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<\/p>\nEvery few years the question of whether North Dakota should offer a bounty on coyotes surfaces again. It usually follows a tough fall deer season, a hard, cold, snowy start to winter, or a combination of it all. It\u2019s been asked for years.<\/p>\n
But from a wildlife management standpoint, a bounty system simply doesn\u2019t make sense \u2014 biologically or economically.<\/p>\n
Coyotes are adaptable survivors, and they can be tough neighbors for ranchers and hunters alike.<\/p>\n
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Doug Leier is an outreach biologist for the North Dakota Game and Fish Department. Reach him at dleier@nd.gov.<\/p>\n
Let\u2019s start with biology. Coyotes are one of the most resilient species on the landscape. Studies from across the Great Plains show that even when populations are heavily reduced, coyotes respond by increasing reproduction rates. Litter sizes grow, and survival among pups improves when competition is lower. In short, widespread killing often creates a temporary dip followed by a rebound \u2014 sometimes to even higher numbers than before.<\/p>\n
That\u2019s not theory; it\u2019s decades of data. State and federal wildlife biologists have seen that removing large numbers of coyotes rarely results in long-term population control. Their range has expanded, not contracted, despite generations of organized removals and private incentives. Coyotes thrive in grasslands, cropland edges, and even on the outskirts of towns. It\u2019s not realistic to \u201celiminate\u201d them and bounties have never changed that.<\/p>\n
I\u2019ve suggested a parallel in the past when you deal with weeds or dandelions. You can put as much time, money and effort into controlling the yellow flowers and year after year they come back. If your neighbor doesn\u2019t do the same, they continue to spread into your yard. Even after every dandelion is killed, they magically appear. Again. Year after year.<\/p>\n
Then there\u2019s economics. Administering a bounty program is expensive and inefficient. Every dollar spent on bounties is a dollar not spent on habitat restoration, access programs, wildlife management or youth education \u2014 efforts that provide measurable benefits to all North Dakotans. Paying for coyote tails or ears might feel like action, but it diverts resources from programs that actually improve wildlife management outcomes.<\/p>\n
The North Dakota Game and Fish Department already works closely with USDA Wildlife Services and local landowners to address legitimate livestock depredation issues. Targeted control \u2014 where specific problem animals are removed \u2014 is far more effective than broad, untargeted bounty programs. It\u2019s about precision, not just numbers.<\/p>\n
At the end of the day, managing coyotes isn\u2019t about eradicating them; it\u2019s about understanding how they fit into our ecosystems and addressing conflicts responsibly. Coyotes help control rodents and other small mammals. Like all wildlife, they play a role and our job as stewards is to manage, not to eliminate.<\/p>\n
When we focus on sound science and fiscal responsibility, we get better results for wildlife, producers and taxpayers. And that\u2019s what good wildlife management has always been about in North Dakota.<\/p>\n
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