Hmmm, related topic here...

https://www.insider.com/mice-plague-poison-is-killing-dozens-of-native-wildlife-australia-2021-6

I would have thought the possibility of crossover to deer sterility would have made this a non-starter, I guess not.

Charlie

Kimble county has an association, as I believe Menard does too, that costs so much an acre that you own as a membership. Then bounties are paid off ears or tails, I can't remember which. (Along with other predators.) A neighbor told me that Menard accepts frozen tails. I replied that it reminded me of my 1st wife. I would think that any LO would pay the membership if he had hunters committed to taking hogs off his/her place. I haven't joined one yet, but may in the future. Kinda don't need the hassle of saving proof.

A guy at TWA emailed me this from USDA regarding a poison:

Notice of Availability-Decision and Finding of No Significant Impact (FONSI) for a Supplement to the Environmental Assessment (EA) entitled "Field Evaluation of HOGGONE Sodium Nitrite Toxicant Bait for Feral Swine".
05/25/2021
NOTICE OF AVAILABILITY – Alabama/Texas: Wildlife Services (WS), a program within the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service, has issued a Decision and Finding of No Significant Impact (FONSI) for a Supplement to the Environmental Assessment (EA) entitled “Field Evaluation of HOGGONE® Sodium Nitrite Toxicant Bait for Feral Swine”. The Supplement to the EA analyzed data from past research field trials and highlighted changes incorporated into the application strategies and the product HOGGONE® and their potential environmental effects. Based on the analysis in the Supplement and the associated Decision/FONSI, WS concluded that implementation of the proposed action alterative (Alternative 2) would not have a significant impact upon the quality of the human environment. WS signed the Decision and FONSI on May 3, 2021 selecting the proposed action alterative.

You can view the Decision/ FONSI and the Final EA and Supplement by going to: http://www.regulations.gov. In the search box, enter APHIS-2017-0067.
You may also request a copy of the Decision/FONSI and final EA and Supplement by sending a written request to:
Feral Swine Research Project, National Wildlife Research Center
USDA/APHIS/Wildlife Services
4101 Laporte Ave, Fort Collins, CO 80521
Phone: (970) 266-6000

As a land owner of East Texas where we are covered with hogs I have but 2 things to say.
1. I agree with flintnapper, where's the money really going?
2. What can the Aggies tell us about this? By this I mean, where's the research report?

Until these are answered, I'm nervous and ain't pulling out my wallet. The hogstop site says to purchase from your local feed store. I'll bet you lunch that the good folks at Iron Gate don't carry it.

I'd have concerns about deer management on ranches too.

It obviously states it can and will affect deer sterility.

How about your low fence neighbor that feeds this stuff free choice, and sterilizes all the bucks you've been letting age for breeding benefits?

If used properly, it may help some. But it seems there's more questions than answers at this point.

Sodium nitrite doesn’t work by sterilization. It kills the pigs outright. Also kills some other species, and apparently sterilizes others which I have never heard about until reading this here thread.

But that’s all I am gonna say about that.

Yeah BbarVRanch, but you know lots of folks aren't going to be using this stuff properly. Most will not be buying the hog-specific feeders (which aren't all that species-specific). Many aren't going to bother fully reading the directions. There will be plenty of folks that will run it through regular feeders.

The only good thing about the stuff concerning misuse is that the effects are temporary. Farmer Bubba may try the stuff, but I don't see him enduring the expense for the long term, not when the rest of his neighbors aren't using it as well.

-------------------------

Since this stuff may impact humans, has anyone found the MSDS on it? Seems like there should be one, but I can't find it.

A friend of mine dug this up. The active ingredient is cottonseed oil, but it isn't cottonseed oil that causes infertility, but gossypol that is in cottonseed oil.

NO. 12101
HogStop
Contraceptive bait for feral hogs. Reduces the fertility of male feral hogs within 5 days.
Maintains fertility interruption for at least 30 days after 5 feedings. Results may vary.
Contains only nontoxic ingredients. Contains all natural ingredients.
For use to control feral hogs (Sus scrofa) on pastures, rangeland, forests, and non-crop areas.
Suitable for use in areas adjacent to crop rows and growing areas.

Guaranteed Analysis
This part did not copy from the pdf, but appears to be the filler material for making the feed. PM with an email and I will send you the pdf


Ingredients
Active ingredients: cottonseed oil (1.0%). Inert ingredients (99.0%): sodium chloride, corn, cottonseed meal, molasses.
Feeding Directions
It is a violation of federal and state law to use this product in a manner inconsistent with its labeling. This product should only be used to control the reproduction of feral hogs. This bait should only be applied in hog feeders equipped with heavy lids (minimum of 17 lbs. total lid weight) on bait compartments to limit access by non-target animals. Locate hog feeders in or near probable resting areas for hogs as indicated by sightings, soil rooting, hog wallows, and fresh hog tracks and scat. Secure feeders in place to prevent hogs tipping them over. Ensure that there are sufficient feeders to address the hog population. Ensure that sufficient bait is available in each feeder. If moldy or spoiled bait is apparent, remove immediately and replace with fresh bait. When feeder is emptied by hogs, clean feeder of old bait residue before refilling. Collect and dispose of spilled bait properly.
Conditioning the hogs to feeders:
Bait application: Add 50+ pounds of HOGSTOP® to each feeder and close lids. Monitor feeders every 2 to 4 days after loading to determine whether hogs are accessing the bait and replenish bait as necessary. Store product in unopened bag in a cool, dry place inaccessible to children, pets, domestic animals, and other wildlife. Dispose of unused product properly.
CAUTION: May be harmful if swallowed. Dust may cause eye and respiratory irritation. Wear gloves when handling. FIRST AID: If swallowed, drink plenty of water. Do not induce vomiting. If in eyes, rinse thoroughly
with clean water. If on hands or clothing, wash thoroughly. Call a physician if discomfort occurs. KEEP OUT OF REACH OF CHILDREN.
This product has not been registered by the US Environmental Protection Agency. Corona Feed Additives, LLC represents that this product qualifies for exemption from registration under the Federal Insecticide, Fungicide, and Rodenticide Act.
HOGSTOP is a registered trademark of Corona Feed Additives, LLC of NM.
Copyright 2021 Corona Feed Additives, LLC. US Patent Pending
Manufactured For:
Corona Feed Additives, LLC
623 CR 497
Dublin, Texas 76446
(866) 850-4191
www.hogstop.com
50 lbs (22.68 KG) NET WEIGHT
12101 06/21

------------------

So the active ingredient is "cottonseed oil" which is freaking vague. What they are talking about is gossypol in the cottonseed oil.
https://www.fertileheart.com/cottonseed-and-fertility/#:~:text=Cottonseed%20contains%20toxins%20that%20harm%20male%20fertility,%20according,cells%20that%20are%20crucial%20for%20healthy%20sperm%20creation.

It would seem that gossypol can have negative impacts on cattle, but in females, not males.
https://dairy-cattle.extension.org/...-a-performance-concern-for-dairy-cattle/

Maybe not so much on fertility, but on embryo development...
https://www.researchgate.net/public...seed_products_on_reproduction_of_mammals

However, the folks at the University of Florida note that cottonseed CAN reduce the fertility of bulls...
https://edis.ifas.ufl.edu/publication/an130

So this would be a LIE that this is only harmful to monograstric animal fertility.

All of this is outside of my biological background. Maybe somebody here can shed light on the possible problems of gossypol on farm animals or wildlife.


According to my friend, what she was told is that boars need five good feedings (1 per day) to drop sperm count and then maintenance feeding to keep it suppressed. There is no such thing as a boar-specific feeder, so you are going to have to use hog-specific feeders so at least half of your HogStop is going to be eaten by sows from your hog-specific feeders. My friend could not get an estimate on the cost of the feeders but was quoted a price of $600-650 per ton for HogStop, which comes out to $15-16.25 a bag but will probably include a by bag upcharge for the bag, labor etc. in bagging.

Wonder if it would work on Raccoons.

They are the second biggest pest on my property.

Hog specific feeding areas?

I will stick to shooting and trapping.

We raise cattle and hunt if we farmed crops I might sing a different tune.

They need something to work on the sows, one boar can slip by this and keep a lot of sows kicking out more.

Right. Lone boars may serve multiple sounders. As the sounder goes about its travels, it may move to an area where there is a boar that doesn't hit the particular feeder. So while all the juvenile boars in the sounder may go sterile, the outsider lone boar the sounder comes in contact with may be fully viable and quite happy.

If you have one viable boar and 50 sows, you are apt to have 50 pregnant sows. If you have 50 viable boars and one viable sow, you can only have one pregnant sow.

If I'm going to feed them anything, I want them dead. To heck with a steady diet of come over here and eat out of your special feeder. That's not helping the rooting and destruction one bit.
You're actually encouraging them to hang around? Not gonna work.

It is true enough that they are attracted to a steady food source. On the other hand....I've had pretty good luck setting up feeders back the wooded areas of my property which tends to keep them out of my pastures. Not 100% of course, but it does make a difference. I have a couple of dedicated hog stands that I shoot them from.

In my case... the location of my land, the topography and resources (food, bedding areas, water) combine to insure I will always have hogs whether I bait them or not. But that is not the situation for everyone, I understand.

Not on my place. Hope my neighbors look long and hard at it as well.