(Bedford, VA)—The Bedford County Agricultural Economic Development Advisory Board wants to spread the word about the 2023-2024 Bedford County Coyote Lottery, an effort to manage the over-population of coyotes in our locality.

The lottery will run from Sept. 1, 2023, to Feb. 29, 2024. Each coyote killed counts as an entry to win a grand prize of $1,000 or six additional prizes of $500 each.

Proof of a kill must be verified in-person at Bedford Co-op (1053 Independence Blvd., Bedford) to be entered into the lottery. Hunters must follow state hunting guidelines while participating, and only coyotes killed by the applicant within the boundaries of Bedford County during this time frame are eligible.

According to the U.S. Department of Agriculture, coyotes eat both plants and animals and pose substantial threats to agriculture crops as well as livestock. Agriculture and Forestry is the largest land use in Bedford County, with cattle and calves being our top commodity.

The Bedford County Coyote Lottery was an annual initiative until the pandemic. This year marks the first time it has been organized since 2019-2020.

How to enter:

1. Kill the coyote (follow state hunting guidelines). More than one kill allowed. Each kill qualifies and no limit to the number of entries. Only coyotes killed in Bedford County qualify.
2. Bring the carcass or intact head to the Bedford Cooperative on Independence Blvd. to be verified and entered into the lottery. Entry forms are required and must be filled out on-site. Please note participants are responsible for properly disposing of the coyote’s remains following identification.
3. The winners will be notified in March 2024.

Grand Prize: $1,000
Six additional prize winners will be awarded $500 each!

Download the flier here.

Rules and Regulations

1. The lottery will run from September 1, 2023 to February 29, 2024.
2. Only coyotes killed by the applicant within the boundaries of Bedford County during this time frame are eligible. Applicant will be required to document the address (or general location if public land) where the coyote was killed. Only completely filled out applications will be deemed eligible.
3. Applicant must own the land, be the tenant of the land or have the written permission of the landowner upon which to hunt and kill any coyotes submitted to the lottery. If applicable, written permission must be presented for inspection when submitting a coyote for lottery entry.
4. All Virginia Game and Inland Fisheries rules and regulations must be followed.
5. The coyote carcass or intact head must be presented to Bedford Southern States, 1053 Independence BLVD in the Town of Bedford during normal business hours. Trappers may remove the pelt before submission if desired, remove the head and freeze it [leave mouth open to access tongue]. The applicant will clip the tongue of the coyote in the presence of a Bedford Southern States employee. The applicant must fill out an application and entry form for each coyote submitted. Only complete applications will be considered eligible. The individual checking in the carcass or head is responsible for proper disposal.
6. There is no limit to the number of coyotes that an individual can enter in the lottery. However, a separate application and entry form is required for each coyote.
7. The exact date, time and location of the drawing will be announced closer to the end of the lottery period. You need not be present to win. There will be multiple lottery jackpot cash prizes. Although you may have multiple entries in the lottery, you can only win one prize. If your name is drawn a second time, it will be discarded and another ticket will be drawn.
8. The lottery committee reserves the right to inspect any and all coyotes, maintains the right to disqualify any participants in violation of rules and may request a polygraph test.
9. Any protest of the lottery must be made in writing to the lottery committee within three days of the drawing.

Lottery Contact:
Don Gardner, DVM 540-871-0246