Commissioner of Agriculture and Commerce Andy Gipson announced that the Mississippi Department of Agriculture and Commerce (MDAC) is launching a cost-share opportunity to assist private land managers combatting wild hogs on their properties. This initiative comes as a response to a time-limited federal appropriation to MDAC to expand and support its Wild Hog Control Program.

This cost-share opportunity will focus on providing technical guidance and monetary assistance for acquiring the most effective equipment and methods to trap wild hogs on private lands across the state. Commissioner Gipson stressed the significance of these efforts in reducing the population of these nuisance animals.

“Our goal is to provide one complete, remotely triggered trap for applicants within limits of the federal appropriation,” said Commissioner Gipson. “This type of trap has been vital to the success of our existing Wild Hog Control Program, which began in 2020. In addition to complete trap systems, trap components such as cameras, gates, and panels will be eligible for funding.”

The application period for the cost-share program will be open from Monday, July 17, through Tuesday, August 15, 2023. Private landowners and leaseholders in Mississippi will be eligible to apply. MDAC will evaluate and rank applications based on various factors, including property use, past and current wild hog damage, previous trapping efforts, and the type of equipment requested.

Selected applicants will receive reimbursement from MDAC on a 50 percent cost-share basis, covering a percentage of the cost of purchasing trapping equipment. The reimbursement payments will be calculated as less than 50 percent of the applicant’s expenditure or a maximum of $5,000.

For those interested in applying or learning more about the cost-share program, visit www.mdac.ms.gov/whcp/costshare.