Helicopter Hog Hunting in South Texas
Fly low and fast over 13,000+ acres of private South Texas ranch country with an experienced crew putting you right on the hogs. Hunts run year round, so there is no season to wait on, and three hunters is all it takes to get your group in the air.
Hunting hogs from a helicopter is about as different from a regular hunt as it gets. You are moving fast and low over the brush, picking out hogs as they break cover, with the pilot working the country and the crew right there beside you calling it out.
Here is how it goes. Everybody sits down for a safety and firearms briefing before anyone leaves the ground. You will be shooting a semi automatic AR-15 fitted with a red holographic optic, and we will walk you through all of it. Then you are up over the senderos, the brush, and the open grazing country.
You do not need any experience for this. Most of our guests have never shot from the air before, and the crew stays with you the whole way.
The best part about hogs is that they do not have a season. Dove and quail each have their window, but you can book a helicopter hog hunt with us any month of the year. That makes it a good fit for corporate groups, birthdays, and anyone coming to visit outside of bird season.
These hunts stay private and dates are limited. You will need at least three hunters in your group, and we would suggest booking early and leaving a little room in your travel plans, since we cannot fly when the weather turns.
What’s Included in Helicopter Hog Hunts at Lopez Ranch Properties
Private Group
Helicopter Hog Hunts
Minimum Group Size: 3 Hunters
Flight Time Booked by the Hour
Robinson R22 and R44 Helicopters
Semi-Automatic AR-15 with Red Holographic Optic Provided
Safety and Firearms Briefing before Every Flight
Experienced Pilot and Crew
Hunts Flown over Senderos, Brush, and Open Grazing Country
Ranch Transportation once you’re on Property
50% Deposit Required to Reserve Your Dates
Not Included
Lodging and Meals
Travel to the Ranch
Pilot and Crew Gratuity
Personal Items
What a Helicopter Hog Hunt Looks Like
Most groups roll in the evening before or early that morning. We start with the safety briefing, walk through the AR-15 and how it handles around the aircraft, and go over what the crew will be asking of you once you are up.
Then you fly. The helicopter stays low and moves slow over the brush while the pilot reads the country. When hogs break, the crew lines you up and calls the shot. It happens quick, and it is nothing like sitting in a blind.
Flight time is booked by the hour. The R22 takes one hunter at a time and the R44 takes more, so your group rotates through and everybody gets their turn in the air.
A few things to sort out before you book. Every hunter needs to be 18 or older, and there is a limit of 300 pounds and 6’5 per seat. Let us know your group and we will make sure everyone is set.
A Five-Generation Family Ranch Experience
Lopez Ranch Properties is part of a family legacy spanning five generations in South Texas. Lauro Lopez Sr., known as Don Lauro, was the first Lopez to run the land and helped pioneer the use of buffelgrass in the area. The family later established its cattle operation with Santa Gertrudis cattle from the King Ranch.
Today, guests get to experience that same working ranch heritage through helicopter hog hunts, wingshooting in season, wildlife viewing, ranch activities, and time spent together at the lodge.
Aerial Hog Hunting over Private South Texas Ranch Country
You will see country from the air that most folks never get to see at all. Native brush, prickly pear, senderos running off in every direction, open grazing land, and South Texas sky as far as you can look. The hogs move through all of it, working between cover, water, and feed, which is exactly why aerial hog hunting works so well on a place this size. When you are back on the ground, you have got the whole ranch to yourself.
No Hunting License Required for Helicopter Hog Hunting in Texas
Good news on this one. Texas treats feral hogs as a nuisance species because of the damage they do to pastures, fences, and crops, so you do not need a hunting license to take them on private land with the landowner’s permission. Our hunts are flown as aerial depredation on our own ranch under a Texas Parks and Wildlife permit, and we handle that side of it. All we need from you is a valid photo ID and a signed waiver before you fly.
Visiting from outside the US? You are welcome to join a hunt. A passport works just fine.
What a Helicopter Hog Hunt Looks Like
Most groups roll in the evening before or early that morning. We start with the safety briefing, walk through the AR-15 and how it handles around the aircraft, and go over what the crew will be asking of you once you are up.
Then you fly. The helicopter stays low and moves slow over the brush while the pilot reads the country. When hogs break, the crew lines you up and calls the shot. It happens quick, and it is nothing like sitting in a blind.
Flight time is booked by the hour. The R22 takes one hunter at a time and the R44 takes more, so your group rotates through and everybody gets their turn in the air.
A few things to sort out before you book. Every hunter needs to be 18 or older, and there is a limit of 300 pounds and 6’5 per seat. Let us know your group and we will make sure everyone is set.
Aerial Hog Hunting over Private South Texas Ranch Country
You will see country from the air that most folks never get to see at all. Native brush, prickly pear, senderos running off in every direction, open grazing land, and South Texas sky as far as you can look. The hogs move through all of it, working between cover, water, and feed, which is exactly why aerial hog hunting works so well on a place this size. When you are back on the ground, you have got the whole ranch to yourself.
A Five-Generation Family Ranch Experience
Lopez Ranch Properties is part of a family legacy spanning five generations in South Texas. Lauro Lopez Sr., known as Don Lauro, was the first Lopez to run the land and helped pioneer the use of buffelgrass in the area. The family later established its cattle operation with Santa Gertrudis cattle from the King Ranch.
Today, guests get to experience that same working ranch heritage through helicopter hog hunts, wingshooting in season, wildlife viewing, ranch activities, and time spent together at the lodge.
No Hunting License Required for Helicopter Hog Hunting in Texas
Good news on this one. Texas treats feral hogs as a nuisance species because of the damage they do to pastures, fences, and crops, so you do not need a hunting license to take them on private land with the landowner’s permission. Our hunts are flown as aerial depredation on our own ranch under a Texas Parks and Wildlife permit, and we handle that side of it. All we need from you is a valid photo ID and a signed waiver before you fly.
Visiting from outside the US? You are welcome to join a hunt. A passport works just fine.
Secure Your Spot for a Helicopter Hog Hunt
Place a 50% deposit to lock in your dates exclusively for your group. Our team will be in touch within 24 hours to confirm your flight time and group size.
Hunting Availability
September 2026Secure Your Spot
Place a deposit to lock in this date exclusively for your group. Our team will contact you within 24 hours to confirm your package details and group size.
Hunting Availability
October 2026Secure Your Spot
Place a deposit to lock in this date exclusively for your group. Our team will contact you within 24 hours to confirm your package details and group size.
Helicopter Hog Hunting Prices in South Texas
Day Hunt
Helicopter Hog Hunt
$1745 Per Hunter, Per Hour
- Private helicopter hog hunt in South Texas
- Priced per hunter, per hour of flight time
- Semi-automatic AR-15 with red holographic optic provided
- Safety and firearms briefing before every flight
- 3-hunter minimum required
- Deposit 50% and Reserve your dates
Helicopter Hog Hunt Highlights
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Helicopter Hog Hunt Testimonials
Frequently Asked Questions
How much does a helicopter hog hunt cost?
Helicopter hog hunts at Lopez Ranch are $1,745 per hunter, per hour of flight time, with a three-hunter minimum. Most Texas outfitters land somewhere between $1,700 and $3,000 per hunter. If you want to add lodging and meals at the lodge, get in touch and we will put a price together for your group.
Do dove hunts have a minimum group size?
No. Texas dropped the license requirement for feral hogs on private land, so all you need is a valid photo ID and a signed waiver. You would only need a license if you were after something else while you were here, like bobcat or coyote.
Is helicopter hog hunting legal in Texas?
Yes. Texas passed what most people call the pork chopper law back in 2011, which opened aerial hog hunting up to paying guests. Hunts are flown as depredation under a Texas Parks and Wildlife permit, and ours take place on our own private ranch.
Is helicopter hog hunting safe?
It is, as long as everyone follows the rules, and that is exactly what the briefing is for. Nobody goes up until we have walked through firearm handling around the aircraft, how the crew will communicate with you, and what to do at every stage of the flight. You will be secured in the aircraft the whole time, and the crew is right there with you.
What gun will I be shooting?
A semi automatic AR-15 fitted with a red holographic optic. It is provided as part of your hunt, and the crew will run you through it during the safety briefing before you fly.
Are there weight, height, or age requirements?
Yes. There is a limit of 300 pounds and 6’5 per seat, and every hunter needs to be 18 or older. Let us know your group when you book and we will make sure everyone is set.
What happens if the weather turns?
For safety, we do not fly when winds go over 20 knots, or during lightning or freezing precipitation. We watch the forecast closely and make the call on postponing one to two days before your flight. If we have to postpone, we will adjust your flight time, reschedule you, or refund your deposit.
What happens to the hogs after the hunt?
This is a depredation hunt rather than a meat hunt, so hogs taken from the air are left where they fall. That is standard for aerial hunting across Texas. If you are after meat or a trophy, ask us about a ground hunt instead
How many hogs can you shoot on a helicopter hunt?
There is no bag limit on feral hogs in Texas. What you take comes down to your flight time, the conditions that day, and how the hogs are moving. Some flights are busy from the start and others take a while to turn up a sounder.
Do I need hunting or shooting experience?
Not at all, and most of our guests have never shot from the air before. You will get a full safety and firearms briefing before you fly, and the crew stays with you the entire time.
What kind of helicopter do you fly?
Robinson R22s and R44s. Both are well suited to the low, slow flying this kind of hunting calls for, and the R44 is the aircraft most Texas outfitters use for hog work.
What is the best time of year for a heli hog hunt?
Hogs do not have a season, so you can book any month of the year. The cooler months from about January through March give you thinner brush and better visibility from the air, but we fly year round as long as the weather holds.
How far is the ranch from major cities?
About an hour south of Laredo, an hour from McAllen, and two and a half hours south of San Antonio.