TAKE ACTION!
END WILDLIFE KILLING CONTESTS
Help end cruel and inhumane wildlife killing contests on public lands!
We, the undersigned, seek to permanently abolish contests that promote the mass killing of coyotes, wolves, bobcats, foxes, prairie dogs, and other species for fun and prizes on our federal public lands. We strongly support a modern, evidence-based, and compassionate approach to coexistence with wildlife.
We call for an end to wildlife killing contests on all public lands administered by the U.S. Department of the Interior, including Bureau of Land Management lands, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service lands, National Park Service lands, and Bureau of Reclamation lands.
Although other bloodsports like dogfighting and cockfighting have been outlawed nationwide, thousands of native carnivores and other species perish every year in killing contests, derbies, and tournaments across the country. Killing contests must be outlawed because they are:
- Completely unjustified: Contests are motivated by baseless myths, misunderstanding, and fear.
- Cruel and unsporting: Countless animals are killed, injured, or orphaned as a result of these events, and the use of lures and distress calls to attract target animals is inconsistent with fair chase hunting principles. Companion animals and endangered wildlife are also at risk.
- Counterproductive to sound wildlife management: Mass killing of native carnivores and other keystone species disregards the critical role these species play in healthy ecosystems and creates chaos in the family structures of targeted species, which may result in increased conflicts with livestock, pets, and people.
- A violation of the Public Trust Doctrine: This doctrine holds that wildlife is a shared public asset that must be protected and maintained for present and future generations.
- A promotion of violence: Contest organizers are increasingly encouraging the participation of children as young as ten years old, which teaches our youth that killing is fun, life is cheap, and wild animals are disposable.
These unethical contests are antithetical to modern conservation principles regarding biodiversity conservation and their existence disrupts and harms human and biotic communities. Public lands should be managed for the benefit of all citizens and all wildlife. The sharp crack of military-grade weapons used in killing contests and the grisly sight of lifeless bodies discarded in a heap following these events shock people and other animals in our multi-use public lands. Those who visit our national forests and wildlife sanctuaries in hopes of finding peace and refuge should be able to do so without the fear and trauma of encountering these barbaric contests.
To honor the integrity of our public lands and to preserve and protect our wildlife and our personal safety, we support an ethos of compassionate coexistence and the banning of wildlife killing contests on our federal public lands.