimate there are as many as 150,000 wild hogs in South Carolina, but Lowe believes the figure is much higher. He says a Midlands farmer killed 260 wild hogs last year and 62 so far this year.
"All 46 counties have problems with coyotes and hogs. You can look across the southeast and there wreaking havoc on farms and on timberlands, " explained Lowe.
Lowe believes his bill will pass the House and Senate and become law.
