Coonamble farmer James Nalder has joined the NSW Farmers Federation in backing calls for a fox bounty saying foxes are becoming a “growing concern” across the region.

It comes after NSW Nationals leader and member for Dubbo Dugald Saunders suggested in parliament that NSW should consider following Victoria’s lead in paying $10 for each decapitated fox scalp presented by a shooter. 

Mr Saunders told parliament that he believed the program was successful.

Around 940,000 of the $10 bounties have been handed in Victoria over the last decade.

However, the impact this has on overall fox numbers is debated - with critics like the Invasive Species Council suggesting 940,000 is “insignificant” in a state where fox numbers are unknown but estimated to be in the millions.

Fox numbers in Western NSW are unknown, but Coonamble farmer James Nalder said foxes were a growing concern on his property for baby goats as well as native wildlife.

Image: NSW Government

“We go through periods of baiting and this keeps them await for a little while, but then they end coming up, coming in from somewhere else” he told the Western Plains App.

“It comes in waves, but I think everyone's sort of saying at the moment they're seeing more foxes running around”

He supported the introduction of the fox bounty” Look I think anything that can be done there to encourage people, people to be taking active role in foxes and fox control would be great.”

Mr Nalder said he believed there needed to be more ways to get people to be active on foxes.

Dugald Saunders. Image: NSW Nationals.

He added that he found the fox baiting has so far been effective and has reduced kid deaths on his property.

The NSW Farmers Association told the Western Plains App it has been calling on the NSW Government to introduce the bounty for ten years.

However, NSW Minister for Agriculture Tara Moriarity said in a statement that past experience had shown that fox bounties “are not successful” - saying they have been previously been introduced into the state and made no difference to fox numbers.

Mr Nalder said he would like to see the state introduce a competition where the person who collects the most fox pelts wins a prize.

“I’d like to see something more like that, something innovative,” he said.