JACKSON – Today, Mississippi Commissioner of Agriculture and Commerce Andy Gipson announced that the Mississippi Department of Agriculture and Commerce (MDAC) will be accepting applications for its Wild Hog Control Program (WHCP) Monday, Sept. 28, through Monday, Oct. 12.
Through the WHCP, MDAC will provide “smart” wild hog traps to landowners and managers for the control of wild hogs on private agricultural and forestry lands in Mississippi. Traps will be deployed in concentrated focal areas across the state, which will be determined by MDAC through the application process. MDAC will provide the training necessary to use the “smart” traps and technical guidance regarding the most effective methods to trap and control wild hogs on private lands.
“We are excited to offer the ‘smart’ traps to private landowners and managers to help control invasive wild hogs on their property,” said Gipson. “We have been in a test phase for the last month, and now we are ready to offer the Wild Hog Control Program to the public. As part of the program, our staff will work closely with participants to ensure that they have the required knowledge and training to successfully use the traps. This will be a great opportunity for farmers, ranchers and landowners to use some of the best trapping equipment available today.”
Submitted applications will be evaluated based on the number of acres available for trapping, historical agriculture losses caused by wild hogs and current trapping efforts on the property. A cooperative application is encouraged for small acreage (i.e., adjoining land managers of small parcels should work together to submit one application.) Traps will be available for one-month intervals, dependent upon use and success. One trap per 1,000 acres is recommended, depending on landscape and land use.
Applications will be available for download at mdac.ms.gov/whcp, and can be submitted by email or mail. If submitting by email, send applications to MDAC’s Director of Federal and Environmental Affairs Chris McDonald at chris@mdac.ms.gov. If submitting by mail, send applications to the Mississippi Department of Agriculture and Commerce WHCP, 121 North Jefferson Street, Jackson MS 39201.
The WHCP is the result of legislation passed during the 2020 legislative session, which authorized Gipson to operate programs to fight nuisance wildlife species on private agricultural and forestry lands. In Mississippi alone, wild hogs cause more than $60 million in damages annually. The WHCP will provide the equipment and technical guidance needed to control wild hogs across the state. The Mississippi Farm Bureau Federation provided key support to the program with the acquisition of additional traps that will be deployed to help control wild hogs on private lands.
Visit mdac.ms.gov/whcp for more information about the Wild Hog Control Program, program guidelines and applications. Questions regarding the WHCP can be submitted to Chris McDonald at chris@mdac.ms.gov.
