Daniel Prince
16 tagged coyotes were released statewide
The South Carolina Department of Natural Resources released 16 more tagged coyotes statewide as part of the Coyote Harvest Incentive Program, which the General Assembly created in 2016. Annually, SCDNR traps, tags, and releases 4 coyotes per game zone, for a total of 16. 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 of designating anyone for the lifetime license, such as a child, relative, or friend, or they may use it themselves. Since the program began, 112 coyotes have been tagged and released, and fewer than half have been reported taken. Coyotes tagged in any year are eligible for the lifetime license incentive. There is contact information for the DNR on the tag. Despite the incentive program, the number of coyotes harvested annually has fallen from a 16-year high of 34,409 in 2011 to a 16-year low of 20,348 in 2021. This can reflect a smaller coyote population, however, as DNR officials estimate the overall coyote population appears to be down nearly 40% since 2011. They say that indicates that control efforts by hunters and trappers are having an impact.