The RM of Portage la Prairie's Council is hoping an increase to their beaver bounty will entice trappers to get busy.

Reeve Kam Blight explains the RM's troubles.

"We have a lot of crossings, and areas where water must flow through, and a lot of culverts. Beavers are very active, they move from one spot to the next, and they can pose some real issues for us. Cause water to get backed up, and create some real problems with agricultural land and homes -- in their basements."

Blight

The Province currently offers $15 to the Municipality's 35, but Blight feels they're not offering enough per pelt to entice trappers to get busy.

"We do have a real issue. It takes a lot of time for our Public Works Department to go around and open up all those beaver dams and keep the water flowing. We do have a very large municipality, so it's very difficult. We've heard concerns that it's just not worth peoples' time and money to go out and trap for $45, so we've approved an upping to a total of $60. So $15 from the province and the municipality is going to kick in $45."

Blight says the beavers can cause serious agricultural issues, and they'd like to avoid that.