UTAH’S NEW COYOTE BOUNTY PHONE APP – The Utah Division of Wildlife Resources introduced a new phone application as part of their coyote bounty program. There are few states that provide a bounty for coyotes. The amount may not be much, but it does give hunters some incentive to get into the outdoors and help manage the coyote population.
Over the past several years, Utah has run into issues with false reporting of coyote harvests. The Utah DNR is concerned that hunters are traveling to neighboring states to harvest coyotes, and then submitting them for a bounty. To mitigate this possible fraud, Utah developed a new predator control program.
The new program has similar attributes to the program of the past, but the DNR has developed new requirements. Requirements that they feel will decrease the possibility of false reporting. When submitting a coyote for a bounty, a hunter will still receive $50 per coyote. However, the following changes have been implemented:
- Hunters must register every year to participate in the bounty program.
- A hunter may only claim a bounty for a coyote that they have harvested themselves. Hunters may not claim bounties for friends, family or other hunters.
- Coyotes must be submitted within a year of being harvested.
- Hunters must report their kill on an electronic form through a phone app. Also, to submit a bounty application, the user must have location services turned on. The app requires you to take a photo of the kill, and the location services will mark where the kill took place.
These new requirements do not replace the need to check in the lower jaw and the scalp of the coyote. This must still take place at a designated check-in location.
The new predator control program for Utah has created a lot of discussion surrounding the management of coyotes. It does require some extra work on the part of the hunter, but the DNR feels it is needed to justify the monetary bounty associated with the program.
Do you approve of the new program, or do you feel it’s not worth the effort to get the bounty?
