COYOTE KILLING CONTESTS ON THE AGENDA ~
CITY OF ALBUQUERQUE VOTE ON RESOLUTION SCHEDULED FOR MARCH 5 at 5:00 pm
Project Coyote Is Calling on Supporters in the Albuquerque Metropolitan Area to
Contact Members of the City Council
On March 5 at 5:00 pm at Civic Plaza, the Albuquerque City Council is expeced to vote on Resolution R-18-5 stating the City’s opposition to coyote killing contests, and its support of legislative efforts to ban coyote killing contests in New Mexico. Details and text of the Resolution can be found here.
We expect the vote to be very close. Your voice can make a difference—please plan to attend if you can, and submit your comments as soon as possible.
Here’s what you can do to show the City Council you support this Resolution (and please see talking points below):
- Appear in person at the City Council meeting and voice your support for the Resolution. If you plan to speak, please arrive at the Civic Center around 4:30 pm.
- Contact all of the members of the City Council. Contact information can be found here.
- If you live in Albuquerque, contact the councilor for your district and identify yourself as a constituent, and cc all other councilors. If you don’t know your district and councilor, you can find that information here.
- WriteLetters to the Editor of your local paper(s) to raise public awareness and to encourage others to take action. Use our tips and tools for writing LTE’s.
Thank you for speaking up for New Mexico’s wildlife.
 Judy Paulsen, Project Coyote New Mexico Representative
|
 Dave Parsons, Project Coyote Science Advisory Board Member |
Talking Points (please be respectful and personalize your message):
- Coyote killing contests are conducted for profit, entertainment, prizes, and simply for the “fun” of killing.
- No evidence exists showing that indiscriminate killing contests serve any effective wildlife management function. Coyote populations that are not hunted or trapped form stable family groups that naturally limit populations. Indiscriminate killing of coyotes disrupts this social stability, resulting in increased reproduction and pup survival. Read morehereand here.
- A three-year N.M. Department of Game & Fish program (2000-2003) that killed over 1,200 coyotes, aiming to enhance deer herds, was scrapped after there was no evidence that the killing increased fawn survival (Albuquerque Journal, 7/16/2003, “State Halts War on Coyotes”).
- Coyotes play an important ecological role helping to maintain healthy ecosystems and species diversity. As the top carnivore in some ecosystems, coyotes provide a number of benefits including regulating the number of mesocarnivores (such as skunks, raccoons, and foxes), which in turn helps to boost biodiversity. Read more here.
- Coyote killing contests perpetuate a culture of violence and send the message to children that life has little value and that an entire species of animals is disposable.
- Coyote killing contests put non-target wildlife (including highly endangered Mexican wolves), companion animals, and people at risk.
- Killing as many animals as possible conflicts with ethical fair-chase hunting values and the science-based North American Model of Wildlife Conservation that guides most hunters.
PLEASE SEE PROJECT COYOTE’S WILDLIFE KILLING CONTEST FACT SHEET FOR ADDITIONAL INFORMATION.
“The non-specific, indiscriminate killing methods used in these commercial and unrestricted coyote killing contests are not about hunting or sound land management. These contests are about personal profit, animal cruelty…It is time to outlaw this highly destructive activity.”
~Ray Powell, former New Mexico Land Commissioner
Watch wildlife biologist and NM-based Project Coyote Science Advisory Board member Dave Parsons talk about wildlife killing contests here.
Watch a 60-second trailer of Project Coyote’s documentary film, KILLING GAMES ~ Wildlife In The Crosshairs, here.
Thank you for showing your critical support for coyotes by joining Project Coyote and our coalition partners in our efforts to stop coyote killing contests in New Mexico.
Thank you for speaking up for wildlife!
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