The Humane Society is concerned about wildlife killing contests, which are surging in some states and outlawed in others.
At least 15 wildlife killing contests take place across Nevada every year, with participants competing for cash and prizes for who kills the most or the biggest animals, including coyotes, bobcats and foxes, according to the Humane Society of Nevada.
Rebecca Goff is the Nevada State Director of the Humane Society. She said the organization’s own poll showed a majority of respondents – including many licensed hunters – oppose such contests.
“It says that 71% of Nevadans agree that the Nevada Board of Wildlife Commissioners should ban wildlife killing contests in our state,” Goff said. “This is a public trust. These animals are held for all of us.”
A common argument in favor of these wildlife killing contests is that it helps control animal population. Goff said there is no scientific proof of this.
“There is no science to support that that actually is what is happening with these contests,” she said. “In fact, there is science to support that indiscriminate killing of large groups of coyotes actually encourages the coyotes to breed more and we actually end up with more coyotes.”
The Nevada Wildlife Commission has created a Contest Committee which is conducting hearings and compiling input from both sides of the issue. It met in November to hear testimony but made no further recommendations. It’s scheduled to meet again in January.
Elsewhere in our region, Arizona, Colorado, and New Mexico have all banned wildlife killing contests. Other states which have also banned the practice include New York, Oregon, California, Maryland, Massachusetts, New Mexico, Vermont, and Washington.
This story was produced by the Mountain West News Bureau, a collaboration between Wyoming Public Media, Nevada Public Radio (KNPR) in Las Vegas, Boise State Public Radio in Idaho, KUNR in Nevada, KUNC in Colorado and KANW in New Mexico, with support from affiliate stations across the region. Funding for the Mountain West News Bureau is provided in part by the Corporation for Public Broadcasting.
