JACKSON, Miss.–Lawmakers and nuisance hog experts all gathered at the state capital on Monday to talk about what’s been on the minds of some Mississippians.
The wild hog population in the state has grown dramatically over the last 20 years in the state according to experts who spoke and at this point it would be impossible to wipe the state clean.
“It has gotten to be epidemic proportions,” said Miss. Senator Giles Ward who heads up the wildlife, fisheries, and parks legislatively.
It was noted that the nuisance animals cause over $1 billion in damage in the state each year and that trend isn’t slowing any time soon if a plan isn’t put together.
“We are trying to be proactive and see what can be done,” said C. Scott Bounds of the Miss. House of Representatives who also chairs the wildlife, fisheries, and parks legislatively.
One of the main problems is the transport of hogs with in the state and around the country. Experts proposed much stiffer penalties for offenders if they’re caught breaking the law.
Most urged anything that can be legalized to kill the hogs, should be legalized as soon as possible because of the rate of which they spread.
Currently the only thing that can’t be done to kill a hog is to hunt them over corn that’s been thrown out on the ground; other than that they’re fair game to eliminate.
The current estimate of hogs in the state is around 85,000 and that covers about 44 percent of the state geographically.
