The Mississippi Department of Agriculture and Commerce is now accepting a second round of applications for its Wild Hog Control Program.

Eligible counties are Lincoln, Franklin, Copiah, Jefferson, Pike, Amite, Adams, Claiborne and Wilkinson. Application period ends Jan. 20.

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. MDAC will provide necessary training on use of the traps and technical guidance for the most effective methods to trap and control the wild hogs. MDAC has partnered with USDA APHIS Wildlife  Services to expand wild hog disease surveillance during this period into Southwest Mississippi.

“We are excited to begin working with Wildlife Services to monitor wild hog diseases that can impact agriculture,” said Commissioner of Agriculture and Commerce Andy Gipson. “Southwest Mississippi has a rich history of livestock production, and diseases carried by wild hogs pose a great threat to cattle herds. At this time, Wildlife Services has limited resources to expand its disease surveillance efforts into the southwest portion of the state. With our agency’s equipment and relationship with landowners and farmers in the region, we can help track deadly diseases that can impact our livestock industry. This will be a great opportunity for a state agency, federal agency and farmers to work together.”

Applications must be completed and submitted online at www.mdac.ms.gov/whcp. Submitted applications will be evaluated based on the number of acres available for trapping, historical agricultural losses caused by wild hogs on the property and current trapping efforts on the property. A cooperative application is encouraged for small acreage, meaning 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. 

The WHCP is the result of legislation passed during the 2020 Legislative Session, which authorized Commissioner 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 first round of WHCP trapping efforts has been a success with properties in 12 counties participating and more than 200 wild hogs captured to date. 

Submit questions regarding the WHCP to Chris McDonald at chris@mdac.ms.gov.