‘Hog Apocalypse' on Hold After Poison Manufacturer Pulls Out of Texas

AUSTIN — The manufacturer of a controversial bait used to kill feral hogs withdrew its state registration for the poison, putting Agriculture Commissioner Sid Miller's plans for a Texas "Hog Apocalypse" on hold. "We have received tremendous support from farmers and ranchers in the State of Texas, and have empathy for the environmental devastation, endangered species predation, and crop damage being inflicted there by a non-native animal," the Colorado-based company Scimetrics wrote in a news release Monday. "However, under the threat of many lawsuits, our family owned company cannot at this time risk the disruption of our business and continue to compete with special interests in Texas that have larger resources to sustain a lengthy legal battle."Earlier this year, Miller announced that he wanted to use the poison to take out the state's invasive feral hog population and that using the poison could save the Department of Agriculture $900,000 that was designated for feral hog control. He wrote that the poison could mean "the 'Hog Apocalypse' may finally be on the horizon."  Continue reading...