So-called “killing contests,” which are currently legal in 43 states, are structured events in which participants attempt kill animals within a specified period, typically for prizes for biggest or smallest animal killed, and other factors.
The animals targeted in these contests are those often deemed “pests” by modern society, such as coyotes, foxes, rabbits, wolves, squirrels, bobcats, and mountain lions. Considered nothing but a nuisance, these animals are killed with impunity, their deaths often rewarded by “cash prizes” while the animals who perish in the event are simply weighed and counted before their bodies are tossed in the trash.
Texas is a hotspot for the contests, with more than 600 known events annually. Giving a sense of scale to the cruel practice, on the “West Texas Big Bobcat Contest” event page, organizers boasted about the number of participants and the huge sums of money that are paid out to the winners and the great fun had by participants:
“For the 3 contests combined in 2021, we had a total of 1498 teams entered, paid out $344,540 in prize money, gave away some pretty awesome prizes from our sponsors, and we had a heck of a good time doing it. That brings our all time total payout (since 2008) to $2,746,860. We think that’s pretty unbelievable, and we know that it could not happen without all the hunters who support the contest and enjoy a little competitive predator hunting.”
Supporters of killing contests promote these events as fun and entertainment, and often justify the events by claiming they are needed to reduce the predation of farmed animals and “game” animals, as well as minimize threats to humans and companion animals. This claim, however, is unfounded scientifically and routinely debunked by professionals in wildlife management. In fact, scientists assert that these kill-offs actually amplify the problem supporters claim to be solving, as thinned out coyote packs ultimately produce more offspring and prompt the abandonment of their traditional diet of rodents and small animals in favor of larger game such as sheep and deer.
These events are barbaric and ineffective, and have no place in modern society. The use of automatic weapons, night vision, and electronic calling devices to draw animals out for slaughter demonstrates the extremity of these events, as well as the absolute lack of care that some parts of our society demonstrate for non-human animal lives. These contests also “normalize” extreme violence towards animals as “fun,” “sport,” and “entertainment.”
Seven states have outlawed this barbaric pastime (Arizona, Massachusetts, Colorado, Washington, New Mexico, Vermont, and California), with Maryland poised to become the eighth state to ban wildlife killing contests at the time of writing. It is time we elevate our standard of treatment for both human and non-human animals alike, and eliminating wildlife killing contests is a great step in that direction. If you live in a state that has not outlawed this practice, please contact your state’s fish and wildlife service and urge a ban on wildlife killing contests.
Here is a sample script you can use for telephone and email:
My name is [your name] and I am a resident of [state]. I am contacting you today to urge a ban on wildlife killing contests in our state. Not only are these events cruel to the animals targeted, such as coyotes, foxes, wolves, and bobcats, they also are often extremely ineffective as a wildlife population control.
Keep Wildlife in the Wild,
Ridge
