A New Toxicant Tool Decreases Feral Hog Populations in Texas

Explosive numbers, deadly destruction, devastating economic impact. Is it possible to control the spiraling feral hog population in Texas?

A new Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Service study shows a warfarin-based toxicant could help slow the out-of-control feral hog numbers by serving as an effective option for landowners and to help minimize damage on their property.

“Texas A&M AgriLife experts are the leading authorities on feral hog control in the nation, and we are the first to test this in a real-world application and to show that this warfarin-based toxicant can be effective for reducing these pests,” explains John Sharp, Chancellor of the Texas A&M University System. “Unabated feral hog populations threaten our natural resources, our livelihoods and our quality of life, and our goal, as a land-grant institution, is to provide safe, effective, science-backed solutions for all Texans.”

The two-year study took place on 23 sites in 10 counties across the various regions of the state. Conducted by Department of Rangeland, Wildlife and Fisheries Management associate professor and AgriLife Extension wildlife specialist John Tomeček, and Michael Bodenchuk, director of Texas Wildlife Services, the teams were able to effectively and efficiently reduce feral hog numbers with diligent application of the product, according to a release.

“Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Service was tasked with evaluating the product’s ability to reduce feral hog numbers and damage in regions across the state and seasons of the year,” Tomeček says. “We found that it can be highly effective when utilized correctly and saw no access to the toxicant by non-target species when all feeder devices functioned properly.”

This study is an important step in the fight to curb the economic and environmental impact of feral hogs in Texas and across the nation, Sharp says. With more than 3 million feral hogs causing more than $500 million in damage to agriculture and private property throughout Texas each year, feral hogs are a burden that also destroy native wildlife and disturb native ecosystems.

Toxicant as a Tool

Researchers conducted field evaluations of a low-dose warfarin-based toxicant to determine its efficacy in various regions of the state and to assess the product’s ability to help landowners prevent property damage and economic harm from feral hogs. AgriLife Extension specialists worked with private landowners on recommended application methodologies to provide real-world testing conditions for the product and the suggested best practices, the release explains.

Bait that included warfarin was placed in specially designed dispensers that prevent access by non-target species, Tomeček says. Feral hogs were conditioned to access the bait before the product was applied. Once the product was applied, feral hogs consumed lethal doses within five days of consistent access to the bait.

Tomeček points out that the product is not considered acutely toxic to non-target animals in the event some might gain limited access to the bait. It's also not found at lethal levels within the tissue of deceased feral hogs.

The key is to "correctly and consistently" use the warfarin-based toxicant. 

After a trial period of close supervision and instruction, landowners in the study applied and managed the bait themselves. During the project, the Texas A&M AgriLife team made several discoveries that will help increase efficacy of the product when applied, the release said.

• Landowners who checked the feeder for mechanical issues and replaced bait consistently as part of their regular maintenance schedule reported sharp declines in feral hog numbers and damage levels over the seasons of the year.
• Landowners who did not adhere to instruction reported mixed to low success in curbing feral hog numbers on their property. These results were true, regardless of the season of the year or the region of the state where the trial was being conducted.

With threats of African swine fever (ASF) and other foreign animal diseases getting closer to the U.S., wild hog control is becoming an even more critical topic as wild hogs serve as vectors of disease.

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