Beginning March 1, 2022, South Dakota youth under the age of 18 are eligible to participate in the fourth annual Nest Predator Bounty program, kicking off its fourth year as part of Gov. Kristi Noem’s Second Century Initiative. The program targets nest-robbing predators and tails from raccoons, striped skunks, badgers, red foxes and opossums will be eligible for $10 per-tail payments with a maximum total payout of $500,000. The program will open to all South Dakota resident on April 1. 

“We were thrilled with the amount of youth participation we saw in 2021,” said Kevin Robling, GFP Department Secretary. “Getting the next generation involved in conservation and the long-standing tradition of trapping is critical to keeping our South Dakota outdoor heritage strong.” 

And the program has gained popularity. In 2021, there were 2,773 total participants — 29 percent under the age of 18, up from 16 percent in 2020. Tails eligible for submission can be harvested via trapping or hunting and participants need a hunting, furbearer or fishing license to be eligible to participate in the bounty program. Landowners harvesting nest predators for the program on their own land and youth under 18 are exempt from this license requirement. 

Complete program details as well as dates, times and locations for tail submissions can be found on the GFP website. For bounty submissions outside of the listed office locations and times, contact your local wildlife conservation officer or wildlife damage specialist. 

“The Youth Trap Giveaway will also return for 2022. On a weekly basis, our team will host a drawing from participating youth trappers under the age of 18 and giveaway a prize package of three live traps, a knife and a trapping booklet. This giveaway was a tremendous success last year and made participants even more excited about getting involved in wildlife management,” said Robling.