JACKSON, Miss. (WLBT) – The Department of Agriculture and Commerce is providing traps to landowners who need help catching feral hogs on their property.

The ministry says the process of applying for traps is simple.

Chris McDonald said: “I hope it won’t take more than 10 minutes to apply. Provide some general information about you and your property. Draw a boundary around your property where you will trap and click Submit.

A local farmer, John Hayes, who once trapped pigs on his property, is still dealing with the damage caused by these animals.

He said: “They are ravaging our land. And so we go out there and plant our dirt and our ryegrass, and basically it looks like someone came through there with a tiller, and they’re just ripping it up. And then, not only that, they’re, they’re right outside the window of my house. (That’s) when I first noticed them, and there were 13 of them standing in front of the window of my house.

Feral hogs have been a problem in Mississippi for a long time and are considered nuisance animals, but why are these animals so invasive?

WHCP director Chris McDonald said: “That’s what’s so bad about this animal. They are so prolific that you can’t get ahead of them. Some research indicates that you need to remove 70% of the population just to keep it stable. You. So you know, these animals like to eat and dig, and they like to breed, and all of that, collectively, is very bad.

This final round of applications will close on November 15.

The Department of Agriculture and Commerce wants people to know that if they have a problem at any time during the year, they can call them and they will help you fix it.

They say this isn’t necessary during an open application period, which only happens a few times a year.

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