USDA Awards Oklahoma $2.2M for Feral Hog Control

Federal pilot funding targets feral swine across three Oklahoma watersheds, alongside a separate $789,000 grant for land-mapping software.

Updated on Nov. 10, 2026 in Hunting

Bold vector editorial illustration of a steel feral hog trap with a sensor post at a dry creek bottom, prairie grass and redcedar behind. — The USDA is awarding Oklahoma about $2.2 million to pilot feral hog eradication in three watersheds, plus $789,000 for land-mapping software tracking invasive redcedar. AI Illustration. Upload story photo >

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Should Oklahoma use federal funds to control feral hogs and eastern redcedar trees?

The USDA is providing about $2.2 million to Oklahoma for the Cimarron, Neosho and North Canadian Feral Swine Eradication and Control Pilot Program. A separate federal Conservation Innovation Grant of about $789,000 supports the Grass-Ag mapping software project run by the Oklahoma Conservation Commission.

Why it matters

Estimates place Oklahoma's wild hog population between 600,000 and 1.5 million, and feral hogs compete with native species, transmit disease and destroy property. The funding also expands efforts to address invasive eastern redcedar, which consumes large amounts of water and fuels hotter wildfires.

The federal feral swine award is about $2.2 million and the Conservation Innovation Grant is about $789,000, against a statewide wild hog estimate of 600,000 to 1.5 million. The extraction does not state how the money will be allocated or what population reduction targets have been set.

The players

U.S. Department of Agriculture

The USDA is the federal agency that administers the Feral Swine Eradication and Control Pilot Program and the Conservation Innovation Grant program funding these projects.

Oklahoma Conservation Commission

The Oklahoma Conservation Commission is the state agency that received the Conservation Innovation Grant and oversees the Grass-Ag mapping software project.

The details

The Oklahoma feral swine project will deploy remote-monitored smart trapping systems and rehabilitate damaged cropland, eroded streambeds, fencing and water infrastructure. Separately, the Grass-Ag system will be expanded to map invasive species, evaluate plant health and gauge crop nutrient and water stress, with a focus on woody plant encroachment.

Earlier in 2026, conservationists used Grass-Ag technology and drones carrying pesticide pellets to treat cedar trees.
November 10, 2026: federal feral hog and redcedar funding for Oklahoma was announced.

Seasonal Patterns

The Oklahoma awards extend the USDA Feral Swine Eradication and Control Pilot Program, which funds state-level pilots targeting wild hog populations under federal feral swine control priorities. The Grass-Ag project builds on earlier drone-based cedar treatment work in the state.

Hunters and landowners in the Cimarron, Neosho and North Canadian watersheds may see increased feral hog trapping activity as the pilot program deploys remote-monitored smart traps. Landowners with damaged cropland, eroded streambeds or deteriorated fencing may be eligible for rehabilitation work under the project.

The takeaway

Invasive feral hogs and eastern redcedar are measurable pressures on Oklahoma's land and water, and federal pilot funding is now targeting both. Landowners in affected watersheds should watch for trapping and habitat programs as they roll out.