We need your help TODAY to pass a bipartisan bill that would prohibit coyote killing contests in New Mexico. Dozens of these barbaric events–competitions in which participants compete for cash or prizes to kill the smallest, the largest, or the greatest number of coyotes–occur in the state every year.
Senate Bill 76, bipartisan legislation sponsored by State Senators Mark Moores (R) and Jeff Steinborn (D), would ban these ethically and ecologically indefensible events in New Mexico–relegating the bloodsport to the history books, just like dogfighting and cockfighting.
SB 76 will be heard in the Senate Conservation Committee on the morning of Tuesday, February 12th.
Please act today by writing or calling key State Senators on the Committee asking them to vote YES on SB 76. We also urge you to attend the hearing. Details below.
This legislation will prevent a small minority of the population from recklessly slaughtering our wild animals.
- Killing contests are a bloodsport like dogfighting and cockfighting. Killing coyotes for thrill and prizes–with no respect for their intrinsic or ecological value–is senseless violence and waste.
- Killing contests damage the reputation of responsible hunters by violating fundamental hunting ethics. The events put non-target species (including highly endangered Mexican gray wolves) at risk. Participants use electronic calling devices, which mimic the sounds of prey or young in distress, to lure them in for an easy kill. Countless animals are injured or orphaned during killing contests.
- Participants perpetuate myths to justify the killing. There is no scientific evidence that indiscriminately killing coyotes reduces their populations, increases populations of game animals, or protects livestock.
- Killing contests are contrary to sound wildlife management. Randomly killing coyotes disrupts their pack structure which can increase their populations and increase conflicts. Preventing conflicts with the use of humane, non-lethal methods is more effective.
- Coyotes play an important ecological role in healthy ecosystems. They reduce rabbit and rodent populations, keep environments free of animal carcasses, and increase biodiversity.
The bill still allows ranchers to kill specific, problem-causing coyotes and does not prohibit the legal hunting of coyotes (which can be killed year-round and in unlimited numbers).
Learn more about wildlife killing contests here, the scientific reasons behind why killing coyotes doesn’t solve problems here and here, and the National Coalition to End Wildlife Killing Contests here.
Please contact key State Senators TODAY to urge their support for SB 76 ~ Speak up for the voiceless animals who need your help.
Contact Key Committee Members:
Please send an email to the following members of the Senate Conservation Committee and urge them to vote YES on SB 76—and let them know you’re a New Mexico resident:
Sen. Cervantes: Joseph@cervanteslawnm.com
Sen. Sedillo Lopez: a.sedillolopez@nmlegis.gov
Sen. Griggs: ron.griggs@nmlegis.gov
Sen. Martinez: richard.martinez@nmlegis.gov
Sen. Payne: william.payne@nmlegis.gov
Sen. Soules: bill.soules@nmlegis.gov
Sen. Stefanics: liz.stefanics@nmlegis.gov
Sen. Wirth: peter.wirth@nmlegis.gov
Sen. Woods: pat.woods@nmlegis.gov
Follow-up with a Phone Call:
Make a quick call to Committee Members to urge them to vote YES on SB 76—and let them know you’re a New Mexico resident:
Sen. Cervantes: (505) 986-4861
Sen. Sedillo Lopez: (505) 986-4389
Sen. Griggs: (505) 986-4369
Sen. Martinez: (505) 986-4487
Sen. Payne: (505) 986-4703
Sen. Soules: (505) 986-4834
Sen. Stefanics: (505) 986-4377
Sen. Wirth: (505) 986-4727
Sen. Woods: (505) 986-4393
Contact Your Own State Senator:
It’s also important to contact the State Senator who represents your district to urge him or her to vote YES on SB 76. Make sure to let them know you’re his or her constituent.
We also hope you will attend Tuesday’s Committee Hearing!
Your presence speaks volumes—please attend to show your support for SB 76. You may have the opportunity to testify—if you do, it’s important to keep your testimony to 30 to 60 seconds and to be polite.
What: Hearing on SB 76 by the Senate Conservation Committee
Where: Room 311, The State Capitol Roundhouse, Santa Fe, NM
Date: Tuesday, February 12
Time: 9:00 AM
Thank you for acting TODAY to protect New Mexico’s coyotes!
For Wild Nature,
Camilla Fox |
Dave Parsons |
AdditionalTalking 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 gray 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.
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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