Commissioner of Agriculture and Commerce Andy Gipson on Tuesday announced that the Mississippi Department of Agriculture and Commerce will begin accepting a new round of applications for its Wild Hog Control Program on Thursday, Feb. 1. through Thursday, Feb. 15. 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 coincide with the upcoming crop planting season. I urge farmers that have experienced historical agricultural loss from wild hogs to submit an application,” said Commissioner Gipson. “We want to work with farmers and their neighbors to prevent crop loss by supplying the correct trapping equipment and technical guidance on how to successfully trap wild hogs.”

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.

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.