FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE – December 20, 2018

Yavapai County Board of Supervisors (AZ) Passes Proclamation Condemning Wildlife Killing Contests

Unanimous vote follows Dewey-Humboldt Town Council resolution

YAVAPAI COUNTY, Ariz. — The Yavapai County Board of Supervisors voted unanimously yesterday in favor of a proclamation that opposes wildlife killing contests. Arizona citizens belonging to a coalition known as I AM WOLF NATION in partnership with Project Coyote and other wildlife and animal protection organizations have been working to end wildlife killing contests in Yavapai County and other Arizona localities. Yavapai County’s proclamation follows on the heels of a similar Dewey-Humboldt Town Council resolution that passed in November.

Wildlife killing contests are cruel events in which participants compete for fun and prizes by killing the greatest number or the heaviest of the target species. Last week, dozens of coyotes were slaughtered in the Santa Slay Coyote Tournament in Yavapai County and on public lands throughout Arizona. Manufacturers and sellers of firearms, predator-calling devices, and hunting gear were among its sponsors. Though the public at large remains largely unaware of these contests, killing contest social media posts often show photos of participants piling up and posing with the corpses of wildlife they have killed.

Increasing public outrage has led to several national newspapers editorializing against wildlife killing contests. Last week, on December 14, Pulitzer Prize-nominated columnist Linda Valdez wrote in The Arizona Republic: “The wildlife in Arizona belongs to all the people of Arizona. Did anyone ask you how you feel about contests [that] put a dollar value on killing as many wild animals as possible? Is that how you want your wildlife treated?”

Yavapai County’s proclamation recognizes that coyotes and other native carnivores play a key role in maintaining healthy ecosystems—which includes controlling rabbit and rodent populations. Just as importantly, the County proclaims that wildlife killing contests serve no genuine ecological or wildlife management purpose. The County proclamation further acknowledges that wildlife killing contests threaten the safety and well-being of hikers, dog walkers, bird watchers, hunters, horseback riders, and other outdoor enthusiasts who use public lands where killing contests take place.

“We applaud the Yavapai County Board of Supervisors for taking a strong stance against wildlife killing contests in Arizona,” said Matt Francis, Prescott, Arizona resident and a Project Coyote Program Associate. “The Arizona State Legislature should recognize that Arizona citizens will no longer tolerate these barbaric contests and should ban wildlife killing contests statewide.”

“Our team recognizes and appreciates Yavapai County making a statement against killing contests, which are blood sports and should never be compared to hunting as contest proponents try to do,” said Betsy Klein, Sedona, Arizona, resident and co-founder of I AM WOLF NATION™. “As an organization, we recognize the long-standing tradition of hunters and hunting in Arizona. In fact, hunters who practice fair chase principles have called these contests ‘inhumane’ and have openly opposed them, knowing there is a distinct difference between hunting and senseless slaughter.”

Currently, there is a contest slated to take place in Flagstaff in March of 2019 that will target bobcats, coyotes, and foxes.

Coyote killing contest organizers often justify the slaughter by claiming that by reducing the coyote population they are helping to reduce conflicts with coyotes. “There is no documented scientific evidence that coyote killing contests permanently reduce coyote abundance, increase populations of deer or other game species, or prevent conflicts between predators, humans and livestock,” said Dave Parsons, MS, retired career wildlife biologist with the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, former hunter, and Project Coyote Science Advisory Board Member. “Wildlife killing contests are symptomatic of a broader problem of misguided wildlife governance by state wildlife agencies that fail to recognize and value the crucial ecological roles of native predators.”

The Arizona Game and Fish Department (AZGFD) itself recognizes that killing coyotes doesn’t reduce their numbers, stating on their website: “Removing coyotes from one area generally results in other coyotes moving in from surrounding areas and breeding faster.” There is no way to know the effect that wildlife killing contests have on coyote populations in Arizona because AZGFD does not monitor the contests or track the number of coyotes killed in these events.

U.S. Congressman Raúl Grijalva of the 3rd Congressional District of Arizona, who serves on the House Committee on Natural Resources, recently weighed in on the issue: “Do you want a coyote-killing contest on your public lands this Saturday? Neither do we. Neither do Arizona locals in the threatened area. Let people know this is happening.”

Earlier this year, the city council of Albuquerque, New Mexico, unanimously passed a resolution calling for a state legislative ban on killing contests. Tucson and Pima County have passed similar resolutions in recent years. Vermont and California outlawed killing contests in 2018 and 2014, respectively. The National Coalition to End Wildlife Killing Contests, a growing alliance of more than 30 state and national wildlife and animal protection groups, along with local citizens, will pursue similar policy changes at the state and local levels across the nation in 2019.

* * * * *

I AM WOLF NATION — The power of the collective, working to protect the wolf and other persecuted wildlife in Arizona. For more information about joining the local effort to end wildlife killing contests, please visit our website.

Project Coyote, a national non-profit organization, is a North American coalition of scientists, educators, ranchers, and citizen leaders promoting compassionate conservation and coexistence between people and wildlife through education, science and advocacy. Visit ProjectCoyote.org for more information.

To learn more about wildlife killing contests, visit the National Coalition to End Wildlife Killing Contests’ website here.

Visit them at   http://www.projectcoyote.org/ 

Better still – join up and become part of the pack like us.

You could win Brian’s very special ‘red’ guitars – see below.

 

Own A Red Special Guitar from Queen’s Brian May

“You may know me as a founding member of the rock band Queen. As a devoted animal advocate who believes in standing up for the underdog—those species most maligned and misunderstood by society—I pledged my support to Camilla and her team many years ago, after I learned about the remarkable work Project Coyote is doing on a very lean budget to protect coyotes, wolves, bobcats, and other North American carnivores.

Now I’m proud and excited to invite you to support Project Coyote by participating in our holiday auction for a signed Brian May Red Special Guitar, which I hope will bring the winning bidder (or a very lucky giftee!) as much joy as it has brought me.”

 

Brian May
Founding Member & Lead Guitarist ~ Queen

Founder ~ Save Me Trust

Project Coyote Ambassador

 

http://www.projectcoyote.org/about/ambassadors/brian-may/

 

 

 

NRDC Insider.

Gray wolves in the Lower 48 have faced decades of attacks, but a Trump administration plan to strip their Endangered Species Act protections might be the most serious yet. Due to a century of hunting, trapping, and habitat loss, the gray wolf had virtually vanished from all but one state when it was listed as endangered in 1974. The species has since made a remarkable recovery, but it still needs our help. Tell the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service to drop its misguided rollback of the Endangered Species Act and to develop a national recovery plan for these iconic predators

The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service may soon try to roll back vital Endangered Species Act (ESA) protections for gray wolves in the lower-48 states. This dangerously misguided plan would strip wolves of vital federal protections and reverse years of recovery for this iconic species.

Once nearly hunted to extinction, gray wolves are now coming back, but they’re not yet fully recovered — they need to be protected.

Call on the Service to drop its misguided rollback plan and develop a national recovery plan to help return wolves to places where they once roamed — and still could.

TAKE ACTION – https://act.nrdc.org/letter/wolves-esa-181205?source=act_nrdcnewsletter&t

kd=1402806&utm_source=newsletter&utm_medium=mainlink&utm_campaign=email&t=6&akid=3162%2E1402806%2E7eSeEO

 

Your last chance to say ‘NO’ to EU/Japan trade deal – act now!

Next Tuesday (11/12/18) , MEPs will vote on a free trade agreement with Japan. We need them to say ‘NO’ to this deal unless Japan stops killing whales.

You have one last chance to make your voice heard. Please send a message to your MEPs and ask them to vote ‘no’ to the deal on Tuesday and to raise Japan’s whaling as a serious issue in the EU Parliament debate on Monday.

TAKE ACTION

our voice counts – act now.

This year alone, Japanese whalers killed 503 minke whales and 134 endangered sei whales. The Japanese government is trying to overturn the ban on commercial whaling and disregards any rulings by international bodies against its brutal slaughter.

The EU should not enter into a trade agreement with a country that shows such contempt for international agreements and opinion.

Your voice really does count. If enough MEPs say ‘no’, we could stop the deal. But they need to know it’s an issue you care about. Please don’t just leave this for others to do.

Ask your MEPs to raise Japan’s whale hunting as a serious concern and vote ‘NO’ to the deal next week.

Thank you. We’ll only stop this horrific and senseless slaughter by standing together.

On behalf of the whales and all at WDC,

Julia Pix, WDC campaigns manager

On Tuesday 11 December, the European Parliament will vote on whether to enter a Free Trade Agreement with Japan. This is our last chance to stop it.

What can I do?

1. Send a message to your MEPs. It’s very easy!

• Enter your postcode at writetothem.com.
• Choose to send a message to all your MEPs (if you have more than one).
• Write and send your message.

2. If you receive a response, please let us know at notradedeal@whales.org.

(There’s no need to tell us you have sent your original message.)

What should I say?

Ask your MEP to:

• Raise whaling as a concern during the debate on Monday.
• Vote ‘NO’ to the trade agreement on Tuesday.

Tell your MEPs why this is important to you and why you think that the EU must use this opportunity to get tough on Japan’s continued slaughter of whales.

Thank you.

Even if the deal is signed, this is our chance to send a strong message to the Japanese government that we are sick of its defiance of international agreements and opinion. It also keeps the fight against whaling high on the EU agenda. Even if signed, the trade agreement can be used to pressure Japan to stop whaling.

Below – how it should be !

Horn may have been hacked out whilst the poor animal was still alive.

Photo is not good but sometimes we need to show these images just to get the reality home to people a bit more.  It is the same with Elephants – taking tusk is not a clean procedure.

Regards Mark.