Judging by the feedback from last week’s column on the status of coyotes in South Carolina, the non-native species is a hot-topic issue in the Palmetto State.

The effect of coyotes in the state is so wide-ranging, there are more details to discuss.

Many hunters and concerned citizens are in favor of the state instituting a bounty on coyotes. Charles Ruth, Deer and Wild Turkey Coordinator for the S.C. Department of Natural Resources, is on record stating the agency isn’t considering a bounty at this time.

“Bounties have been around out west since people have been out there in an effort to try to control coyotes,” said Ruth, who noted such control efforts haven’t kept them from migrating eastward.