Deer seasons might be winding down in most states, which means outdoorsmen and women usually shift their thoughts to trapping, predator hunting and ice fishing. If you’re a coyote hunter or trapper in South Carolina, that passion is being incentivized by the state in their ongoing hopes of getting the coyote population down to more manageable levels. The result is more game animals — not to mention other nontarget species.

Started a few years ago, the South Carolina Department of Natural Resources is still offering a complimentary lifetime hunting license to any hunter in the state who kills one of the tagged coyotes that were released into the state’s four game zones.

We first reported on this story HERE. In the time that has passed, hunters have not only participated, they have put a good dent in the state’s out-of-control predator population.

According to a report by the South Carolina Department of Natural Resources, the Coyote Harvest Incentive Program was created in 2016 by a Budget Provision (47.10), which directed SCDNR to develop and implement a coyote tagging and reward program. Annually, SCDNR traps, tags and releases four coyotes per game zone (16 total). Anyone who successfully takes and reports a tagged coyote will be rewarded with a free lifetime hunting license. The person reporting the tagged coyote has the option to designate anyone for the lifetime license such as a child, relative, or friend.

The SCDNR also reports that over the last five years, a total of 80 coyotes have been tagged and released, with another 16 coyotes to be tagged in 2021-22 trapping season. To date, approximately half of the tagged coyotes have been reported taken. Coyotes tagged in any year are eligible for the lifetime license incentive. The specially marked tags provide contact information directly on them. Only the uniquely identifiable SCDNR coyote tags are eligible for the lifetime license as there are potentially some coyotes that have been tagged for research purposes.

Here’s a look at the numbers: