A bounty has been placed on Nova Scotia's coyotes -- just don't call it a bounty.
"If you were to check Webster's, you'd probably find that every way you can find a definition, this will be defined as a bounty," says Natural Resources Minister John MacDonnell.
However he says bounties have earned a bad name during debate leading up to the decision.
"We weren't looking for (a bounty)," says MacDonnell. "The pelt incentive plan is not a traditional bounty that simply provides money for dead animals, but rather it is a way to change coyote behaviour and reduces a problem wildlife population."
He says wildlife biologists indicate that this trapping incentive program should help discourage over familiarity and boldness of coyotes towards humans.
Concern over the animals has been growing since a Toronto woman was killed by coyotes in Cape Breton last fall, adn there have been several incidents since where coyotes have attacked pets and humans.
The most significant aspect of the four-part plan won't come into effect until trapping season starts October 15.
"A $20 pelt incentive for professional trappers to harvest coyotes," says MacDonnell. "(Also) Training 15 trappers to target aggressive coyotes."
In the interim, government will enhance the training of some of the ad hoc trappers in the province. They will also hire a wildlife biologist to study the human-wildlife conflict and ramp up education on how to avoid coyotes.
The program is estimated to cost about $80,000.