Congressman Cohen Introduces Prohibit Wildlife Killing Contests Act

WASHINGTON – Congressman Steve Cohen (TN-9) and 16 cosponsors today reintroduced the Prohibit Wildlife Killing Contests Act to stop the practice of rewarding hunters for killing animals on public land in contests that serve no legitimate wildlife-management purpose.

Congressman Cohen made the following statement:

“America’s wildlife play a special role in the natural environment and in a healthy ecosystem. Killing apex predators and other targets for what some deem ‘sport’ is both cruel and unnecessary. These contests serve no legitimate wildlife-management purpose and ending them is the right thing to do.”

“In addition to being unethical and unsportsmanlike, wildlife killing contests run counter to science-based wildlife management policy,” said Jennifer Eskra, Director of Legislative Affairs for the Humane Society Legislative Fund. “This bill would end this execrable practice and protect wildlife at a national level, something that ten states have already done.” 

The ten states that have already banned wildlife killing contests that target certain species are Arizona, California, Colorado, Maryland, Massachusetts, New Mexico, New York, Oregon, Vermont and Washington.

“Wildlife killing contests are cruel events that have no place in modern civil society,” said Johanna Hamburger, director and senior attorney for the Animal Welfare Institute’s Terrestrial Wildlife Program. “Participants frequently violate the fundamental hunting principle of fair chase by using bait and electronic calling devices to maximize the likelihood of winning, and animal carcasses are usually dumped once the contest is over.”

Cosponsors include Representatives Earl Blumenauer (OR-3), Cori Bush (MO-1), Gerald Connolly (VA-11), Diana DeGette (CO-1), Lloyd Doggett (TX-35), Adriano Espaillat (NY-13), Raul Grijalva (AZ-7), Jared Huffman (CA-2), Ted Lieu (CA-36), Betty McCollum (MN-4), Grace Meng (NY-6), Jerrold Nadler (NY-12), Katie Porter (CA-47), Melanie Stansbury (NM-1), Dina Titus (NV-1), and Rashida Tlaib (MI-13).

Other groups endorsing the legislation include:

Center for Biological Diversity, Animal Legal Defense Fund,  Humane Society of the United States, Voters for Animal Rights and more than 50 other organizations, including: Oasis Earth, Public Employees for Environmental Responsibility (PEER), Project Coyote, Advocates for Snake Preservation, Animal Protection of New Jersey, Animal Protection New Mexico, Animal Protection Voters, Attorneys for Animals, Born Free USA, Bozeman Broadband, Buffalo Field Campaign, The Canid Project, Center for Wildlife Ethics, Christian Council of Delmarva, Colorado Voters for Animals, CT Votes for Animals, Earth Path Sanctuary, Endangered Habitats League, Endangered Species Coalition, Footloose Montana, Gallatin Wildlife Association, Gallatin Yellowstone Wilderness Alliance, Great Old Broads for Wilderness, Heartwood Howling For Wolves, International Wildlife Coexistence Network, Jefferson County Humane Society, Klamath Forest Alliance, Lady Freethinker, League of Humane Voters – Wisconsin, Living With Wolves, National Wolfwatcher Coalition, Nevada Wildlife Alliance, New Hampshire Wildlife Coalition, NoBearHuntNV.org, Oceanic Preservation Society, Ohio Animal Advocates, Pennywise LLC, Plan B to Save Wolves, Prairie Protection Colorado, Resource Renewal Institute, Sierra Club Toiyabe Chapter, TrailSafe Nevada, Texas Humane Legislation Network, Trap Free Montana, Trap Free Montana Public Lands, Turtle Island Restoration Network, University of Wisconsin - Madison, Washington College of Law Animal Law Society, Washington Wildlife First, WildEarth Guardians, Wildlife Rescue and Rehabilitation, Inc., Wyoming Untrapped, and Wyoming Wildlife Advocates.

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