Victoria’s $120 wild dog bounty resumes next week.

VICTORIA’S state government will continue to pay hunters $10 for a fox scalp and $120 for a wild dog skins as it resumes its bounty program next week.

Agriculture Victoria biosecurity officers will be at designated collection centres from 4 March, beginning in the north-east of the state.

Agriculture Victoria leading biosecurity officer, Nigel Roberts, said the fox and wild dog bounty had been running in Victoria since 2011.

“In that time, we have collected more than 722,000 fox scalps and 3000 wild dog skin pieces through the bounty.

“We will be collecting from March until the end of October, which is consistent with previous years,” Mr Roberts said.

Eligible participants can submit entire fox scalps for a $10 reward and entire wild dog skin pieces for a $120 reward during scheduled collection times.

Mr Roberts urged hunters to refresh their knowledge with the terms and conditions of the bounty to ensure the pieces they submit are acceptable, and to check the collection centre open times as there have been scheduling changes for 2019 due to public holidays.

He also reminded hunters that the collection of entire wild dog skin pieces for the North West Wild Dog Control Area is by appointment only. Appointments should be made by calling the Agriculture Victoria Customer Service Centre on 136 186.

“We expect larger numbers of scalps and wild dog skin pieces to be submitted in the first few months as farmers and hunters usually stockpile while the bounty shuts down over summer.

“There is also a peak in fox hunting activity as young, vulnerable juvenile foxes are displaced around the landscape at the end of summer and beginning of autumn,” he said.

Agriculture Victoria said foxes and wild dogs require ongoing management from all private and public land managers and division supported an integrated approach, utilising a range of management practices to manage fox numbers, including the bounty.

Click here for the statewide collection schedule and here for the bounty conditions. For more details on bounty collection times and locations, terms and conditions, and frequently asked questions, visit www.agriculture.vic.gov.au/bounty or call the Customer Service Centre on 136 186.

Source: Agriculture Victoria.