In 2018, Project Coyote and the Humane Society of the United States co-founded the National Coalition to End Wildlife Killing Contests, a growing coalition of more than 60 national and state organizations working together to bring an end to wildlife contests, derbies, and tournaments in the U.S. Together, we have successfully enacted prohibitions on killing contests in ten states: Arizona, California, Colorado, Maryland, Massachusetts, New Mexico, New York, Oregon, Vermont, and Washington.
Ready to take action? See below for updates on our active campaigns and actions to take in support of banning wildlife killing contests:
ILLINOIS
We recently petitioned the IL Department of Natural Resources to ban WKCs in the state. Unfortunately, this petition was denied and now it’s up to the legislature. Take action by contacting state legislators in support of a ban.
NEVADA
In 2023, AB102 was introduced in the state legislature to ban killing contests statewide. Stay tuned and keep taking the actions listed below!
VIRGINIA
We’re making slow but steady progress. Stay tuned and keep taking the actions listed below!
NEW JERSEY
S2409/A502 to ban wildlife killing contests in New Jersey has been introduced. Take action by contacting state legislators in support of the bill.
For residents of the states listed above:
- Schedule a phone call or meeting to ask your state legislators (if your state has a bill listed above) or your state wildlife commissioners (if your state has a proposed regulation listed above) to ban killing contests; follow up with information obtained from the National Coalition to End Wildlife Killing Contests website.
- Ask your family, friends and coworkers to support your state’s proposed ban of killing contests; share through social media.
- Share infographics and the film trailer for Wildlife Killing Contests film here.
- Write letters to the editor of your newspaper that raise support for the legislation or regulation banning killing contests and encourage readers to express their opposition to their lawmakers. See the activist toolkit for sample letters.
For everyone, including residents outside the states listed above:
- Sign our petition supporting a ban of wildlife killing contests on public lands.
- Learn more at the National Coalition to End Wildlife Killing Contests website.
- Spread the word through social media and encourage people to take action. Find sample posts here.
- Share the film trailer through your social networks.
- Shut down individual contests in your state by firmly, but politely, urging the event hosts and sponsors to stop supporting killing for fun and prizes. For guidance on identifying and communicating with local contests, see the activist toolkit.
- Urge your city or county officials to pass a non-binding resolution condemning wildlife killing contests and calling on state policymakers to ban them. For guidance, see Toolkit: A Guide to Passing Local Resolutions.