South Dakota Game, Fish and Parks is preparing for another Nest Predator Bounty Program.
During a monthly commission meeting in Pierre Thursday, commissioners will vote on a resolution desiring another bounty.
Kevin Robeling is a deputy secretary with Game, Fish and Parks. He says the bounty is meant to improve pheasant broods and encourage trapping in South Dakota.
“It’s about getting the family outdoors, getting the next generation interested in outdoor recreation and trapping in general,” Robeling says. “Our trapping heritage is somewhat fading away. Through time, we want to make sure that it’s strong for the next 100 years and the next generation is exposed to trapping. That’s what the Nest Predator Bounty Program does."
Like last year, the bounty seeks to remove 50,000 opossums, skunks, coyotes and foxes. Unlike last year, the bounty will pay five dollars per tail as opposed to 10 dollars.
It calls for a bounty from April first to July first—to coincide with the primary nesting season of pheasants and ducks. South Dakota pheasant brood counts were down 21 percent last year.