I just came across a flyer advertising a Coyote Calling Contest to be held out by Leupp Road in early March. This contest involves using manufactured calls to attract animals to an area where a team of shooters waits. The goal of the contest is to kill as many animals as possible in the shortest period of time.
People pay to enter the contest, and prizes are awarded at the end. In this case, points are given for bobcats (3 points), coyotes (2 points) and foxes (1 point). The Coyote Calling Contest should not be confused with hunting – there is no respect for the animal, there is no fair chase and the dead animal is left completely to waste.
Some argue that this slaughter helps check an overabundance of a particular species. However, Arizona Game and Fish is responsible for the state game management program, and it is based on these core principles: that wildlife is held in the public’s trust, that science is the basis for management, that hunting be regulated for sustainability and management, and that the public has a voice in wildlife management decisions. This contest is about killing for the joy of killing and it has no place in our neighborhood.
If you are concerned, please let the County Board of Supervisors and the Flagstaff City Council know. The Yavapai County Board of Supervisors voted unanimously in favor of a proclamation opposing wildlife killing contests, and I hope we will follow suit.
SALLY EVANS
Arizona Daily Sun – February 10, 2019
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