South Carolina! Genius plan to erradicate coyotes.

[PillsburyDoughboy]

http://www.wideopenspaces.com/breaking- ... ampaign=kj

Imagine if every state did something like this for Coyote or Wild Boar.

hanks to some last minute work in the state legislature, South Carolina now has a coyote bounty program.

Though Governor Nikki Haley originally vetoed the South Carolina coyote bounty bill after it passed the House and Senate, lawmakers made some minor modifications to the bill and overrode her veto.

Under the new plan approved by the legislature, the Department of Natural Resources will capture, neuter, tag, and then release 16 coyotes (4 in each of the state's game zones). With a concept similar to the "golden tickets" from Willie Wonka's chocolate factory, any hunter who kills one of these tagged coyotes would receive a free lifetime hunting license (an approximately $300 value).

The idea behind the new program is to increase the number of coyote hunters in the state by giving them a chance to receive such a significant reward for killing one of the tagged coyotes.

Governor Haley voiced her concern with the original coyote bounty plan by saying that it did not make sense for the state to be capturing coyotes and releasing them back into the wild. However, the new plan appears to at least partly address that problem by preventing the released coyotes from reproducing.
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The new coyote bounty program is scheduled to begin this summer, so it looks like the coyote population in South Carolina could potentially be in for a rough few months as more hunters hit the woods in order to take advantage of the coyote bounty.

Coyotes are not native to South Carolina and started appearing in the state during the 1970s. Coyotes are now present in all 46 counties in the state and kill untold numbers of fawns as well as pet dogs and cats each year.

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[PickettSFHunter]

I just gotta say one thing, free lifetime license is 300 bucks in SC? Wow


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[Bone Collector]

I just gotta say one thing, free lifetime license is 300 bucks in SC? Wow


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yeah i know right....

Good idea though.

 

[Bone Collector]

Also pretty sure they opened hog hunting at night with spot lights and small caliber rifles. .22, .22 mag, .223, etc.

When my dad lived there a landowner he knew had bunches of them. he had his place leased out to hunters and he told us that when they opened it up at night, they killed hundreds in the first few months.

 

[Planking]

South Carolina also has a night season for coyotes. If they're are damaging property they issue permits to take it a step further. Tennessee on the other hand is the only state in the southeast i can think of that doesn't even have a dang night season. Great idea on bounties! That should be FUN.

 

[Deer Assassin]

cool

 

[scn]

It is a really dumb idea. Bounties have been tried in a bunch of different states, and they have never worked.

Good luck on eradicating coyotes. If it happens, it will be a first. It is s typical garbage feel good law from a legislature.

 

[Planking]

It is a really dumb idea. Bounties have been tried in a bunch of different states, and they have never worked.

Good luck on eradicating coyotes. If it happens, it will be a first. It is s typical garbage feel good law from a legislature.

You may be right. Encouraging others to get out and hunt while giving away free lifetime licenses is a really dumb idea. They should follow Tn's motto of not letting people hunt them when they are most active. That's more fun and better.

 

[smalljawbasser]

I don't think anyone expects to literally eradicate them. I've never been much of a coyote alarmist, but I don't see the harm in trying to persuade killing more of them.

 

[Hunter 257W]

It is a really dumb idea. Bounties have been tried in a bunch of different states, and they have never worked.

Good luck on eradicating coyotes. If it happens, it will be a first. It is s typical garbage feel good law from a legislature.

Sure it probably won't put coyotes on the endangered list but it should make a short term dent in them that will take a year or two for them to rebound. Also this is practically free to the Game Department because the odds of anybody killing one of these 14 animals is very very low. Even if they did kill all of them, the cost to the state is limited unlike a normal bounty where the cost is open ended since the state is obligated to pay for every animal killed and turned in. I don't see any negative with this idea myself.

 

[PillsburyDoughboy]

It is a really dumb idea. Bounties have been tried in a bunch of different states, and they have never worked.

Good luck on eradicating coyotes. If it happens, it will be a first. It is s typical garbage feel good law from a legislature.

Sure it probably won't put coyotes on the endangered list but it should make a short term dent in them that will take a year or two for them to rebound. Also this is practically free to the Game Department because the odds of anybody killing one of these 14 animals is very very low. Even if they did kill all of them, the cost to the state is limited unlike a normal bounty where the cost is open ended since the state is obligated to pay for every animal killed and turned in. I don't see any negative with this idea myself.

I think it's a win win for the state. So they give away a few free Lic. Not costing them anything other than perhaps some diminished future lic revenue. Probably cost more to capture tag and neutered the coyotes than anything.

I think SCN is going to find himself in the minority on this one. No disrespect.


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[PillsburyDoughboy]

It is a really dumb idea. Bounties have been tried in a bunch of different states, and they have never worked.

Good luck on eradicating coyotes. If it happens, it will be a first. It is s typical garbage feel good law from a legislature.

Sure it probably won't put coyotes on the endangered list but it should make a short term dent in them that will take a year or two for them to rebound. Also this is practically free to the Game Department because the odds of anybody killing one of these 14 animals is very very low. Even if they did kill all of them, the cost to the state is limited unlike a normal bounty where the cost is open ended since the state is obligated to pay for every animal killed and turned in. I don't see any negative with this idea myself.

I tend to agree. It will DEfinatly thin them out some. Probably bring some balance to nature. I don't see that as anything but a win win.

Now if TN would just do something like that and open up night hunting... They might not find themselves with such a problem with coyotes and boar...I won't even mention the future cougar population that will be out of control in years to come. LOL


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[KPH]

I can not see any good reason why Tennessee will not allow night hunting of coyotes. Some are always wanting to copy what other states are doing why not this.

 

[Stykbow]

I can not see any good reason why Tennessee will not allow night hunting of coyotes. Some are always wanting to copy what other states are doing why not this.

My guess is they fear poaching due to opportunity. Sometimes basically good people do things they shouldn't when they think nobody will find out.


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[PillsburyDoughboy]

I can not see any good reason why Tennessee will not allow night hunting of coyotes. Some are always wanting to copy what other states are doing why not this.

I would imagine the arguments against it come from the fact it would be harder to make cases against spot lighters on deer and other game. If someone is out in a field now with a spotlight and a gun it's easy cheesy to make a case against them for poaching. Allow night hunting of boar and coyotes? TWRA is going to have to do a lot more than just roll up and start handing out a citation.

I know there is a lot more involved in making cases than that. Consider that tongue in cheek.


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[catman529]

Dropped almost 2 grand on lifetime license... all I can see is the $300... lol

I love tennessee though so it was worth the price to me

 

[PillsburyDoughboy]

Dropped almost 2 grand on lifetime license... all I can see is the $300... lol

I love tennessee though so it was worth the price to me

And you can't even hunt a hog with that. Lol


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[PickettSFHunter]

You can kill all the hogs you want at night in TN, if you have or are on a permit. I shine all the time for hogs.


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[AlabamaSwamper]

I'm with scn

Considering 99% of kill opportunities are taken on coyotes anyway by hunters, I don't see the advantages to this.

A good PR move yes but it won't increase coyote kills imo

 

[fairchaser]

It is a really dumb idea. Bounties have been tried in a bunch of different states, and they have never worked.

Good luck on eradicating coyotes. If it happens, it will be a first. It is s typical garbage feel good law from a legislature.

I agree 100% SCN. Additionally, hog hunting is what will guarantee the rapid spread of hogs everywhere.

 

[Dean Parisian]

Won't have any effect.......every night for the next couple of months fawns are being chewed up. This years fawn crop is under pressure tonight and tomorrow. Hunters will shoot a fair amount this fall and winter and the fawn crop next year will be chewed up again by breeding pairs who have mouths to feed in the dens.

Hunting coyotes won't put a dent in the breeding population. Cutting numbers back from intensive trapping could and can make the difference.

Any furbearer biologist will howl at this.

Good PR for sure. Have at "em boys. Kill a coyote, save a fawn.

 

[Planking]

I'm with scn

Considering 99% of kill opportunities are taken on coyotes anyway by hunters, I don't see the advantages to this.

A good PR move yes but it won't increase coyote kills imo

At least they are trying to encourage hunting instead of being restrictive about it and if hunter's that are paying the bills are enjoying it and maybe getting a free lifetime license in the process then what's the problem?

 

[Planking]

No wonder to me we have hunter recruitment problems. Somebody actually comes up with a fun idea and it immediately gets pooed on in the name of biology. Gag!

 

[ImThere]

It is a really dumb idea. Bounties have been tried in a bunch of different states, and they have never worked.

Good luck on eradicating coyotes. If it happens, it will be a first. It is s typical garbage feel good law from a legislature.

I agree 100% SCN. Additionally, hog hunting is what will guarantee the rapid spread of hogs everywhere.

Pretty sure SCN was talking about the Coyotes NOT hogs the hog program we have is working why change it.
I like the coyote bounty. In think the way they did it is pretty slick and forward thinking

What would you do if you knew you could not fail?

 

[Dean Parisian]

In 2015, The Montana National Agricultural Statistics Service (NASS) report combined sheep and lamb losses by predators totaled 17,700 head, up 1,300 from a year ago costing sheep producers an estimated $3.21 million, up from the previous year.

Coyotes accounted for 80% of all the predator caused sheep losses, with a value of $2.28 million.

Producers do not receive compensation for coyote predation, unlike wolf or grizzly bear predation.

Stueber noted that the numbers he had for coyote kills were only where producers had called in, and wasn't surprised the NASS numbers were much higher.

Wildlife Services reported the deaths of 240 adult sheep and 1471 lambs by coyotes, where as NASS reported approximately 14,000 sheep and lamb deaths in 2015. Many deaths by coyotes go unreported to Wildlife Services said Steuber.

Cattle death loss numbers are only reported by NASS every 5 years in Montana with a report coming out this fall, but Wildlife Services reported 212 calves and 1 cow killed by coyotes in 2015.

Steuber said he would expect the actual number of cattle killed by coyotes to also be much higher.

By contrast, wolves and grizzlies accounted for 112 cattle and 54 sheep reported to the Livestock Loss Board in 2015. These numbers include both confirmed and probable kills.

One key problem is that funding for Wildlife Services to manage predator control has not increased. Even with the increased grizzly bear activity and other predators the funding has not increased, and takes away from funding available for wildlife managers to deal with coyotes.

 

[WRbowhunter]

May be a gimmick but doubt the cost is that much so why not. IF it causes the killing of a few more yotes then it was worth it. And TN's solution to the yote problem is......

 

[Dean Parisian]

I believe another state has tried this but here is a fun idea for a sportsmens group to try.......lets say hunters around Knoxville want to curtail some coyotes..........so, hire a trapper, place a collar on a coyote or two or three and when the collar is turned in a certain amount of $$$$ changes hands......

Coyote pelt prices weren't too bad this past year in the west and Utahs bounty program is still up for debate .......... the goal is cut back numbers consistently year after year........miss a year and numbers skyrocket and more fawns die the following spring........

 

[MickThompson]

Count me in the PR only crowd. It's a dangerous thing when state legislatures get involved in setting game regulations. I'm more concerned about the precedent this sets than any biological consequence it will or won't have.

 

[scn]

May be a gimmick but doubt the cost is that much so why not. IF it causes the killing of a few more yotes then it was worth it. And TN's solution to the yote problem is......

TN has had a year round hunting and TRAPPING season for decades. I will be very surprised if the SC gimmick gains them much more.

 

[PillsburyDoughboy]

You can kill all the hogs you want at night in TN, if you have or are on a permit. I shine all the time for hogs.


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You can't hunt hogs in TN with a Hunting LIC . Not even with a Sportsman Lic. You can only eradicate them by special exception.


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