Speak Out Against Coyote-Killing Contest

Here’s a celebration of a lack of empathy: To reward people who’ve learned coyote calls well enough to lure them to their deaths, the United States Predator Challenge invites people from three parts of the country to kill coyotes and bring their carcasses to three locations for counting toward a depraved contest entry.

The website reads, “We want to stress the importance that to win one of these regional contests will be HUGE… and to win the overall Championship will truly set the bar in the predator calling world.”

In an action alert, Project Coyote asks that you:

• Urge your state legislators to support a ban on wildlife killing contests, which are cruel and unsporting, in your state. Locate your state legislators here. Find more guidance on passing local and state bans on wildlife killing contests here.
• Urge your city and/or county council to pass a resolution condemning wildlife killing contests and calling for a statewide legislative ban. This year, the city councils of Albuquerque, New Mexico, and Dewey-Humboldt, Arizona, passed similar resolutions.
• Write letters to the editor of your local newspaper.
  a. For tips and tools about writing letters to the editor, click here.
  b. Talking points (it’s important to be polite and personalize your message):
  °  States should follow the lead of California and Vermont and ban the killing of coyotes and other wildlife for prizes and fun.
  °  Wildlife killing contests are conducted for profit, entertainment, prizes, and simply for the “fun” of killing.
  °  No evidence exists showing that indiscriminate killing contests serve any effective wildlife management function. Coyote populations that are not hunted or trapped form stable family groups that naturally limit populations. Indiscriminate killing of coyotes disrupts this social stability, resulting in increased reproduction and pup survival. Read more here and here.
  °  Coyotes play an important ecological role helping to maintain healthy ecosystems and species diversity. As the top carnivore in some ecosystems, coyotes provide many benefits including providing free rodent control and regulating the number of mesocarnivores (such as skunks and raccoons), which in turn helps to boost ground and song bird abundance and biodiversity. Read more here.
  °  Wildlife killing contests perpetuate a culture of violence and send the message to children that life has little value and that animals are disposable.
  °  Wildlife killing contests put non-target wildlife, companion animals, and people at risk.
  °  Killing as many animals as possible conflicts with traditional fair-chase hunting values and contravenes science-based wildlife conservation principles and practices.
• Post this sharegraphic on social media, accompanied by the requests above.
• Help raise awareness about wildlife killing contests by distributing this educational postcard and this factsheet.
• Help sponsor a screening of KILLING GAMES ~ Wildlife In The Crosshairs in your community. Contact Project Coyote at info@projectcoyote.org about sponsorship opportunities.