Farmers can bag $120 a head for wild dogs
A $120 bounty on the heads of South Australia’s wild dogs is all part of a plan to keep their numbers down.
SA Business
Don't miss out on the headlines from SA Business. Followed categories will be added to My News.
- Dog Fence rebuild expected to create up to 63 jobs
- How to get the most out of your Advertiser digital subscription
Pastoralists say a new bounty scheme to humanely kill wild dogs on their land is well-timed as animal numbers have surged in recent weeks.
Farmers can receive $120 an animal but they must submit photographic evidence of each dog killed humanely on their land for verification.
The $100,000 bounty scheme, which started this week, is part of the State Government’s $21 million drought relief package.
Norton Warnest, who manages Martins Well Station in the Flinders Ranges, said it was an ideal time for a bounty to be put in place, after catching 14 dogs on his property in the past three weeks.
“There weren’t too many dogs getting in over summer but in the last four weeks, as the weather has cooled down, we’ve had a lot of dogs moving around,” he said.
Mr Warnest said the region had also suffered from drought and the coronavirus outbreak, stopping travellers from heading north.
“Hopefully, we get a good break and good rains this winter and people will start looking to restock,” he said.
“But the last thing you want to do is buy in sheep, and then have them smashed by wild dogs.”
Mr Warnest said it would also be helpful for the Government to allow professional dog trappers to operate in national parks, while tourism was halted due to coronavirus.
South Australian Dog Fence Board chairman and Orroroo farmer Geoff Power said there had been plenty of dog activity reported across the state and as far as the West Coast.
“The wild dog fight is a bit like the coronavirus fight,” he said. “You hope you’re getting on top of it but we still have a long way to go and we need every tool in our back pocket.”
Mr Power said work was expected to start on a $25 million rebuild of SA’s dog fence in the next three months.
MORE NEWS
Yumbah opens new oyster spat hatchery
Traders bring the Central Market to your door
Primary Industries Minister Tim Whetstone said as well as keeping dog numbers down, the bounty scheme provided financial support to pastoralists suffering through the drought.
“The impact of wild dogs on the pastoral regions is significant, costing livestock producers almost $90 million every year,” Mr Whetstone said.
“While only landholders will be able to collect the bounty, recreational and commercial shooters are able to hunt the dogs where they are invited to do so by farmers.”
The bounty scheme will run until June 30 next year or until the allocated funding is exhausted.