34 TH EY eA) DIU BeOmNC eB: UE ee rei, 
of bounty payments by counties was not included on the questionnaire, it 
is probable that counties in other states also pay bounties. 
OF SIGNIFICANCE is the fact that there were no bounties on predatory 
birds, and not one biologist approved of the system. Moreover, most 
biologists were quite strongly opposed to bounties. 
COMMENTS FROM THE BIOLOGISTS who filled out the question- 
naires as well as other examples are incorporated into the following general 
list of faults inherent within the bounty system. 
1. Too few predators are bountied to effect sufficient reduction in the 
breeding stock of a population. For example, in Pennsylvania, weasels 
were bountied from 1915 to 1935. The number of weasels bountied by five- 
year periods were 38,816; 49,029; 54,707; and 68,423 which appears to in- 
dicate that the breeding stock of the population was not being reduced. 
2. The bounty system results in unnecessary payments. Many animals 
are killed each year by sportsmen, farmers, trappers, and cars whether a 
bounty is paid or not. Recently, one Pennsylvania biologist stated that 
50 per cent or more of the mammalian predators (1.e., fox, weasel) would 
have been killed regardless of the bounty payment. Investigators in Mich- 
igan found that 75 per cent of the foxes presented for bounty were taken 
by people not primarily interested in the bounty payment. The conclusion 
is that a bounty is unnecessary prize money for people who take a very 
large proportion of the bountied animals. 
3. Bounty payments often represent a large expenditure of money 
that can be regarded as a subsidy to a very small group of professional 
trappers and hunters. In Wisconsin, almost 10,000 individuals bountied 
only one fox at $2.50 each, 687 people each received bounty payments for 
5-9 foxes ($12.50 to $22.50), and each of 68 individual bounty hunters and 
trappers received over $50 for 20 or more animals for the year 1962. The 
bulk of the $180,000 bounty money went primarily to these 68 hunters 
and trappers. This money is now being used to develop nature trails, 
shooting ranges, outdoor education programs, and wildlife habitat im- 
provements programs. Also, in 1958, Michigan paid out $226,000 in bounty 
payments when Game and Fish Funds were short by $75,000 for research, 
public fishing sites, and stream improvement. Finally, Pennsylvania has 
added more than $100,000 annual bounty money to their land acquisition 
budget. 
4, Fraudlent practices are common in the bounty system. Bountied 
animals are taken where they are plentiful and easy to kill and bountied 
in the county or state where payments are made. In 1922, Michigan had 
a bounty of $35 on wolves. Pelts were sent into Michigan from the entire 
Midwest, but the highest number of bounties were paid in counties bor- 
dering other states. In Alaska, “Dolly Varden” Trout were bountied 15 
years ago because they ate salmon eggs and fingerlings. The bounty was 
dropped when investigation of some 20,000 tails showed that 2,000 were 
Dolly Varden, 3,800 were rainbow trout, and 14,200 were young salmon. 
Trappers have also been known to release trapped females for main- 
tenance of breeding stock. In one case, a large number of pegleg female 
coyotes were bountied because one trapper released the females from 
traps. Trappers have also been known to refrain from bountying fox and 
coyote pups in the spring because a higher bounty was paid on adults in 
the fall, and if the trapper was permitted to keep the pelt, he could also 
sell the pelt to a fur buyer. 
