In mid-January, hunters in southeast Oregon participated in a coyote killing contest, competing for prizes like rifles and scopes (an update on the numbers killed will be added as soon as that information becomes public). Unfortunately, these contests are not uncommon. Please help stop senseless killing sprees like these--your signature is very important and could help stop future contest hunts.

A four-county killing derby was held in Lake, Malheur, Harney, and Klamath counties in southeast Oregon. Coyotes killed were counted by showing the severed ears. The two-person teams killing the most coyotes will receive prizes of rifles, scopes or binoculars. The entry fee was $50 per person and proceeds will go to a charity, most likely having to do with children with cancer and in memory of an "avid coyote hunter" who died of cancer.

While the aim of benefiting children with cancer is laudable, the means is outrageous—there are many less violent ways to honor a friend and raise money for charity. Coyotes are lured by mechanical coyote calls or sounds of prey species. When one member of a team spots the coyote using a scope or binoculars, the other member shoots the animal. This type of hunt is not unusual—there have been similar contests in other states in the west and northeast for bobcats, foxes, coyotes and wolves.

Coyotes are intelligent, playful, affectionate, dog-like animals that are tragically persecuted and historically maligned, despite their essential role in a balanced ecosystem. More information about coyotes is available from Predator Defense: http://www.predatordefense.org/coyotes.htm

The event was hosted by a military couple. Their open invitation to this killing spree is on the Big Game Hunt website:
http://www.biggamehunt.net/forums/viewtopic.php?t=23746#p109388

The Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife and the Oregon Fish and Wildlife Commission needs to hear that randomly killing predators is not acceptable ethically, scientifically or practically.

Please sign on if you object to this misguided and brutal slaughter. You may receive an email back, stating that ODFW was not involved in this derby and that coyotes are deemed predators, meaning they may be hunted 24/7. However, ODFW and the Commission are the rule makers and they have the power to stop these hunts and change the classification of coyotes so they are not constantly persecuted.