The Problem

Each year thousands of coyotes, foxes, bobcats, prairie dogs, crows, and even wolves are targeted in wildlife killing contests where contestants compete for prizes and awards for killing the most, largest, or smallest animals. These contests, unmonitored by wildlife agencies, are legal throughout most of the United States. Such contests masquerade as “management” and “hunting” but instead increase the potential for conflict and violate ethical hunting principles. Killing contests are one of the last bloodsports that remain legal with dog- and cock-fighting now relegated to history.

Modern science and societal values point to nonlethal methods as the only way for humans and wildlife to coexist in the face of 21st-century challenges. Wildlife killing contests are antithetical to ethics, science, and coexistence with life in North America.

The Mission

The National Coalition to End Wildlife Killing Contests is a growing alliance of national and state organizations working to permanently abolish contests that promote the killing of bobcats, coyotes, foxes, mountain lions, wolves, and other species for cash and prizes in wildlife killing contests, derbies, and tournaments in the United States.

If you’re interested in joining the Coalition, please fill out the form here.

The mission of the National Coalition to End Wildlife Killing Contests is to apply the combined expertise and experience of our member organizations to work toward ending wildlife killing contests, derbies, and tournaments in the United States.

The Coalition’s goals are to:

• Expose the prevalence of wildlife killing contests—organized events where participants compete for cash and prizes for killing a wide variety of wild animal species—across the United States.
• Raise public awareness about how wildlife killing contests disrupt ecological function and health, degrade the value of individual animals, teach disrespect for wildlife, and inflict and promote cruelty to animals.
• Inspire and promote grassroots action to end wildlife killing contests through legislation, regulatory reform, and litigation.
• Support efforts by organizations and individuals to prohibit and end wildlife killing contests nationwide, at every jurisdictional level.
• Advocate for responsible, humane, and ecologically sound wildlife management practices, focused on coexistence and science-based non-lethal methods of conflict resolution.
• Promote dialogue with wildlife killing contest sponsors to encourage them to stop supporting these events, and to view wildlife as essential components of healthy ecosystems rather than as pests, vermin, or targets in competitive killing contests.

Wildlife killing contests are still legal in 42 U.S. states, but Americans are increasingly demanding an end to this bloodsport as the events come to light. Currently, nine states have banned killing contests.

Take Action

We need your help to end wildlife-killing contests everywhere!  Here are some steps you can take:

• Schedule a phone call or meeting to ask your state legislators (if your state has a bill listed above) or your state wildlife commissioners to ban killing contests.
• Ask your family, friends, and coworkers to support your state’s proposed ban of killing contests; share through social media.
• Write letters to the editor of your newspaper that raise support for the legislation or regulation banning killing contests and encourage readers to express their opposition to their lawmakers. See the activist toolkit for sample letters.
• Sign our petition supporting a ban of wildlife killing contests on public lands.
• Spread the word through social media and encourage people to take action. Find sample posts here.
• Share the film trailer and infographics through your social networks.
• Urge your city or county officials to pass a non-binding resolution condemning wildlife killing contests and calling on state policymakers to ban them. For guidance, see Toolkit: A Guide to Passing Local Resolutions.