Home Forums Hunting & Shooting General Big Game Feral Hog Poisoning: Is this a good thing?

Feral Hog Poisoning in Texas

Texas has a feral hog problem.

The state's agriculture commissioner said Tuesday that he has a solution: a human blood-thinner that proves especially deadly in swine.

Sid Miller, the commissioner, said there is only a “minimal” threat to other animals. Hunters will be able to see that the substance was consumed because the fat will be bright blue, MyStatesman.com reported.

“They’re so prolific, you can’t hardly keep them in check,” Miller told the paper. “This is going to be the hog apocalypse, if you like: If you want them gone, this will get them gone.”

The paper reported that the pesticide used is called “Kaput Feral Hog Lure,” which will be bait laced with warfarin—the human blood thinner.

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State officials have downplayed the threat to other wildlife. But some hunters disagree, and say poison is not a viable option. Hunters in the state have collected more than 12,000 signatures in opposition of the poison.

The report said that Louisiana is considering the poison, but one state wildlife official warned that the crumbs that a hog leaves behind could affect black bears and other animals.

These feral hogs cost the state’s agriculture industry about $50 million a year in damage. The Austin Statesman reported that these hogs were introduced to North America by Spanish settlers who released domestic pigs into the woods to breed.

The state already allows aerial hunting which reportedly results in about 27,000 killed hogs annually.

“We don’t think poison is the way to go,” Eydin Hansen, the vice president of the Texas Hog Hunters Association, told CBSNews.com. He went on to say, “If a hog is poisoned, do I want to feed it to my family? I can tell you, I don’t.”He also mentioned the risks of another animal—like a coyote—eating a dead carcass. “We’re gonna after possible the whole ecosystem.”

Mixed reservations here. I realize I'm in an extreme minority. I don't have any vested financial interest in any agricultural activities other than my garden. Been around wild hogs for almost 40 years. Hunted on family and friends ranches that have had hogs present for decades. And yes, Ive seen all the damage they are capable of committing. I realize they can be a serious environmental and agricultural issue,,,,,, but,,,,,,

I've never considered them a problem. And I've killed many in my back yard.

To me there exist considerable greater environmental and agricultural concerns that wild pigs. Cracker box urban sprawl subdivisions, wildlife habitat, and agricultural land loss bother me more.

I know I'm about to get flamed. But I've gone on the record before that I will take the pigs over people any day!

Flame away!!

^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^X2!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Humans are my least favorite protected species.

There are a lot of pigs in S.Tex. Poison is not the way to get rid of a pig problem.if this stuff will kill a pig it will kill anything that consumes the poison, or eats the pig that consumes the poison, I have seen the results of critters eating poisoned cattle and hogs, there will be dead birds, dead coyotes, coons,and other critters including town dogs, laying around close by, poison is not a good idea. Rio7

Curious to know just how much of that $50 Million "agriculture" damage annually is really golf course manager and neighborhood association dictators complaining???

There was a guy in the shop other day who just opened a new water park btwn Austin and Bastrop, complaining about the hogs rooting up his place. Was an old mesquite infested cow pasture, before it was a water park. Dunno where his water comes from. Possibly from one of the several dozen local gravel pits that have destroyed the Colorado river, just across the highway.

FWIW IMO that make 2 for Sid Miller, his botched PR push on the "2 hunters shot by Aliens" story in west Texas that turned into a total cluster and both guys are now charged with felony's for trying to kill each other..and now this thing with Pig Poison...that's gonna wind up killing everything that eats it at some point in the food chain.

Mebbe Sid needs to change his own diet 1st to poisoned Wild Hog meat, so we can see how that works out for him... before we start doing it indescriminatly on a statewide basis.

Yes I've seen miles long strips of hog damage, I saw a dead BIG pig on the hwy last Monday and looked for the wrecked car until I saw the Kenmore bumper sized caved in skull. Here in East Texas this is not new news...but Posioning them??? Nope that ain't gonna do nuthin but create another environmental disaster the size of the State of Texas. Sid...Don't Poop in MY Yard and expect me to thank you.
JMHO & YMMV
Ron

Spreading poison unchecked in the environment is never a good thing. It will affect everything in the ecosystem including humans. What if you ate a hog that had only consumed a little poison? One that wandered 30 miles form the baited ranch so no one would suspect a poisoned hog to be shot?

Too bad Sid Miller was not shot by aliens or space men or whoever.

This in spades. Hasbeen

Will wolves kill them? That'll be the next thing they do. Maybe a bounty on them. I know the buggers tear up everything and I sure don't envy you all that have to live with them.
I have heard of folks using a substance they get at flower shops to kill coyotes and such. It raises blood sugar levels to lethal limits. Not sure if that would work on pigs though. I believe it's the cut flower food but not 100%. I would think that would have less environmental impact if it worked. Hope they can manage something.

Frankly I think it's a horrible idea and hope to heck we don't start doing it here (Florida). But as someone on another forum put it, just as soon as an eagle, Florida Panther, or some other endangered species dies - not to mention someone actually eats a tainted hog and gets sick or dies - that law will change pretty quick.

Just my $.02

RM

I should probably amend my statement below;

"To me there exist considerable greater environmental and agricultural concerns that wild pigs. Cracker box urban sprawl subdivisions, wildlife habitat/agricultural land loss, and Ag Comm SID MILLER bother me more."

This.

The collateral damage risk is just too high.

I knew this from when they first started doing the studies.

Firmly believe the "fix" is more problematic than the problem.

For some insight from folks in Texas who are in the middle of this questio, you might try pulling up "Texas Hunting Forum, scroll down and look for the " Hog & Javelina" board, and read RexMitchell's thread. Lots of info from mfg'ers on the use of several drugs. too.

This is NOT gonna go away anytime soon, and the vagaries of application with the product in question scare the bejesus out of me since I have 4 heart stents and a lifetime scrip of Plavix, an anti clotting agent to protect...so all of a sudden this Poisoning Hog thing has gotten real up close and personal.

IMO PLUS the killing and diposition of the hog's carcass is pretty much fixin to be a SSS proposition, with the possible legal ramifications involved.
Ron

I've been telling Texas Parks & Wildlife Directors for several years that I did not think poison was a good idea. I'll be seeing them again Friday at the Texas Outdoor Writer's Association Conference, and I'll be telling them again. Not that much of anybody cares what I think, though.

Mike

Gotta ask this after another thread that ran earlier. If the hogs are such a problem, and I believe they are, why does it cost so darn much to hunt them?

Sad. I raised a family on venison and wild hogs. Always considered wild Hogs manna from
Heaven. Personally speaking, I rather have two plump 30 pound shoats slow cooking on the pit that 200 pounds of venison in the freezer. JMHO.

Sounds like a bad idea. Poison the pigs and you poison the predators and scavengers too. Not to mention anybody who eats them.

Because some people are willing to pay so much to hunt them.

Thats what I figured, let the market set prices. But why don't some landowners offer baited stands at cheaper prices? Get someone to pay you a few bucks to shoot your problem. Or would the hogs wise up, and the whole dealing with people thing, become too much trouble. We had a small batch get started here, people were shooting the crap out of them. Then the PGC brought in trappers and banned hunting them. I am very cynical of the PGC, but I have not seen or heard of the hogs for a good while.

Personally, I won't pay to hunt hogs and to date, haven't paid to hunt deer except the annual public hunting permit costs, license and typical travel expenses. I'd prefer folks weren't willing to pay so much to hunt hogs or anything else for that matter. But they do and so it goes. There are landowners that will allow hunting on their property, especially for hogs. Trouble is, the trust factor. It's so much easier if they know you or someone they know can vouch for you. Too many will litter, leave gates open, shoot livestock, damage fences, invite others not authorized, etc. Rotten apples always spoil the barrel.

Frankly, the occasional hunter doesn't control much population given the rate sows spit out piglets. Trapping is probably one of the best ways to really work it. Thinking from the landowner's point of view, a more effective hunting solution might be to bring a large group of hunters and do a thorough, organized drive hunt. Especially, if the hogs are bedded down on their property and not just coming there to feed.