Mississippi Commissioner of Agriculture and Commerce Andy Gipson has announced that the Mississippi Department of Agriculture and Commerce (MDAC) is now accepting a new round of applications for its Wild Hog Control Program (WHCP). The application period will close on Monday, May 16. 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 provides 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 next trapping period will occur during the early months of summer which is normally a very successful time for trapping wild hogs,” Gipson said. “I urge farmers and landowners that are impacted by these nuisance animals to submit an application. Use of the traps are free of charge; however, users must supply bait and labor to use the traps.”
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 500 – 1,000 acres is recommended, depending on landscape and land use.
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