Ending Wildlife
Killing Contests
STOP THE KILL
Help us end wildlife killing contests
Every year, tens of thousands of wild animals—including bobcats, coyotes, foxes, mountain lions, prairie dogs, crows, raccoons, and wolves—are slaughtered in wildlife killing contests. In these barbaric events, participants compete to kill the greatest number, the largest or even the youngest of the target species for prizes and entertainment. These contests exploit the lack of killing limits or restrictions for many of these species. Coyotes, the most frequent target of these contests, can be killed in unlimited numbers, year-round, with almost any method (e.g. snares, poisons, killing pups in dens) in most U.S. states.
Our Solution
Project Coyote’s campaign to End Wildlife Killing Contests aims to end this bloodsport state by state and on all federal public lands. Through national efforts to raise awareness about wildlife killing contests, in part through our co-founded National Coalition to End Wildlife Killing Contests, public scrutiny of wildlife killing contests has increased with roughly 80% of the U.S. public in support of banning this bloodsport. Our federal and state-based campaigns pressure state policymakers—including state wildlife management agencies—to take action. Our work to end killing contests bolsters our efforts to address widespread and unjust persecution of wild carnivores through proactive conservation leadership and defines a national narrative that wild lives should be protected for their ecological and intrinsic value.
TAKE ACTION
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Toolkit
Coming Soon!
Which states allow killing contests?
States where Wildlife Killing Contests are legal
States banning Coyote Killing Contests (NM, VT)
States banning Predator, Furbearer, and/or Non-Game Killing Contests (AZ, CA, CO, MA, MD, NY, OR, WA)
What animals are targeted?
Coyotes
Raccoons
Praire Dogs
Wolves
Crows
Squirrels
Foxes
Rattlesnakes
Woodchucks
Bobcats
Skunks
Rabbits
Cougars
Others Species
Select a state and learn more about our current work to end wildlife killing contests:
OUR WORK
National Coalition
Project Coyote co-founded the National Coalition to End Wildlife Killing Contests, composed of 70+ national and state organizations working together to end this bloodsport. Coalition efforts have successfully banned WKCs in 10 states.
State Campaigns
Federal campaign
Follow us on
DOCUMENTARIES
Learn more about this egregious bloodsport.
Playlist
CAMPAIGN UPDATES
Your voice is needed to help end cruel wildlife killing contests in New Hampshire! HB589, a bill to ban wildlife killing contests and prohibit wanton
August 30, 2024 Media Contacts: info@projectcoyote.org, 415.326.4110 WASHINGTON, D.C. — Today, Project Coyote announced a new campaign aimed at ending wildlife killing contests across Michigan. Wildlife killing
April 04, 2024 Media Contacts: info@projectcoyote.org, 415.326.4110 LARKSPUR, CA — Project Coyote is thrilled to announce the full public release of our documentary KILLING GAMES
We’ve been working hard and making strides in our efforts to ban wildlife killing contests (WKCs) in Illinois. On March 12, the Illinois House Agriculture
File a witness slip to support HB2900 Every year, cruel and ecologically destructive wildlife killing contests are held throughout Illinois targeting coyotes, foxes, raccoons and
RESOURCES
Factsheets
- End Wildlife Killing Contests Factsheet
- Project Coyote Science Advisory Board Coyote Facts
- Wildlife Killing Contests: Contrary to 21st Century, Science-Based Wildlife Management (by the Humane Society of the United States)
Advocacy Guides & Materials
- A Guide to Passing Resolutions on Wildlife Killing Contests by the Humane Society of the United States. This toolkit guides you to raise public awareness, shut down individual events, and pass laws to ban killing contests.
- HSUS’s Graphic: Why killing coyotes doesn’t work
- Tabling Items: Informational postcard and postcard for advocates to send to policymakers
Statements and Letters
- National Coalition to End Wildlife Killing Contests co-founded by Project Coyote
- Statement signed by more than 70 world-renowned conservation scientists
- Robert Crabtree’s letter regarding the effects of coyote control
Videos
- Project Coyote’s award-winning documentary KILLING GAMES ~ Wildlife In The Crosshairs
- The Humane Society of the United States’ 2021 undercover investigation into wildlife killing contests in Texas and Indiana (investigative reports here and here)
- The Humane Society of the United States’ 2020 undercover investigation into two Maryland wildlife killing contests (investigative report here)
- The HSUS’s 2020 undercover investigation into a New York wildlife killing contest (investigative report here)
- The HSUS’s 2018 undercover investigation here)
- The HSUS’s 2018 undercover investigation into an Oregon wildlife killing contest
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THE COYOTE COLLECTIVE
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Wild carnivores are among the most persecuted, and ecologically vital, animals. They need your help.
