Each year, thousands of animals, including bobcats, coyotes, foxes, wolves, snakes and many others, are unethically hunted during wildlife killing contests/competitions.
Here at CounterPunch we get lots of calls from readers this time of year asking: where are the good groups? Where can I send a year-end check and know that the money will be well spent …? There are many such groups out there; indeed, there is a vibrant and thriving grassroots movement across a whole range of issues. Unfortunately, we can’t bring all of them to your attention. But once or twice a year we devote the pages of CounterPunch to a survey of what these organizations are up to.
Greta Anderson’s 11/23/20 post titled “What does coexistence with large carnivores actually mean?” highlights the fallacy that “coexistence” between public lands ranchers and wolves is fair to both wolves and ranchers. Whereas, in actual practice the long-term “existence” of ranchers is favored over the existence of wolves, and is supported by a variety of sources of monetary compensation. One source she mentions but elects to not elaborate on is the “artificially low grazing fee.” Few people realize the magnitude this subsidy.
A coalition of state and national wildlife protection organizations is applauding the Washington Fish and Wildlife Commission for its vote to ban cruel wildlife killing contests, in which participants compete to kill the most, the largest, or even the smallest animals for cash and prizes.
On any given day, it’s not unusual to find Carmichael’s Guy Galante wandering along the American River, watching, listening, tracking. A naturalist and Sacramento region’s resident coyote expert, he’s been documenting and photographing the coyote packs in our region for nearly 15 years. He knows them individually, and their family units, habits and unique personalities. And that’s important.
WILLIAMS, Ariz. — Is calling an animal and killing it in a contest a method of hunting and way to help manage coyote populations, or is it a blood sport and ruthless means to slaughter a wild animal?