Delta Wildlife Feral Swine Control Pilot Project Now Available in 16 Counties
Delta Wildlife, along with our state partners, The Mississippi Soil and Water Conservation Commission, the Mississippi Department of Agriculture and Commerce, and Mississippi State University, are pleased to announce the extension and expansion of the Feral Swine Control Pilot Program through a one-year extension in efforts to further mitigate and reduce the economic impacts of Feral Swine in the Mississippi Delta through an agreement with NRCS-USDA.
This project was implemented jointly by NRCS and USDA’s Animal and Plant Health and Inspection Service (APHIS) in late 2020. The total funding approved nationwide for the program was $75 million over the life of the 2018 Farm Bill. In the first round of funding, NRCS obligated more than $16.7 million for 20 feral swine pilot projects in ten states. APHIS and NRCS limited the first round of pilot projects to select areas of Alabama, Arkansas, Florida, Georgia, Louisiana, Mississippi, Oklahoma, North Carolina, South Carolina, and Texas.
The second round of funding and projects were then selected, and work commenced in late 2021. Projects included in the second round of funding either expanded original projects into surrounding areas or created additional standalone projects in Alabama, Hawaii, Missouri, Mississippi, North Carolina, Oklahoma, South Carolina, and Texas.
NRCS and APHIS have been working with Delta Wildlife, Inc., on the original two pilot projects in Mississippi to deliver NRCS-funded assistance to producers for eradication and control activities. Collaboration amongst the partners in the pilot area has provided outreach, training opportunities, trap distribution, management, monitoring, and evaluation efforts. These activities have also been incredibly beneficial in educating landowners and giving insight into the tools and equipment that can be used to manage feral swine issues, as well as demonstrating best management practices to ensure the highest levels of success in targeting large numbers of feral swine on enrolled properties.
NRCS, APHIS, and the Mississippi State Technical Agriculture Committee worked together to define the initial critical areas to be considered for projects within the state. The first round of the Mississippi pilot project was initially implemented in Issaquena, Sharkey, Warren, and Yazoo counties.
The second round, known as the “Mississippi Delta Expansion Project,” consisted of the original four counties PLUS the expansion into Claiborne, Holmes, Humphreys, Jefferson, and Washington Counties.
Delta Wildlife and partners were recently awarded a one-year extension to the Expansion Project (phase 2) to continue to offer assistance and management efforts to the original nine counties AND expand into seven additional counties in the Mississippi Delta through 9/31/2026. The new counties open for enrollment include Bolivar, Carroll, Grenada, Leflore, Quitman, Sunflower, and Tallahatchie, bringing Delta Wildlife’s feral swine trapping area of operations to 16 counties under this project.
Combined, there will be a total of 72 “smart” traps (remotely monitored and remotely triggered via live video feed) deployed across the 16-county project area that is managed by Delta Wildlife staff operating under the Nuisance and Invasive Species Program, offering landowners the most effective means of whole sounder removal at no cost to the landowner. Aside from being a no-cost program, this is a “no headache” program for the landowners who enroll their property as professional staff with multiple years of trapping experience will be responsible for the day-to-day operations of the trapping process from start to finish. Delta Wildlife is excited to continue working with our state and federal partners to get this new phase of the project going and expand the footprint of feral swine trapping that is currently taking place in the Mississippi Delta.
Private landowners seeking assistance will request services directly through Delta Wildlife and interested parties can contact Delta Wildlife’s Steele Henderson (Nuisance and Invasive Species Program Technician) for further assistance in completing the application process.
Site Visits and Assessments will be completed by Project Staff on a first come first serve basis, then active management/trapping will be prioritized and scheduled using a damage assessment ranking tool by Delta Wildlife Nuisance and Invasive Species Program Staff.
For more information, please contact Steele Henderson with Delta Wildlife.
Email: [email protected]
Phone: 662-897-3035.
This project was implemented jointly by NRCS and USDA’s Animal and Plant Health and Inspection Service (APHIS) in late 2020. The total funding approved nationwide for the program was $75 million over the life of the 2018 Farm Bill. In the first round of funding, NRCS obligated more than $16.7 million for 20 feral swine pilot projects in ten states. APHIS and NRCS limited the first round of pilot projects to select areas of Alabama, Arkansas, Florida, Georgia, Louisiana, Mississippi, Oklahoma, North Carolina, South Carolina, and Texas.
The second round of funding and projects were then selected, and work commenced in late 2021. Projects included in the second round of funding either expanded original projects into surrounding areas or created additional standalone projects in Alabama, Hawaii, Missouri, Mississippi, North Carolina, Oklahoma, South Carolina, and Texas.
NRCS and APHIS have been working with Delta Wildlife, Inc., on the original two pilot projects in Mississippi to deliver NRCS-funded assistance to producers for eradication and control activities. Collaboration amongst the partners in the pilot area has provided outreach, training opportunities, trap distribution, management, monitoring, and evaluation efforts. These activities have also been incredibly beneficial in educating landowners and giving insight into the tools and equipment that can be used to manage feral swine issues, as well as demonstrating best management practices to ensure the highest levels of success in targeting large numbers of feral swine on enrolled properties.
NRCS, APHIS, and the Mississippi State Technical Agriculture Committee worked together to define the initial critical areas to be considered for projects within the state. The first round of the Mississippi pilot project was initially implemented in Issaquena, Sharkey, Warren, and Yazoo counties.
The second round, known as the “Mississippi Delta Expansion Project,” consisted of the original four counties PLUS the expansion into Claiborne, Holmes, Humphreys, Jefferson, and Washington Counties.
Delta Wildlife and partners were recently awarded a one-year extension to the Expansion Project (phase 2) to continue to offer assistance and management efforts to the original nine counties AND expand into seven additional counties in the Mississippi Delta through 9/31/2026. The new counties open for enrollment include Bolivar, Carroll, Grenada, Leflore, Quitman, Sunflower, and Tallahatchie, bringing Delta Wildlife’s feral swine trapping area of operations to 16 counties under this project.
Combined, there will be a total of 72 “smart” traps (remotely monitored and remotely triggered via live video feed) deployed across the 16-county project area that is managed by Delta Wildlife staff operating under the Nuisance and Invasive Species Program, offering landowners the most effective means of whole sounder removal at no cost to the landowner. Aside from being a no-cost program, this is a “no headache” program for the landowners who enroll their property as professional staff with multiple years of trapping experience will be responsible for the day-to-day operations of the trapping process from start to finish. Delta Wildlife is excited to continue working with our state and federal partners to get this new phase of the project going and expand the footprint of feral swine trapping that is currently taking place in the Mississippi Delta.
Private landowners seeking assistance will request services directly through Delta Wildlife and interested parties can contact Delta Wildlife’s Steele Henderson (Nuisance and Invasive Species Program Technician) for further assistance in completing the application process.
Site Visits and Assessments will be completed by Project Staff on a first come first serve basis, then active management/trapping will be prioritized and scheduled using a damage assessment ranking tool by Delta Wildlife Nuisance and Invasive Species Program Staff.
For more information, please contact Steele Henderson with Delta Wildlife.
Email: [email protected]
Phone: 662-897-3035.
