The 5th year of the South Dakota "Nest Predator Bounty" program is now over. And yes, we "know" that bounty programs aren't effective in most cases but as I've said multiple times, this is not a wildlife biology program but a political one. It will most likely continue as long as Noem is governor. We'll see what happens after that.

I didn't look at the final stats last year but they are similar to what I saw in 2021, with about 83% and some fraction of the critters caught and whacked being coon. I think that's actually down a few points. Skunks and possums were about the same, being about 15% of the total, and badgers and red fox bringing up the the remainder.

Minnehaha led the counties with the most people turning in tails, I forget if they ask people what county they caught the critters in-- Minnehaha is the most populated county. Brookings County, where SDSU is located, was another hot county so maybe some college kids making some pocket cash collecting tails.

The James River valley counties, from north to south, also show up as a lot of tail collecting. Four of these counties have "sizable" SD cities but also have several dozen Hutterite "colonies" in them. If you don't what a Hutterite is they are "cousins" to the Amish and the Mennoites but use all modern machinery but live and run their business operations "collectively", which is mostly farming. I don't know how the state handles sending checks to the Hutterites. On paper, because each household is considered a separate family, they might not violate the 59 tails per family (family address) rule. But maybe the state officials know the gig and don't buy that single families operate independently at a colony. Or maybe they just don't care. Maybe others on tman know how the state and the Hutterites operate together under this program.

https://sdgfp.maps.arcgis.com/apps/dashboards/e7bbbd6fa93b48c6a31985aa7c57c5ff

Skunks are way down here that extra month of winter really did them in, this will be the first year I didn’t max out on tails mostly skunks of course. I’ve not had a call in 3 months now most years I’d be at 30-40 by now. Not seeing much for road kill either the early ones I caught this year they lacked hydration more sponge like lacking body mass.

Why is it "political" ?

Would think with price of fur in toilet, a bounty program would benefit any state.

Or would it be better if you had a democratic governor?

Everything political to some folks not sure what the gain is but I don’t really care. LOL

If the numbers listed are right and up to date the count is down around 5,000 tails from last year.

With tail #'s down, are pheasant and ducks doing good

I think it is great. I know there is always the concern folks are just cutting tails off roadkill. But, outside that, I think it makes a statement that SD recognizes a problem, they are trying to do something about it, and it is an effort to get the youth involved. And in a sense, they are thumbing their noses at the woke crowd. I wish our state would do something like this - but no doubt - if there was some way to stop the roadkill collecting - it would be a lot better system.

WhiteCliffs- Bingo on a couple of points. The kids got a month start on adults this year and maybe last year as well. Getting kids involved in Governor Kristi's "Second Century Initiative" always had a focus on kids. The antis were appalled in the first year or so the bounty program was going that the state was posting pictures of kids with with captured or dead critters. I think it was a second year that a big anti-bounty petition was started by some people in South Dakota calling on Noem to end the program. I think it back fired on them (not that it stood a chance in h... of Kristi caving to it) because the vast majority of the petition signers were out-of-staters and a good number (30+%) were not even Americans. I had gone through the petitions at one time and actually recorded the statistics but not sure if I have that as a digital file somewhere or not.

The second bingo is yes, Noem did this because 1) she truly believes in using outdoor renewable resources, and 2) it was a way to give the double bird to all the woke-sters out there but Kristi often does that with a twinkle in her eye that many of the libtards don't even realize they are being flipped off...

https://gfp.sd.gov/second-century-initiative/

Still need habitat to make a difference the bounty is a bandaid but it’s a tool to get kids and grownups into trapping. They give out nice cages to youth trappers I encourage the kids in my trapping ethic classes to buy used freezer with their tail earnings.

I show them how to put up fur and give them stretchers to keep but they want to catch and sell to get that first “paycheck”.

Good post...I like the idea as an incentive of sorts to inspire kids and adults to get out in the outdoors and trap, hunt etc.
I also like the statistical breakdown on the tails...it shows some sort of state involvement with predator numbers...as in most cases nothing is really done.
It sounds like it might be time for the program to introduce a new ad. to RECHARGE this program as well as possibly up the ante on the reimbursement per tail??

I don't live in South Dakota but I don't see the problem with it.Everything is political nowadays and its nice to have it go our way for once,99% of the time it doesnt.

It’s great to see some kid with his Mom turning in tails I like the commitment of both of them. Seen an older gentleman with one arm turning in tails and thought he could use a few extra bucks maybe. Like anything else some folks will only see the cost and some will only see the benefits of the program in many cases, but for me it’s a great tool to get the kids I work with motivated to get out and trap.

When they catch that first critter the look on their faces is priceless be it a possum or bobcat the bounty program has peeked the interest of a lot of younger kids and some parents are being introduced to trapping that never had way to get started.

FYI no bobcat or coyote bounty those are caught in the regular season as the 4H class is during the trapping season the bounty period comes in the spring. They give the kids the first month to themselves now, if the tail numbers go over they still pay out for them last year I believe it was over around 5,000 tails.