Read in the Sioux Falls paper where the Governor is going to ask the legislature for two more ADC agents in Western SD. She is really going after the coyotes, going to add more aerial gunning as well. Those interested might want to keep this on your radar!

Not a very smart move ,I have been to that area a few times .Let trappers have them along with hunters .Really hard to get permission out there mostly because of other game .Prices are high now should be a no brainer.

Sounds like a new plane if it only 2 people pilot/gunner? Either way West River is a big area they are restricted from being what you think they able to do. Lots of bureaucrates and hoop jumping to get a simple job done. Have a State trapper that lives 4 miles from me good guy never been a problem I came across his traps 2x one year and he was testing badger traps.u

Law Dog: Isn't that the way it is when it come to the Gov. Lots of bureaucrats and hoop to jump thru. JMO

If the fur hunters and trappers were taking care of coyotes, this would never come up. The fur hunters and trappers don't work much in the off fur season when a lot of the problems occur.

I generally got the idea of the bounty on coon and such for robbing pheasant nests, especially in areas where bird numbers are lower and fur prices depressed but why do more state aerial gunning out west if yotes bring good money? Do they really have that many rancher complaints or have those risen over time? I mean if you read the Colt Fur routes (GFW's ally or agent in the northern plains), they stop at some petty small and out-of-the-way places so they must think someone local is going to bring them fur, and yotes are top on their list. Or, because of the down year for license sales for GFP, is the state getting into gathering its own fur to sell somewhere...? I wouldn't put it past them, although doing that through aerial gunning might form some interesting court fights!! There used to be a noticeable amount of private aerial gunning in this state, even Est River, when I was a kid. Court decisions that the gunner would have to have permission from the landowners where the kill occurred put a serious damper on it. Just about non-existent now, as far as I know

Pretty hard for trappers to have any real impact on coyote populations. Aerial gunning is about the best way to impact that.....but is very likely not cost effective.

We have been trying to put the hurt on the coyote numbers for many years and the coyotes are still winning. LOL

I believe it !

Two men and a helicopter is very costly. If employed by the State even when not out shooting the coyotes. A bounty would go a long ways. JMO

Yeah, as MJM reminded me, most of the yote damage complaints from ranchers come in the spring time and summer and the landowners want action NOW. Given the good prices on coyotes in the fall and winter, the money thing probably isn't the issue. AND if anyone listened to the governor's recent budget speech, things are tight or so she says. South Dakota state government cann't run a deficit and the total budget is only a billion or so. I wonder how much scrutiny and review is last year's coon and other critter "nest predation bounty" is going to get next month in Pierre...

Well 1.3 million on a meth commercial and Noem’s daughter got a 12 percent raise, but not too many other state employees will receive much if any raise. If there is an awesome winter and nice spring and the bird numbers are up next year, Noem will take credit for that. If the winter is harsh with a wet spring and the million she spent on killin coons didnt make the bird numbers increase, she will make sure the GFP releases and article explaining that the poor numbers are due to harsh conditions.

Hoping the new found cover helps the birds out I see a farmer just got his corn out yesterday I see a lot of spots where crops will not be able to be picked leaving cover that would be gone in a regular year.

Brother in law sunk his tractor the other day so it's been cold here but some places are still muddy it's a guessing game.

The State Trappers are the problem in My Opinion... Hard to get ADC work when the state will come out and do it for Free. I dont begrudge the Ranchers and Farmers for wanting this but i think this is counterproductive to trapping and trappers. And why would ranchers or farmers let trappers come in when somone will take care of the problem and never have to open up a gate. Not saying its hard to get permission but it's not productive

You say it is counterproductive to trapping and trappers. What do you think the guys doing that work are, car sales men? Some of the best trappers this country has ever had were Government trappers. If coyote trapping is not productive now, what will it be when they bring half of what they are now? I am sure you would be rich if there were no Government trappers. Maybe fill out an application, you may get a trapping job.

Trapping would be the easy part dealing with the politics is another thing.

Fur trappers are not going to go out in March, April and May and catch those coyotes that are killing calves and sheep.

I have also noticed that our raccoon population were able to grow tails this fall and winter. I have seen many dozen these past few months and they had all grown nice fluffy tails. This past spring and summer I saw several hundred roadkilled that had evidently "shed" their tails! Wonder how many thousands of bounty tails came from animals that were already dead on the roadside? Makes ya wonder, I had heard rumors that the great tail blight of '19 even extended into Minnesota a ways... needless to say, I'm not a believer in generalized bounties, give them habitat and nature will take care of herself.

MJM I didn't say that they are not trappers and i don't deny there are good ones. Im saying how can an average JOE compete on ADC Work when I would have to charge and the goverment will do it for free. MJM i dont know what line of work you are in but if your competition does it for free it makes it hard to get work. Not slandering the state trappers themselves. My argument is a free market one, basic economics. I dont know why you need to personalize the argument to me. Just stating a conclusion of mine. If there was more need for trappers and a market for it, more private ADC trappers would come out of the wood work and more local guys and gals would trap. And if there was not Gov Trappers more trappers would have ADC Jobs, Just basic economics

DWC- Where did you get your nice round "million" $$ cost of the nest bounty program? Last I figured, they took in about 50k or extra tails then they said they would. A couple extra seasonal workers so where is your nearly $400,000 more in costs...?