In the New Mexico legislative session there is an attempt to outlaw wildlife killing contests. While some say the competitions are needed to address coyote populations threatening livestock and pets conservationists say the events are an inhumane and unnecessary blood sport.
If the bill passes, New Mexico would be the first state to outlaw the competitions completely.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NtkwKOOdYH4&feature=youtu.beRetiree Jim Schmidt worked with the USDA for 10 years in Arizona with a specialization in coyote control, trapping and hunting coyotes posing a threat to livestock, private property and pets.
“These animals are very prolific, they eat they kill and eat everything.” Schmidt said
Now in retirement, Schmidt organizes The World Championship Coyote Calling Contest. Schmidt says ranchers and hunters have been using social events and hunting competitions to address out of check coyote populations since he was a kid.
or they would feed you lunch. There was always some kind of incentive to come out and be involved in that.” Schmidt said
“Through the years, those events have continued to go on and they still go on today with those kind of compensations”
Nowadays coyote hunting competitions happen in almost every state. Skilled coyote callers and marksmen can walk away with cash prizes in the thousands. According to news outlet ‘PennLive’ a contestant walked away with more than $10,000 in winnings at a 2015 competition in Pennsylvania.
“To see them killed for the pleasure of humans competing for cash prizes- it is just wrong.” “It is pretty much the definition of evil to kill something for your pleasure,”
Southwest Environmental Center Executive Director Kevin Bixby said. Bixby tumbled upon 39 bloodied coyote corpses dumped following a competition outside of Las Cruces in 2014.
“It is pretty horrific to see that many coyotes piled up in one place.” Bixby said “These animals, these are mammals, they are intelligent creatures, they have social bonds, they have family bonds”
Many hunters are guided by the North American Model of Wildlife Conservation- it pushes ethics that wildlife should only be killed for legitimate purposes…like hunting for food, fur or the protection of property- or to protect pets or livestock from attack.
Bixby said he can tell when coyotes were killed for competition sake.
Schmidt says in his competitions the coyote furs are taken and sold or made use of. He also alternates his competition locations to address areas where coyotes pose a threat.
“We work very hard to be professional about all of it to try and locate contacts fur buyers and anybody and put them to use.” Schmidt said.
Schmidt said the competitions have only grown and spread throughout the US as coyotes have.
While the events have developed and evolved, so has coyote management science research including one study from the University of Nebraska indicated that mass eradication of coyotes doesn’t control populations but in fact can actually increase them.
New coyotes move into cleared areas, competitions can increase female breeding and constant killing keeps the population in a younger, more productive state.
“Coyotes are extremely adaptable they have adapted to human urban environments. They are living amongst us. There is nothing really we can do about that, we can kill them all we like, they will keep on returning because our cities provide coyotes with what they need; food, shelter etc… ” Bixby said
Traditionally, coyotes have been seen as pests- unlike other animals hunted in the US- there are few regulations or limits on when and how many can be killed. Bixby said he is hoping a bill in the New Mexico state legislature could change that; it would ban wildlife killing contests.
“It would be a more sweeping ban than any state has implemented thus far.”
Bixby said.
California has already taken action prohibiting prizes for wildlife killing contests.
As a result Schmidt said he no longer hosts events there.
“We don’t go to California at the present time because they wont allow us to give out trophies or anything like that. You can’t even give them a pencil, that would be considered compensation. You want to honor those that are the best at what they do.” Schmidt said.
Neither California’s law nor New Mexico’s proposal would stop coyote hunters like Schmidt from being able to protect private property or livestock. In fact people would still be allowed to kill coyotes for sport but not in a formalized competition.
But Schmidt said that is not his prime concern, he said the laws are part of a larger campaign to completely prohibit hunting of coyotes and other wild animals.
“This whole thing is a fraud- it is about ending hunting- they are taking every step they can in everyway.” Schmidt said.
Bixby says there are coordinated pushes to ban or limit killing contests in Nevada, Arizona and Colorado. But he wants the land of enchantment to be first.
“This is where New Mexico has a chance to make history.”
Bixby said