Jackson Jambalaya

 Ag Commish Andrew Gipson issued the following statement Monday. 

Today, 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) tomorrow, Tuesday, August 1. The application period will close on Tuesday, August 15. All Mississippi counties are eligible for the application period.

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.

“Our Wild Hog Control Program has seen great success and demand. We have helped farmers and landowners remove over 2,500 wild hogs from their properties,” said Commissioner Gipson. “Wild hogs are non-native, nuisance animals and cause substantial damage to row crops, pastures, and forestlands; carry harmful diseases; and eat the eggs and young of many wildlife species. Our Agency is dedicated to protecting the communities and livelihoods of the people who make up our largest industry in Mississippi, agriculture. I encourage landowners and managers to apply for this unique program and continue the fight against wild hogs across our state.”

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 acres is recommended, depending on landscape and land use.

In addition to its established trapping program, MDAC is currently taking applications for a cost share opportunity provided to Mississippi private land managers that need to purchase trapping equipment to control wild hogs on their property. The cost share opportunity was made possible by a time-limited, federal appropriation to MDAC for expansion and support for its Wild Hog Control Program. The most effective equipment used for the trapping of wild hogs will be the focus of the cost share program. The cost share application period will also end on Tuesday, August 15. For selected applications, MDAC will reimburse the landowner or leaseholder for a percentage of the cost for purchasing trapping equipment. Reimbursement payments will be provided on a 50 percent cost share basis and will be the lessor of either 50 percent of the applicant’s expenditure or a maximum of $5,000. Cost share guidelines and applications are available at www.mdac.ms.gov/whcp/costshare.

To learn more about the Wild Hog Control Program, including the new WHCP Cost Share Program, visit www.mdac.ms.gov/whcp. Submit questions regarding the WHCP to Chris McDonald at chris@mdac.ms.gov.