Examination of a State Fox Bounty

Abstract

During recent years when the red Jox (Vulpes fulva) attained its highest recorded population level, many states were hard pressed by sportsmen to do something drastic in the way of control. A bounty often has been the answer to such demands. Although the majority of state game departments have not favored bounties, mounting public pressure in times of predator population highs and coincidental declines in other game species often has forced their hand on the issue. Michigan's experience with bounties undoubtedly has been typical of many states. Bounties usually have taken the form originally of county-financed systems in which the bountied animals have been presented to the county clerk or some other designated official for payment. After paying out of their own treasuries for some years, the tendency has been for county authorities to force the responsibility upon the state. Michigan was no exception in this respect. After the Department of Conservation resisted efforts to bring a bounty into force, the State Legislature in October, 1947 provided for a state-financed bounty on the red fox through earmarking of fifty cents from each small game license. With the inception of the new fox bounty, the state was now paying bounties on four species of predatory mammals-the timber wolf, coyote, bobcat and red fox. The possible value of bounties as a tool in predator control has been investig ed in many states. In Pennsylvania, Gerstell (1937) made a comprehensive study of that state's long-used sy tem. Recently Pennsylvania has renewed its study of the bounty system. Jacobsen, (1945) in a California publication, surveyed bounty programs in oper ion in a number of states. Several other authors have written excellent reviews, both technical and popular, of the bounty system. The conclusions reached by all these authors were essentially the same, namely, that bounties are expensive, wasteful of public funds, conducive to fraud, and have not materially reduced numbers of the bountied species. Although the above studies have p ovided considerable enlightenment on th workings of the bounty, few intensive studies have been made on the