Commissioner of Agriculture and Commerce Andy Gipson announced that the Mississippi Department of Agriculture and Commerce (MDAC) will begin accepting a new round of applications for its Wild Hog Control Program (WHCP) on Monday, July 26. The application period will close on Monday, August 9.  All Mississippi counties are eligible for the application period.  In Mississippi alone, wild hogs cause more than $60 million in damages annually.

Through the WHCP, MDAC provides “smart” wild hog traps to landowners and managers for the control of wild hogs on private agricultural and forestry lands in Mississippi. 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.

“The Wild Hog Control Program has been a great success so far.  During this next trapping period, we should exceed 1,000 wild hogs captured since we started the program.  That equates to thousands of future wild hogs taken off the landscape,” said Commissioner Gipson.  “MDAC staff will be at the Mississippi Ag and Outdoor Expo inside the Mississippi Trade Mart on August 6-8 to promote the program and provide information regarding management of wild hogs.  I welcome expo attendees to stop by our booth to learn more about trapping techniques and equipment needed to be successful.”

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 (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.

Visit www.mdac.ms.gov/whcp for program guidelines, applications and additional information. Submit questions regarding the WHCP to Chris McDonald at chris@mdac.ms.gov.