SIOUX FALLS, S.D. (KELO.com) — The state Game, Fish and Parks Commission will make a decision this morning on whether or not there will be a second year of the nest-predator bounty program.
Governor Kristi Noem urged Game, Fish & Parks to start the program last year.
The program was to enhance the duck and pheasant population, increase trapping participation, to ensure South Dakota’s hunting and trapping heritage remains strong for the next 100 years, and to get the next generation involved and interested in outdoor recreation.
The program paid participants $10.00 per tail of raccoons, striped skunks, badgers, opossums, and red fox they sent in.
Each household could submit up to $590.00 worth of tails.
The GFP website a total of 54,471 tails submitted last year.
Minnehaha County is reported to have the highest number of tails submitted.
The department did receive 400+ written comments and only 27 of those were positive.
However, after an out of state firm conduct a survey of the program Governor Kristi Noem and Game Fish & Parks claim that 83% of South Dakota residents approved of the program.
