2023 Nest Predator Bounty Program

Golden Hour said:
It's that time of year again, where cutting the tails off of roadkill gets you more pheasants to hunt in the fall.
Click to expand...
Oy. I wonder how much the program has paid out the last couple years. I'd be all over it if they offered a few bucks for a feral cat tail.🤣 With my luck, though, the kids would probably get them all in their head start month. How silly.
 
I am probably in the minority here but I think the program helps a lot. High school kids trap a lot of these pheasant egg snatchers every year, in my county. Which in my opinion has helped our hatch numbers. Another indicator is that we come across very few skunks and raccoons when hunting in the fall. Yes all the road kill animals get their tails removed just wish they would remove the dead animal off the road also. I know the argument is this action takes money away from putting that money into habitat. Does anyone know how many acre of habitat was lost due to this program? In my opinion the GFP has actually improved the habitat on many of the game production areas. I don't think the CREP runs out of money for sign ups, but runs out of property owners wanting to put land into the program for walk in areas. I think the big loss of habitat is due to drain tile removing the low areas in most fields, the removing of tree belts and fence lines and the increase number of fall tillage acres. This loss of habitat has nothing to do with the bounty program.
But on a good note: Acres of trees being planted and CRP acres continues to increase in our county. I do not have knowledge if walk in acres are growing. Sdviking

1677694133074.png
 
Huede said:
Coons in Iowa are way out of control. Hopefully open season will be approved soon.
Click to expand...
One of the cattle feedlots a few miles away trapped over 100 Raccoons last year. They had 5 live traps out in the open and put an egg in them for bait. Was pretty amazing how many were there.
 
I think it's a good thing to encourage trapping, especially the youth aspect. Puts a little money in their pocket, gets them outdoors and introduces them to responsibility.

I'm sure the idea is to take them by trapping or shooting them but hey, a dead skunk is a dead skunk. Doesn't matter if you use a .22lr or a 5.3L GMC Magnum. Road kill is just as dead as shot. One more nest robber that won't be robbing any more nests.

$10 is small recompense if it's _your_ 5.3L GMC Magnum that hits the skunk and stinks for two weeks. :ROFLMAO:
 
Maybe we should just identify the best eating predators. Hmm, how long do you normally hang a possum. Roadkill Cookbook.
Let’s not waste some protein.:)
 
A great experience for kids and a chance to teach them trapping skills. A good opportunity to teach ethics here too, when they want to grab the roadkill ones. With current fur prices, it is a way to keep the furbearer populations in check. Mother nature will take care of it, when they get too dang thick. Seems like it would be something to stick with "just the kids", but that must not get them to their goals.
 
sdviking said:
They had 5 live traps out in the open and put an egg in them for bait.
Click to expand...
That's an interesting science experiment opportunity. Use different types of eggs & determine which coons prefer. Say they like coot eggs best. Scatter them all over, outside pheasant nesting areas to decoy coons away from the nests. Problem solved!
 
A5 Sweet 16 said:
That's an interesting science experiment opportunity. Use different types of eggs & determine which coons prefer. Say they like coot eggs best. Scatter them all over, outside pheasant nesting areas to decoy coons away from the nests. Problem solved!
Click to expand...
OH OH, now we've pissed off the national alliance for the protection of possums/coons AND the American society of coot preservation!:LOL:
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top