A bill targeting damage by feral swine and deer made it to the Senate floor Tuesday but still awaits a final vote. 

HB 21 by Rep. Jack Williams, R-Wilmer, would allow the harvest of whitetail deer and feral swine using feed, provided the hunter has purchased a baiting privilege license. The license would cost $15 for in-state hunters and $50 for out-of-state sportsmen. 

Supporters of HB 21 cleared a procedural hurdle called the Budget Isolation Resolution (BIR), but were unable to gather enough votes to cut off debate. The bill could come back for a final vote prior to the end of the session, which could be next week.

Current law allows the feeding of feral swine and deer if the feed is beyond 100 yards and not in line of sight of the hunter. However, interpretation and enforcement of the rule has varied. (Federation Monitoring)