Beaver Bounty Program

What: On Monday, November 4th, the Pottawattamie County Board of Supervisors approved a motion to adopt the Beaver Bounty Program. The program allows participants that harvest beavers for their pelts during trapping season to be paid $25 per beaver harvested in Pottawattamie County.

Why: From Board of Supervisors Chairman Brian Shea: "Pottawattamie County is responsible for maintaining many roadways and drainage ditches in our area. Beaver dams can end up causing a lot of damage, costing our county a considerable amount of money to repair. We hope this program minimizes the possibility of that happening."

The Beaver Bounty Program has been used by other counties in Iowa, including nearby Shelby County since 2012. The Iowa DNR has no concerns with the program.

• Bounty: $25 per beaver / $5,000 total county budget for bounties
• Season Ends: April 15, 2025

Rules

Participants must adhere to the rules and regulations of the Iowa Department of Natural Resources (IDNR) and follow specific steps outlined by Pottawattamie County.

1. Participants will be required to complete a claim form detailing the location and date of harvest and, if applicable, landowner permission to trap on the landowner’s property.  
2. Participants will also need to complete a W9 form, allowing Pottawattamie County to issue payment.  
3. Once a participant has the beaver harvested, and all forms completed, the participant must contact a Park Officer at Arrowhead, Botna Bend, or Hitchcock Nature Center. 
   1. Hitchcock Nature Center, Chad Kunze: 712-328-5833
   2. Arrowhead Park, Dave Fischer: 712-485-2295
   3. Botna Bend Park, Jon Fenner: 712-741-5465
4. Park staff will then confirm the harvest, send the forms to Accounts Payable, and a check will be issued to the participant.
5. Beavers must be harvested by legal means as defined by the Iowa DNR.
6. Beavers can NOT be harvested from the Missouri River.
7. No more than 20 beaver tails will be accepted at one time, and no more than 20 will be accepted per week.

Future of the Beaver Bounty Program

Once the $5,000 is expended there will be no more payments issued for the season. Pottawattamie County officials plan to evaluate the effectiveness of the program this season, before considering if the program will continue in the future.

Download Claim Form Download a W-9 Form