JACKSON, Miss. (WJTV) – Commissioner of Agriculture and Commerce Andy Gipson (R-Miss.) announced that the Mississippi Department of Agriculture and Commerce (MDAC) will be accepting a new round of applications for its Wild Hog Control Program (WHCP) beginning November 1, 2023.

The application period will close on November 15. Landowners and property managers in all Mississippi counties are eligible for the application period.

In Mississippi alone, officials said 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.

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.