For Immediate Release: Nov. 8, 2021
Nevada Board of Wildlife Commissioners defies science
and public sentiment with 5-4 vote
The proposed rule, narrowly defeated, would have banned grisly wildlife killing contests
Reno, Nev. — On Friday, the Nevada Board of Wildlife Commissioners voted 5-4 to reject a proposed rule to ban gruesome wildlife killing contests in the state.
The vote was against the recommendation of the Nevada Department of Wildlife and ignored the non-hunting public’s opposition to the events. The rule would have prohibited a person from participating in, organizing, promoting or sponsoring a contest to kill wildlife, including coyotes, bobcats and foxes, for cash and prizes.
Leading animal welfare groups, conservationists and wildlife advocates have long urged the state to end wildlife killing contests, which have been condemned by hunters and professional wildlife managers in the Western states and across the U.S.
In a letter submitted to the Commission last week, wildlife advocates and scientists pointed out that the best available science indicates that indiscriminate killing of native carnivores does not effectively manage their populations and likely exacerbates wildlife-livestock conflict.
During the meeting, Nevada Department of Wildlife Director Tony Wasley implored the Commission to move the rule forward. Pointing to ethics and the North American Model of Wildlife Conservation, he stated, “Killing contests are ethically upsetting by virtue for most members of society. Hunting should not be a competition, as such behavior ultimately degrades the value of life and undermines respect for the animals being hunted.”
He went on to say, “In my ethics as a hunter I hope to defend a deeper and more profound sense of hunting than what I fear coyote contests say to the general public about hunters and our ethics.” He underscored that hunters make up an “extreme minority of citizens in Nevada” and that hunting is a “privilege” that is “subject to loss or erosion based on public perceptions.” He concluded, “my fear as a sportsman and my fear as the director of the Department of Wildlife is an unwillingness to consider what society at large feels about a certain activity will hasten the erosion of the hunting privileges that I hold near and dear.”
The Commission’s refusal to take action on this issue comes at a time when wildlife agencies across the country struggle to remain relevant among a public whose values about wildlife are shifting substantially away from the traditional view that wildlife should be managed for human benefit and toward the belief that humans should coexist with wildlife.
“By siding with a fringe group of wildlife killing contest enthusiasts, the Commissioners who voted to defeat this narrowly crafted policy are sanctioning a bloodsport that is opposed by humane advocates, mainstream hunters and the general public,” said Jeff Dixon, Nevada state director for the Humane Society of the United States. “These Commissioners have once again failed to support even the most modest of measures to protect our state’s wildlife from the cruelest practices — forsaking science, the recommendations of NDOW’s director and the will of the people. In taking this short-sighted action that only benefits the few people who revel in turning animals into disposable game pieces for prizes, they’ve only illustrated why Nevada’s wildlife management regime is deeply undemocratic and incapable of representing anyone with wildlife values that differ from theirs.”
“The Nevada Board of Wildlife Commissioners has proven once again that they are unfit to govern wildlife management in Nevada,” said Patrick Donnelly, Nevada state director at the Center for Biological Diversity. “The grotesque spectacle of killing contests has no business in a civilized society. But even against the recommendation of the wildlife managers at the Department of Wildlife, the Commission just gave killing contests their seal of approval. The Commission is broken, and we need legislation to dramatically reform the composition of the Commission so that it better reflects Nevadans.”
“It’s a decision that shows how astonishingly out of touch most commissioners are with the vast majority of the Nevadans they are supposed to represent,” said Chris Smith, Southwest wildlife advocate for WildEarth Guardians. “Wildlife killing contests are not hunting. They are not wildlife management. They are an excuse to kill native animals for sport and prizes. It’s sickening.”
“It’s time to reform the Nevada Board of Wildlife Commissioners,” said Michelle Lute, PhD in wildlife management and national carnivore conservation manager for Project Coyote. “The voices of all Nevadans and the interests of wildlife and wild places are not being heard and we will continue to work toward a just governance system in Nevada.”
Prior to Friday’s meeting, the Commission received thousands of comments from members of the public in support of the rule, including a letter signed by 18 nonprofit organizations representing Nevada citizens — including the Center for Biological Diversity, the Humane Society of the United States, Project Coyote, WildEarth Guardians, Animal Legal Defense Fund, the Animal Welfare Institute, the Basin & Range Watch, Heaven Can Wait Animal Society, the Humane Society Veterinary Medical Association, Predator Defense, the Nevada Wildlife Alliance, the Progressive Leadership Alliance of Nevada, the Las Vegas DSA, the Rewilding Institute, the Sierra Club Toiyabe Chapter, the SPCA of Northern Nevada, the Western Watersheds Project, and the Western Wildlife Conservancy.
Project Coyote and its 50+ national wildlife and animal protection organization partners that have joined forces as the National Coalition to End Wildlife Killing Contests—will continue to raise awareness in pursuit of policy changes at local, state and national levels in 2021 and beyond.
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WildEarth Guardians protects and restores the wildlife, wild places, wild rivers, and health of the American West.
Founded in 1954, the Humane Society of the United States fights the big fights to end suffering for all animals. Together with millions of supporters, we take on puppy mills, factory farms, trophy hunts, animal testing and other cruel industries. With our affiliates, we rescue and care for tens of thousands of animals every year through our animal rescue team’s work and other hands-on animal care services. We fight all forms of animal cruelty to achieve the vision behind our name: A humane society. Learn more about our work at humanesociety.org.
Project Coyote, a national nonprofit organization headquartered in Northern California, is a coalition of wildlife scientists, conservationists, educators, ranchers and community leaders promoting coexistence between people and wildlife, and compassionate conservation through education, science, and advocacy. Watch the new film, Wildlife Killing Contests, or visit ProjectCoyote.org for more information. To learn more about wildlife killing contests, visit the National Coalition to End Wildlife Killing Contests’ website.