SPONSOR: Knight
This bill establishes a nest predator bounty program to promote the reduction in the number of nest predators to enhance the nest success of ground-nesting birds. Nest predators include raccoons, striped skunks, badgers, opossums, and red foxes. The Department of Conservation must pay a bounty of $10 for each tail of a nest predator submitted to the Department.
The bounty program is subject to the following limitations:
(1) No household can receive more than $1,200 for the program annually;
(2) No more than $2 million can be disbursed under the program annually;
(3) No individual who is not a resident of Missouri is eligible for the program;
(4) No tail of a nest predator harvested outside of the State or from a road-killed nest predator is eligible for the program;
(5) An individual who desires to harvest nest predators under this program must obtain a trapping license from the Department, unless the individual is a landowner not required to obtain a license;
(6) An individual who submits a tail under the program must sign a legal affidavit attesting to the method, date and time, and location of the harvest of the nest predator.
Statutes affected: