Dept. of Agriculture unveils Mississippi Wild Hog Control Program

JACKSON, Miss. (WLBT) - The Mississippi Department of Agriculture and Commerce (MDAC) rolled out its new Wild Hog Control Program Thursday morning.

“After a full year of public education, research and outreach through the Commissioner’s Wild Hog Challenge, MDAC is launching the first-of-its-kind state agriculture department-led invasive feral hog smart-trapping initiative,” said Commissioner Andy Gipson. “The innovative Wild Hog Control Program, with support of the Mississippi Farm Bureau Federation, is designed to provide farmers, ranchers and landowners with the resources and training necessary to effectively combat the rise of destructive wild hogs in Mississippi, which cause more than $60 million in damages annually.”

Commissioner Gipson said feral hogs are one the biggest threats to farmers in Mississippi and across the country.

He was on hand as visitors watched a demonstration on how the hogs would be captured.

“It’s the first of its kind intensive wild hog control program,” Gipson said. “It’s going to work through intensive trapping. We’re using traps made right here in Mississippi, designed with smart cameras that will interface with people’s devices, and wherever they are in the state, they can see those hogs on camera and drop the trap by the push of a button. We’re going after these hogs like nobody’s ever gone after them before.”

Gipson says they have about 20 traps on hand right now and plan to obtain more as the program grows.

The AG department will begin accepting applications for the program next month.

Click here to apply for the program.