September 18, 2015
LAS CRUCES, N.M. – Animal Protection Voters (APV) and Southwest Environmental Center (SWEC) renew calls for a statewide ban on the cruel and dangerous practice of animal-killing contests in response to the announcement of contests for the Fall of 2015 and the Winter of 2016. These events, which promote and reward indiscriminate killing of native wildlife, are set to start as soon as September 18-20, 2015, in southern New Mexico.
New Mexico Desert Dogs, a Las Cruces-based club that regularly holds killing contests of coyotes and other wild animals, announced the 2015 and 2016 events on its public Facebook page in April of this year. In addition to the September killing contest, five additional contests were announced through February 2016.
In December 2014, nearly 40 coyote carcasses were discovered on public land near Las Cruces bearing wood blocks with time descriptions and other signs that the animals were dumped after being killed in a contest. New Mexico Desert Dogs later claimed responsibility for the event that resulted in the dumped carcasses.
“Killing animals for fun and prizes is reprehensible and gives ethical hunters a black eye,” said Kevin Bixby, executive director of the Southwest Environmental Center. “Unfortunately, these activities are still legal in New Mexico, and put everyone in danger who wants to get outdoors and enjoy our great fall weather.”
Legislation seeking to ban coyote-killing contests for financial and other reward was introduced in the 2015 legislative session with sponsorship from Senator Mark Moores (R-Albuquerque) and Representative Jeff Steinborn (D-Las Cruces). The bill—SB 253, Prohibit and Define Coyote Killing Contest—passed the Senate with a bipartisan, 27-11 vote but was tabled in its first committee in the House.
“Most New Mexicans do not support the indiscriminate killing of our state’s wildlife,” said Steinborn. “The fact that these contests continue to be held is an embarrassment to all of us, and I will continue to do everything in my power to get legislation passed that will ban them forever.”
Animal-killing contests, which commonly exploit unprotected species such as coyotes and prairie dogs, occur frequently across New Mexico public lands, including U.S. Forest Service, Bureau of Land Management and State Trust lands, though contest promoters rarely share with the public the locations where the contestants are shooting firearms. The contests frequently offer prizes of cash or firearms to the contestants who kill the most animals or ones of specific size.
“Indiscriminate killing of animals is not recognized as wildlife management by any serious scientific authority and these contests serve no purpose whatsoever to our state,” said Jessica Johnson, chief legislative officer for APV. “The competitions send the message that life is disposable in New Mexico—it’s beyond time to ban these events that glorify killing for its own sake, and we are grateful to Senator Moores and Representative Steinborn for championing the public’s opposition to this gruesome bloodsport.”
In November 2012, a coyote-killing contest sponsored by Gunhawk Firearms of Los Lunas drew huge amounts of outcry from the public and drew national and international coverage of the contests in New Mexico.
For More Information:
APV Contact
Jessica Johnson, Chief Legislative Officer
Tel: (505) 220-6656
Email: Jessica@apnm.org
SWEC Contact
Kevin Bixby, Executive Director
Tel: (575) 522-5552
Email: kevin@wildmesquite.org
APV Media Contact
Sara Palmer, Communications Director
Tel: (505) 265-2322, ext. 31
Email: Sara@apnm.org
