The fee paid for killing or capturing a person or an animal...That's what bounty means and over the history of humans I would imagine many have been claimed for both counts: Animal and human.
It's not a concept of the past though as here in Australia, and I assume other countries, bounties are still placed upon things and people still claim the rewards.
April 1st marked the first day of the Wild dog bounty announced by the Government of South Australia, my home State.
The Minister for Primary Industries and Regional Management, Tim Whetstone MP has announced the scheme will run until June 30th, or until the allocated funding has been exhausted. src
Note: Wild dog is the term used to describe pure dingoes, hybrid dingoes and feral domestic dogs. This is the definition given by pir.sa.gov.au (Department of Primary industries and Regions S.A.)
The funding runs up to $100,000 and is designed to support drought-affected farmers as part of the Liberal Government's Drought-Package which has an overarching budget of $21 million.
Below lifted directly from the Government media release:
...the wild dog bounty offers landowners and pastoralists $120 per wild dog killed on their land. Minister for Primary Industries and Regional Development Tim Whetstone said the wild dog bounty will provide financial support to pastoralists in the outback and farmers suffering through extended drought conditions.
Government studies show the impact of wild dogs on pastoral regions and livestock producers runs up to some $90 million each year and with additional pressures of an extended drought farmers are at breaking point.
The bounty scheme only applies to landholders meaning only they can collect the bounty. Shooters like myself are able to provide culling services on the farmers behalf, by invitation. The culling/hunting must take place on the land held by the inviting farmer.
The dingo (dog) fence in pink which runs for 5,614 kilometres (3,488 miles). South Australia is the State in the centre of the country to the south. Image from Wikipedia.
The Government continues efforts to control wild dog populations with a multi-pronged attack including a $25 million rebuild-process for the South Australian Dog Fence, aerial baiting and by expanding the trapping (and destruction) program. The bounty scheme is designed as another measure and is expected to bring populations under firm control.
South Australia's livestock industry is worth $4.2 billion and to protect it in this way shows the Government's commitment to assisting pastoralists.
The media release says:
“Our $21 million Drought Support Package provides immediate financial assistance with council rate and pastoral lease rent rebates, improved mental health outreach services as well as extra resources to help control wild dogs which can have devastating impacts for our pastoralists by driving sheep off farming lands.
The farmers can claim the bounty by submitting photographic evidence of each dog killed (humanely) on their own land for verification. They are used to doing this work as the Government directive is that they have to shoot all wild dogs on their land anyway which, of course, only helps them in the long term. Now they can claim the bounty they will either do it themselves, or more likely, bring shooters like me in.
I have been called by several farmers who have made the offer of me going to hunt on their properties although I have declined each one as they are too far away and with the COVID-19 issues I'd rather be closer to home and my wife. I'm not sure how I'd go shooting a dog either to be honest.
It's good to see the Government expanding their assistance to the farmers though, they need it and I hope this measure, together with the other solutions, helps solve the situation with the dog population.
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Be well
