Humane Voters Oregon and others are working again this year to ban coyote-killing contests in Oregon. Participants in these events compete for cash and prizes to see who can kill the most coyotes. An event like this was held just last month near Burns, with more than 200 coyotes getting killed.
This year's bill, House Bill 2728, will have its first hearing at 3:15 p.m. Tuesday, February 9, in the House Committee on Agriculture and Natural Resources. Here's what you can do to help the bill pass:
Submit comments to the Committee (no later than 3 p.m. Wednesday, Feb. 10). You only need to write a few sentences. See below for suggested talking points. If you live in rural Oregon, be sure to include that information to help show this is not just an urban v. rural issue. Click here to submit comments.
Call or email your state legislators. Everyone has one state representative and one state senator. If you don't know who yours are or how to contact them, you can find out by clicking here. Again, ask them in a sentence or two to support House Bill 2728 to ban coyote-killing contests. Be sure to tell them you are a "constituent" - meaning you live in their district. Doing this will help even if it's after February 10.
Suggested Talking Points
By making a game out of killing as many coyotes as possible, coyote-killing contests show a lack of appreciation, respect and compassion for wildlife. They glorify killing for the sake of killing.
Hunters who believe in accepted standards of ethical hunting also oppose coyote-killing contests because they are inconsistent with the ethical hunting principles of respect and appreciation for wildlife.
Studies show that the indiscriminate killing of native carnivores such as coyotes will not protect farm animals and other wildlife. It can even lead to an increase in coyote numbers by disrupting stable family packs, causing more reproduction. A good article on this topic can be found here.
This not an urban vs. rural issue. This is about the state of Oregon and how Oregonians value and treat the public’s wildlife. Conscientious rural residents and ethical hunters agree that coyote-killing contests are cruel and unsporting.
Oregon’s wildlife belong to all of us, including the majority of Oregonians (90 percent) who do not hunt. (2019-21 ODFW Budget Overview, p. 23.)
Seven other states have already banned wildlife and/or coyote-killing contests: Arizona, California, Colorado, Massachusetts, New Mexico, Vermont and Washington. These states have recognized that the contests are cruel and unethical and that they serve no useful purpose.