Senate Panel Passes Bill Targeting State's Coyotes 2/15/2011

[Tyler Rother]

Coyotes beware: The Legislature is taking aim at you.

A proposal to allow counties and townships to offer a bounty for killing coyotes easily cleared a Senate panel Monday, passing by a 10 to 1 vote.

The legislation, which still has several hurdles before becoming law, was actually passed last year by the Legislature but was part of a larger game and fish proposal vetoed by then-Gov. Tim Pawlenty.

"It's a big problem for the livestock people, particularly those that are raising free-range poultry and sheep," said Sen. Gary Kubly, DFL-Granite Falls, the proposal's lead Senate author. "Coyotes are now in the suburbs."

But Mike DonCarlos, the state Department of Natural Resources' acting deputy director for fish and wildlife, dismissed the proposal, saying placing bounties on coyotes and other predators usually does not work.

Kubly, however, said bounty supporters "do not see it as a complete resolution. They see it simply as one of the things that will help them keep the [coyote] population in check."

MIKE KASZUBA

http://www.startribune.com/politics/state/116203724.html

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[crazyfish]

Will they let you keep the pelt or do they want the whole coyote? Did they decide what the dollar value for the bounty will be? I just ordered a new e-call, looks like that will pay off. I have been seeing a lot of yotes lately, not surprised they passed the bill.

[GRIZ]

I believe it would be up to who ever puts the bounty up as to what the amount would be. The law just allows townships to place a bounty on them is all. I really don't see many places putting a bounty on them.

For one it wouldn't be cheap. Is a $25 dollar bounty going to get more people out after them? I don't think so all that would do is get more to carry a loaded gun in the truck and poach them off the road. Now if it was $50 bucks that would get more to actually pursue them but would a township/county have that kind of money to put up a bounty?

Yrs back when there was many bounties on fox and yotes more than one county went bankrupt just paying bounties. One guy was responsible for bankrupting 3 counties alone one yr. Now those areas have found it cheaper just to hire people to do it, offen referred to as goverment trappers. Along with that they get the animals taken out of the problem areas rather than just ramdomly through out.

Not that I'm against a bounty but just don't see many places doing it due to the cost inneficiency.