Feral hog toxicant

A composition comprising a mixture of:

• (a) a food that is acceptable to feral hogs;
• (b) sodium nitrite, wherein said sodium nitrite is not microencapsulated;
• and
• (c) a base selected from the group consisting of sodium carbonate, sodium bicarbonate, calcium carbonate, magnesium hydroxide, magnesium carbonate, potassium carbonate, potassium bicarbonate, egg white albumin, and an amine;
• wherein the concentration of said base imparts a pH between 8 and 11 to said mixture;
• wherein said composition is supplied as a bolus or boluses, comprising at least 2.0 gram sodium nitrite per bolus;
• wherein the pH of said composition inhibits the decomposition of said sodium nitrite, such that when said composition is placed outdoors in a field or in a bait station under ambient conditions, any decomposition of said sodium nitrite is sufficiently slow that said composition does not become aversive to hogs for at least seven days;
• and
• wherein, for at least seven days, when placed outdoors under ambient conditions, said composition remains acceptable to feral hogs.