Help Stop Reckless Legislation that would Legalize Bounties on Coyote and Beaver in Minnesota

Your help is needed – immediately- to help stop two bills that would legalize bounties on coyotes and beaver in Minnesota. These two bills are fast-tracking through the Minnesota legislature and- if passed- will allow county boards- by resolution- to authorize the killing of coyotes and beavers “by all legal methods” through paid bounties.

While the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources has come out publicly against bounties and science has shown wildlife bounty programs to be economically inefficient, counter-productive and ecologically damaging, several State Representatives and Senators want to turn the state back to the Dark Ages of wildlife management.

Your help is needed TODAY to help defeat these bills before they become law in Minnesota!

WHAT YOU CAN DO:

Please call or email your Representatives and Senator and ask them to oppose HF0621 and SF0228. To find your state legislator and their contact information, click here.  Points to convey in your communications:

• Wildlife bounty programs have proven to be economically inefficient, counter-productive and ecologically damaging, as demonstrated in various studies throughout the world.
• Coyote bounties are a totally ineffective management strategy given the species’ resiliency and ability to biologically rebound.
• Legalizing wildlife bounties exhibits a blatant disregard for wildlife by encouraging mass killing for commercial gain.
• Both coyotes and beaver play an important ecological in helping to maintain the health and integrity of ecosystems.
• There are many effective, ecologically sound and humane methods of reducing wildlife conflicts.  Livestock can be effectively protected from coyotes with livestock guard dogs and llamas, carcass removal, electric fencing, and night corrals.  Conflicts with beaver can be effectively reduced and even eliminated with humane flood beaver-deceiver flood control solutions as adopted by numerous agencies and municipalities across the nation.


Thank you for taking action today to protect coyotes and beaver from being reduced to body-parts for ill-conceived, economically inefficient and inhumane bounty programs!

Camilla H. Fox
Executive Director