New Mexico Places Ban on Coyote Killing Contests - National Humane Education Society

Paws Up! To New Mexico Land Commissioner Stephanie Garcia Richard for banning coyote killing contests on state trust land.

January 30, 2019

As one of her first actions in the new year, state Land Commissioner Stephanie Garcia Richard implemented an executive order which bans anyone from participating in coyote killing contests on state trust land, which amounts to 9 million acres of land across New Mexico.

Coyote contests or “derbies” are state-wide hunting competitions in which hunters are given awards for the most coyotes killed or the largest coyote killed. In many cases, hunters trap or lure the animals and then shoot them, often leaving their bodies gathered in piles where they are left to rot. While those who support these contests claim that they help curb the coyote population and lower the number of livestock killed by coyotes, many hunters and wildlife groups oppose these competitions, calling them cruel, unethical, and inhumane. Read more here about the effects of sport hunting on the environment.

Take Action: Take a moment to thank Land Commissioner Garcia Richard for standing up for wildlife and opposing unethical hunting competitions in New Mexico! Click here to leave a comment for the Commissioner.