New feral hog contraceptive aims to curb population over time

AUSTIN, Texas - HogStop, a new hog contraceptive, is being released this week with the goal of curbing the growth of Texas's feral hog population over time.

Texas Agriculture Commissioner Sid Miller announced the new bait, saying that "the feral hog problem has exploded into a crisis."

"Texas farmers and ranchers need every tool they can get their hands on to stop these hogs," said Miller. "With this new product, we’re one step closer to my goal of making feral hogs an endangered species in Texas."

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According to recent reports, the feral hog population in Texas has swelled to over 2.6 million and cause an estimated $52 million in damages, not just to farm and ranch land, but to urban areas, parks, golf courses. Feral hogs were even responsible for at least one human death in the last few years, says Miller's office.

An all-natural contraceptive bait, HogStop targets the male hog’s prodigious ability to reproduce. Feral hogs have the highest reproduction rate of any similar species and can produce a new litter every three months or so and can produce litters of up to 20.

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"I am very excited about this new product, Hogstop," Miller said. "This could be a great new weapon in the war on feral hogs. It appears that unlike other hog baits, this is not a poison. Instead, it interrupts the reproduction of this animal over time and therefore makes the product more humane. Hogstop, or any other product that is available to help Texas farmers and ranchers curb the damage done by these feral hogs, is welcomed at the Texas Department of Agriculture."