REGINA — Three rural communities in southern Saskatchewan have recently introduced bounties on coyotes in response to growing populations.
The rural municipalities of Weyburn, Cymri and Estevan have bounties posted on their websites, offering $20 for each set of four paws that are turned in.
Ray Orb, president of the Saskatchewan Association of Rural Municipalities, said he's received "quite a few calls" from farmers and ranchers in different parts of the province telling him that the coyote problem has been bad.
"I think it's a combination of things .... we had quite cold weather this winter with quite a bit of snow, and it came early on," Orb said.
"That put a lot of pressure on wildlife and some of the other animals that coyotes actually feed on during the winter, so there's a lot of coyotes around. It seems to me like more than usual."
While coyotes can pose a threat to livestock and even people, especially in groups, Orb has heard of another large animal being targeted.
"I had a gentleman from Simpson, Sask., phone me, tell me that some of the deer in that area are being killed by coyotes," he said.
"The snow that we have is quite deep and it's got quite a crust on it, so if an animal falls through that crust, they're kind of fair game for coyotes because they can surround them and they can bring down a big deer.
"In fact, one of my neighbours in the Cupar area just told me he came home the other day into his farmyard and he witnessed a deer being killed by coyotes right in his own yard. So it's quite severe.
"That's the reason that some of these RMs are putting bounties up. There might be more to follow."
The bounty notices issued by the three rural municipalities say the program can be terminated at any time. The one on Cymri's website notes that residents looking to take part must have landowner permission and follow all hunting regulations.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published April 12, 2023.
The Canadian Press
