DELTA, Miss. (WNTZ) – Delta Wildlife, along with State partners The Mississippi Soil and Water Conservation Commission, Mississippi Department of Agriculture and Commerce, and Mississippi State University, are accepting applications from landowners for the Mississippi Delta Feral Swine Abatement Expansion Project. Eligible counties include Claiborne, Holmes, Humphreys, Issaquena, Jefferson, Sharkey, Warren, Washington, and Yazoo.

NRCS, APHIS, and the Mississippi State Technical Agriculture Committee worked together to define the critical areas to be considered for projects within the state. The second round of the project, known as the “Mississippi Delta Expansion Project,” is currently underway through 2024.

Combined, there are thirty-six smart traps deployed across the nine counties that are managed by Delta Wildlife staff, offering landowners the most effective means of whole sounder removal at no expense or effort to the landowner. Delta Wildlife staff is responsible for the day-to-day operations of the trap from start to finish. Delta Wildlife is enthusiastic about working with state and federal partners to expand the footprint of smart trapping that is currently taking place in the Mississippi Delta.

NRCS and APHIS are working with Delta Wildlife in Mississippi to deliver NRCS-funded assistance to producers for eradication and control activities. Collaboration in the pilot area between Delta Wildlife, Mississippi State University, the Mississippi Soil and Water Conservation Commission, and the Mississippi Department of Agriculture and Commerce are providing outreach, training opportunities, trap distribution and management, monitoring, and evaluation.  Activities will also allow efforts to focus on the control of feral swine by educating landowners and providing tools/equipment that can be used after the project has ended.

Private landowners seeking assistance can request services by visiting https://www.deltawildlife.org/feralswine.html to submit an online application. Site visits and assessments will be completed by MSWCC on a first-come, first-served basis, then 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.