Stop coyote and wildlife killing contests

Since our country was founded, native wildlife such as bears, coyotes, mountain lions, wolves, and other carnivores have been viewed with antipathy and misunderstanding. This prejudice, which is often fueled by fear, has led to the killing of these animals by the millions. Killing contests are organized events in which participants compete for prizes — typically cash or hunting equipment — for killing the most and/or largest animals within a specified time period (HSUS). Participants often dump the bodies, having no need for them after the prizes are awarded. Killing competitions are on the rise, allowing for inhumane methods of killing such as shooting, aerial gunning, poisoning, baiting, trapping, and even killing pups in their dens–all in the name of entertainment and to “protect prey populations.” For example, it is legal in Wyoming for a person to climb onto the back of a snowmobile and chase down wildlife, pursuing them until the wildlife drops from physical exhaustion, and then run the wildlife over relentlessly with the machine, injuring them until they die (see “A Death of Ethics”).

Sportsmen will argue that coyotes need to be exterminated because they reduce deer populations. The study “Coyotes Don’t Reduce Deer Populations,” conducted by Dr. Roland Kays, a professor at North Carolina State University and head of the lab at North Carolina Museum of Natural Sciences, showed no evidence that coyotes have an impact on deer populations on a large scale across the nation. In fact, his study concluded that deer populations continue to increase nationwide. Dr. Kay’s study further concluded that reductions in coyote populations could lead to further problems if their social structure is interrupted. Removing a dominant coyote from an area can result in more coyotes swarming into an area and actually increasing predation on wildlife. Non-lethal methods general reduce livestock predation more effectively than lethal methods such as wildlife killing contests. Wildlife killing contests exist because organizers reveal them only on a need-to-know basis, and with good reason. If the general public knew, there would be an outcry.

Coyote hunting – by any means – is legal year-round in Ohio. Geoff Westerfield, spokesperson for the Ohio Department of Natural Resources Division of Wildlife, stated, “The Division of Wildlife does not endorse or prohibit group coyote hunts”.   

Approximately one coyote is killed every minute of every day. Help stop the killing by promoting peaceful existence. Please join OAA, Project Coyote, National Coalition to End Wildlife Killing Contests, Animal Welfare Institute, and the HSUS in asking your local officials and ODNR Division of Wildlife to ban coyote/wildlife killing contests (Action Alert). You can share Project Coyote’s brochure on Coexisting with Coyotes and Lakewood’s factsheet on Coexisting with Coyotes with your local officials.

New York has become the 10th state to stop the slaughter of wild animals for cash and prizes. Gov. Kathy Hochul signed critical legislation (A.2917/S.4099) ending wildlife killing contests for coyotes, foxes, bobcats, squirrels, raccoons, crows and other species in New York on 12/22/2023 (HSUS Press Release). “Gov. Hochul has signed into law a critical, meaningful environmental policy, ending the wasteful use of our shared wildlife resources simply for cash and prizes,” said Brian Shapiro, New York state director for the Humane Society of the United States. Nine other states have prohibited killing contests, including California in 2014, Vermont in 2018, Arizona, Massachusetts and New Mexico in 2019, Colorado and Washington in 2020, Maryland in 2021, and Oregon in September 2023.