CHARLESTON, S.C. (WCBD) – The South Carolina Department of Natural Resources (SCDNR) is dishing out lifetime hunting licenses to those who harvest a tagged coyote.

SCDNR said Tuesday it released 16 tagged coyotes statewide as part of the Coyote Harvest Program.

The program was established by the General Assembly in 2016, which directed the agency to develop and implement a coyote tagging and reward program.

Each year, 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, according to the agency.

“The person reporting the tagged coyote has the option to designate anyone for the lifetime license such as a child, relative or friend,” SCDNR said.

Coyotes in South Carolina breed in February and March, according to SCDNR.

SCDNR officials said 112 coyotes have been tagged and released over the last seven years, including the 16 that were released in 2023.

“To date, under 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 on the tag. Only the uniquely identifiable SCDNR coyote tags are eligible for the lifetime license, as there are potentially some additional coyotes that have been tagged for research purposes with other tags,” officials said.

To learn more about the program, please click here.