Delta Wildlife, Inc., along with state partners Mississippi Soil and Water Conservation Commission (MSWCC), Mississippi Department of Wildlife, Fisheries and Parks (MDWFP), Mississippi Department of Agriculture and Commerce (MDAC) and Mississippi State University (MSU), are currently accepting applications from landowners for the South Delta Feral Swine Control Pilot Projects. Enrollment is open and ongoing at this time and will continue through 2024.

These projects and others awarded across ten states are part of the Feral Swine Eradication and Control Pilot Program (FSCP) – a joint effort between USDA’s Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) and Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) funded by the 2018 Farm Bill to help address the threat that feral swine pose to agriculture, ecosystems, and human and animal health.

“Feral swine cause significant damage to crop and grazing lands, while also impacting the health of our natural resources,” said NRCS State Conservationist Kurt Readus. “By collaborating with our partners nationally and here in Mississippi, we hope to control and eradicate this invasive species – improving operations for farmers while also protecting our natural resources for the future.”

NRCS and APHIS are working with Delta Wildlife, Inc. on two pilot projects in Mississippi to deliver NRCS funded assistance to producers for feral swine eradication and control activities. Collaboration in the pilot area will provide outreach, training opportunities, trap distribution, monitoring, and evaluation. Activities will also allow efforts to focus on their eradication and control of feral swine by educating landowners and providing tools/equipment that can be used after the project has ended in addition to a no-cost to the landowner trapping program implemented and managed by Delta Wildlife’s professional trappers and Wildlife Technicians who take care of the entire process for the landowner.

NRCS, APHIS and the Mississippi State Technical Agriculture Committee worked together to define the critical areas to be considered for projects within the state. Counties open for applications include Claiborne, Holmes, Humphreys, Issaquena, Jefferson, Sharkey, Warren, Washington and Yazoo.

The purpose of the Mississippi Delta Feral Swine Abatement Project is to reduce feral swine populations and reduce impacts of feral swine in the project area. The annual impact this feral swine population has on cropland exceeds $60 million annually. These projects will support existing USDA Wildlife Service feral swine management activities in the project area and provide technical and direct assistance to private landowners in the project area to actively trap and remove feral swine.

Private landowners seeking assistance will request services by visiting deltawildlife.org/feralswine to submit an online application. MSWCC will complete site visits and assessments on a first-come, first-serve basis. Active management/trapping will be prioritized and scheduled using a damage assessment ranking tool by Delta Wildlife staff. For more information on the project or assistance signing up, please contact MSWCC Feral Swine Program Coordinator, Nolan Brooks. You may email him at nolan@deltawildlife.org or call 662-822-6764.