

Increase trapping participation, awareness, and education.Enhance duck and pheasant nest success.Trapping is central to wildlife management, conservation and sustaining our state's outdoor traditions for the next generation. The practice of trapping nest predators during the nesting season has been a management technique used for decades.

The South Dakota Game, Fish and Parks is focused on reducing localized populations of nest predators as a way to enhance pheasant and duck nest success, while at the same time increasing participation in trapping from all ages. The bounty program is open from March 1-July 1 for resident youth under 18 and April 1 – July 1 for all South Dakota residents. Time Period: To be eligible for the bounty program, the nest predators listed above must be harvested during the program timeframe and by respective age groups. Species Included: The following primary nest predators: raccoons, striped skunks, badgers, opossums, and red fox. The Nest Predator Bounty Program begins on March 1 for youth under the age of 18. The program is then open to all South Dakota residents from April 1 until July 1, or until the maximum payout of $500,000 is reached. On January 12, 2023, the GFP Commission passed a resolution to conduct the Nest Predator Bounty Program through 2026.
