Will Antifreeze Kill Wild Hogs?

Fact checked by Steven Lines, lifelong Hunter, and Outdoorsman.

Wild hogs (feral hogs/feral pigs) can breed and populate an area in record time, and most places are fighting the results of overpopulation. So what can be done to reduce their numbers? Things like hunting, trapping, and even poison can kill wild hogs, but each method has its challenges. Some toxins can even be found in your house or garage, but will something like antifreeze kill a wild hog? 

The antifreeze will kill wild hogs if it is ingested. Not only is this substance toxic to wild animals like feral hogs, but it can also be hazardous to domesticated livestock and even pets. Because antifreeze is a ubiquitous substance used worldwide, there are many cases of animals ingesting it and later dying. 

To better control the populations of wild hogs, some people may wonder if using antifreeze to poison wild hogs intentionally may be a good idea. Let’s dive into what makes antifreeze toxic to animals like feral hogs and why mixing it in your bait may not be a good idea.

What Makes Antifreeze Hazardous to Animal?

So what makes antifreeze so dangerous to animals and humans alike? It all has to do with the chemicals that are found in it. One of the key ingredients found in antifreeze is called ethylene glycol. This substance is very toxic and will destroy the nervous system, liver, and kidneys of the organism that ingests it. What makes it even worse is that ethylene glycol has a sweet taste, so many animals will be attracted by it and want to eat it. 

It only takes minimal doses to be lethal to an animal. Potential problems and signs of poisoning can show up in an animal in a matter of hours after ingesting it. Still, after six to twelve hours, the animal will be significantly dysfunctional and potentially even death. Antifreeze is a crucial component of many things during the winter, including vehicles. If a small leak were to occur, a pet such as a dog or a cat, or other domestic animals could have easy access to it. Even a lick or two is enough to poison or kill a small animal severely. There are thousands of deaths of pets every year attributed to accidental poisoning due to antifreeze.

How Does Antifreeze Kill Wild Hogs?

Just as we mentioned that antifreeze is toxic to pets, it is equally dangerous to wild hogs. Luckily wild hogs do not have as much access to antifreeze as domesticated animals do. But for landowners and ranchers who want to control feral hog populations, using antifreeze to intentionally poison and kill wild hogs is a common thought. While antifreeze can poison wild hogs and help manage their populations, it is not as easy as one would think and has many potential downsides. 

Firstly, intentionally poisoning wild hogs is considered illegal in most areas. One should carefully study the local and state regulations to see if baiting and poisoning wild hogs are legal. Even if it is, antifreeze is not a great option for several reasons. Not only can it accidentally poison other animal species such as deer, turkey, livestock, and even pets, but it can pass these toxins on once the wild hog is dead. 

A dead hog can be consumed by other animals, potentially passing on the toxins to other creatures and the environment. Not only that, but death from antifreeze poisoning is a slow and painful process. There are different, more ethical methods of controlling the populations of wild hogs without poisoning them to avoid having animals suffer unnecessarily.

Alternatives for Controlling Wild Hogs

Attempting to poison wild hogs to control their populations better can be effective, but it has too many downsides to be considered the best method. Hunting and shooting wild hogs is the most popular method, as it reduces the risk of other species being affected. Most states will allow hunting both day and night, with very liberal hunting seasons. They also generally do not have bag limits on the number of hogs that you can kill, encouraging hunters to shoot as many as they possibly can. 

Trapping is another method often used to reduce wild hog numbers and can help catch and kill higher numbers of pigs at one time. With specially designed hog traps, landowners can trap multiple hogs at one time by baiting them to a specific area. From there, they can be used for their meat. When wild hogs are poisoned, you cannot know where the animal dies and are unable to salvage the carcass. Even if you could find it, the meat would be unsafe to eat due to the poison in the body. 

While hunting and trapping are easily the safest methods of controlling wild hogs, they are not quite as effective as poison. This means many people will still illegally poison them to reduce their numbers instead of taking the time and extra work to hunt or trap them. But as we mentioned, poison has many adverse side effects, while trapping and hunting are much more humane and will give you access to delicious meat. 

Final Thought

So will antifreeze kill wild hogs? Yes, it will, although it should never be used to do it intentionally. Antifreeze is also dangerous to other animals and even humans, so it should be used with extreme caution. Luckily there are more ethical ways to help manage wild hog population numbers, so you do not have to use antifreeze to do it! 

Steven Lines is a hunter and outdoorsman from Safford, Arizona, USA. Since he was a child, he has been hunting and fishing and has over 20 years of outdoor experience. Steven works as a hunting guide in Arizona during his spare time and runs a Youtube channel dedicated to sharing his outdoor adventures with others.

Sources

• https://www.aspca.org/news/digging-deeper-getting-facts-dangers-antifreeze-and-your-pets
• https://www.theatlantic.com/science/archive/2021/05/poison-feral-hogs/618902/
• https://feralhogs.extension.org/control-methods/