Relating to the taking of aoudad sheep by using a helicopter.

Contracts

• Landowner Authorizations (LOA): Existing LOAs specifying "feral hogs and coyotes" are legally insufficient for aoudad. You must draft and execute addendums explicitly authorizing the take of "depredating aoudad sheep."
• Indemnification Clauses: Helicopter operators must amend Master Service Agreements (MSAs) to require landowners to warrant that the aoudad are causing damage. The contract must indemnify the operator against regulatory action should the landowner misrepresent the "depredating" status of the animals.
• Insurance Policies: Aviation liability policies often restrict "predator control" to specific species. You must secure a rider or written confirmation from your underwriter that aerial aoudad management is a covered activity.

Hiring/Training

• Pilot Protocols: Flight plans and pilot logs must explicitly state "Aoudad/Exotic Control" as the mission objective.
• Staff Education: Field staff must be trained that this is a management activity, not a sport hunt. The distinction is legal, not merely semantic.

Reporting & Record-Keeping

• Permit Modification: Current AWMP holders must apply for a permit amendment. Do not operate under an existing hog/coyote permit without the specific aoudad endorsement.
• Evidence of Depredation: Unlike feral hogs, aoudad are game animals. You must maintain an internal compliance file containing photographic evidence of aoudad-related damage (crop destruction, fence damage, or competition with native bighorn sheep) to survive a potential TPWD audit.
• Segregated Reporting: Quarterly reports to TPWD must segregate aoudad take numbers from other species.

Fees & Costs

• Administrative Costs: Anticipate legal costs for redrafting LOAs and MSAs.
• Insurance Premiums: Potential increase in aviation liability premiums due to the shift from "pest control" (hogs) to "large game management" (aoudad).