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Contest Kills


	©John White
	Contestants try to kill the most animals—sometimes prairie dogs—for prizes.

In wildlife killing contests, participants attempt to kill as many animals as possible—usually coyotes and prairie dogs—for money and prizes. Another type of contest kill—the live pigeon shoot—is similar to cockfighting and banned in nearly every state, but a few places still shelter this subculture.

The legality of contest kills varies greatly, but they all share a reckless disregard for the animals. Many hunters agree that this type of killing is not moral. Jim Posewitz, a retired wildlife biologist and founder of Orion: The Hunter's Institute, condemns contest kills as a violation of the "fair chase" hunting ethic. In his book Beyond Fair Chase, Posewitz defines fair chase as the pursuit of wildlife in a non-competitive situation.

In 2001, in response to public outcry, Colorado banned most wildlife killing contests. And in Vermont, citizens joined together to try to expel coyote contest kills from their state. Public disdain for these events is strong, and the first step to stopping them is raising community awareness.

What You Can Do

Is there a contest kill in your community? Let us know.
Want to mobilize against contest kills? We offer an action packet to help you stop them.

Pennsylvania's Pigeon Shoots

Stop Wildlife Killing Contests