Update (February 2013): The bill failed in committee.
Bill description: New Mexico has seen a recent rash of animal killing contests that threaten public safety, are inhumane and are not biologically sound. Killing contests reward people for killing the most animals; prizes offered often have included monetary incentives and semiautomatic rifles. These contests are unethical and send a dangerous message that life is cheap and that senseless killing is cause for celebration. According to a New Mexico State Land Commissioner, Ray Powell, contest hunts are “about personal profit, animal cruelty, and the severe destruction of the delicate balance of this desert ecosystem. It is time outlaw this highly destructive activity.”