CARSON CITY, Nev. (KTNV) — A bill that would prohibit wildlife killing contests in Nevada was heard by the Assembly Natural Resources Committee Wednesday.
The bill was introduced by an assemblyman and Nevada senator after the Nevada Board of Wildlife Commissioners failed to regulate killing contests in November 2021.
MIXED REACTIONS: Bill proposing to ban wildlife killing contests gets mixed reaction
“The proposed legislation is a step in the right direction for Nevada,” said Cheyanne Neuffer, Nevada wildlife engagement coordinator for WildEarth Guardians. “Nevadans and the American West only benefit from more ethical and scientific wildlife management decisions.”
In a recent polling from Public Policy Poling shows that 66% of Nevadans oppose wildlife killing contests, while only 19% support them.
“As a former state wildlife biologist in New Mexico where wildlife killing contests are banned, I can confidently state that contests serve no legitimate wildlife management purpose,” said Michelle Lute, PhD in wildlife conservation and carnivore conservation director for Project Coyote. “In fact, studies show that indiscriminate killing such as these contests only serve to create chaos in the social order of wildlife and increase the potential for conflict.”
According to officials associated with the WildEarth Guardians, five other states such as Arizona, California, Colorado, New Mexico and Washington have already acted on banning or restricting killing contests. Along with Nevada, Oregon is also considering a legislative ban.
“Wildlife killing contests are a barbaric spectacle that are totally out of step with our common moral code,” said Patrick Donnelly, Great Basin director at the Center for Biological Diversity. “During an extinction crisis, with wildlife populations around the world plummeting, indiscriminate killing of wildlife for prizes is simply unacceptable. This important legislation will help bring Nevada’s wildlife management into the 21st century.”
Although defenders of killing contests claim that their weekend competitions help protect local agricultural interests and big game populations, evidence strongly suggests otherwise. Despite decades of indiscriminate lethal control, Nevada’s mule deer population continues to struggle due to habitat loss and fragmentation. The best available science increasingly supports the efficacy of non-lethal tools to prevent conflict with predators and protect domestic animals and other agricultural products.
If this bill becomes law, violators will be subject to fines for participating in contests that target beavers, bobcats, coyotes, fox, mink, muskrat, otter, rabbit, skunk or weasel.
