The Arizona Game and Fish Commission has proposed a regulatory change to rule R12-4-303, which will ban any hunting contest that involves the hunting or trapping of: muskrats, raccoons, otters, weasels, bobcats, beavers, badgers and ringtail cats, foxes, skunks, coyotes and bobcats. The public comment phase of the rule-making process will run until May 12.
Take Action Today! Arizona sportsmen are encouraged to email the Arizona Game and Fish Commission and oppose a proposed rule that bans hunting contests in Arizona. Email the commission today at [email protected]. Include in the subject line: “rule R12-4-303” to confirm to the commission which rule you are addressing.
Arizona is the eighth state this legislative session to consider a ban on hunting contests as part of a national push by animal-rights groups, including the Humane Society of the United States. Wisconsin, New York, New Jersey, New Mexico, Montana, Nevada and Oregon have all seen similar legislation. Hunting contests are an effective management tool to help control the population of nuisance fur-bearing and predatory animals that can wreak havoc on livestock, attack pets and humans and spread diseases such as rabies.
The proposed rule defines a contest as “a competition among participants where participants must register or record entry and pay a fee and prizes or cash are awarded to winning or successful participants.”
In addition to sportsmen, the proposal would impact cattle ranchers who already struggle with coyote depredation. A 2015 USDA report dealing with nationwide cattle losses found that “coyotes accounted for the highest percentage of calf deaths in Arizona due to predators at 68.6 percent.”
“Animal-rights groups have targeted coyote contests nationwide because they are easy to misconstrue and paint in a negative light,” said Bruce Tague, vice president of government affairs for Sportsmen’s Alliance. “It’s not hard to see how the same rhetoric being hurled at coyote contest participants could just as easily be leveled at field trialers, friendly wagers between two hunters for the first bird or even anglers in a fishing derby. That’s why the Sportsmen’s Alliance opposes the proposed regulation and encourages Arizona sportsmen and women to submit comments immediately.”
About the Sportsmen’s Alliance: The Sportsmen’s Alliance protects and defends America’s wildlife conservation programs and the pursuits – hunting, fishing and trapping – that generate the money to pay for them. Sportsmen’s Alliance Foundation is responsible for public education, legal defense and research. Its mission is accomplished through several distinct programs coordinated to provide the most complete defense capability possible. Stay connected to Sportsmen’s Alliance: Online, Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.