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Arkansas has approved new rules for warfarin-based bait used to poison feral hogs. The Arkansas Legislative Council signed off on the change to the state’s pesticide rules, which took effect June 29.
The rule creates a pesticide category, called Class J, for warfarin products used against feral hogs. It adds state limits on when, where and by whom the bait can be used.
Even so, the rule does not let anyone buy or use the bait yet. Before any product can be sold in Arkansas, the Arkansas State Plant Board must register it, and that has not happened. The board handles pesticide registration through the Arkansas Department of Agriculture.
The bait is also a restricted-use product. Only licensed dealers can sell it, and only to licensed applicators. Every use must follow the federal label approved by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency.
Two limits stand out. The bait cannot be used in any county where black bears have been harvested since 2023, according to the Arkansas Game and Fish Commission’s Black Bear Harvest Report. In every other county, it can be used only from Dec. 1 through March 31.
Applicators face added duties. They must hold a valid commercial, noncommercial or private license and complete the training required for that specific product. They must also keep records of each use for two years, including GPS location, dates, the product brand, its EPA registration number and the applicator’s name.
State officials describe the bait as one more tool for controlling feral hogs. The animals cause heavy damage to farmland and natural resources across Arkansas.
The move comes as more federal money flows toward the problem. The One Big Beautiful Bill Act set aside $47 million for the federal Feral Swine Eradication and Control Program. Arkansas is one of 14 states chosen to receive funding over five years.
More information is available on the Arkansas Department of Agriculture’s website.
