Photo Credit: Hillebrand, Steve, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service
By Carolyn Harper
On April 3, the Texas House Public Health Committee unanimously (with two members absent) voted to move to a full House vote legislation that would require any toxic pesticide used against feral hogs in Texas to undergo strict independent scientific study before being spread across the state. State Rep. Lynn Stucky (R-Denton), author of the bill, stated, “We are very pleased to have this unanimous vote in the Public Health Committee. This bill has overwhelming support in the House of Representatives with 124 members of the House signed as authors or coauthors. We are looking forward to a quick, overwhelming vote on the House floor.”
In February, Texas Agriculture Commissioner Sid Miller announced plans to use the pesticide Kaput Feral Hog Bait, a pesticide derived from the prescription blood thinner warfarin, to combat the feral hog populations across the state. Environmental groups (like us), ranchers, veterinarians, hunters, wildlife specialists, and property owners quickly raised concerns about use of the untested and potentially dangerous pesticide on state feral hog populations. Death from the Kaput Feral Hog Bait can take 1-31 days, and a slow death by internal bleeding is not humane. There is also the risk that during that time period the hog could be collected by a hunter and poison any who consume the hog meat. The poison could also end up in the ecosystem and create further problems. The use of Kaput would also put grazing livestock at risk and limit grazing areas as ranchers would not be able to graze their livestock in areas where Kaput has been set out. Kaput Feral Hog Bait is not the answer to Texas’ feral hog problem.
Passage of this legislation is a win for the “Don’t Poison Texas” coalition, a coalition of ranchers, veterinarians, hunters, wildlife specialists and property owners, and its allies. State Sen. Kirk Watson (D-Austin) has introduced the Senate companion to this bill in the Texas Senate, saying, “This bill also has strong bipartisan support in the Senate, and we look forward to quick action in the Senate as well.”
Check out the Lone Star Chapter’s blog posts on this issue here and here.