Humane Society Sends Undercover Agents to Nevada Coyote Contest

Humane Society Sends Undercover Agents to Nevada Coyote Contest

The Humane Society of the United States sent undercover investigators to two coyote calling contests in Nevada earlier this year to secretly record audio and video of the participants.

The animal rights organization published their findings in a report designed to gin up support for a bill in the state legislature that would ban so-called “wildlife killing contests.” The report includes images, video, and audio, along with alleged quotes from unidentified participants at contests in Fallon and Reno, Nevada.

“The HSUS investigator attended the contest weigh-ins at which participants gathered to compete for prize money and celebrate among piles of dead coyotes,” the report reads. “Participants dragged coyote bodies along the ground and flung them into trucks. The pavement was soaked in blood.”

Investigators spoke with participants, one of whom allegedly said that he likes participating in coyote calling contests because he can “shoot as many as I f****** want. And kill s***.” He also said he has an “itch to kill something. Better than people.”

Other participants allegedly claimed to have shot coyotes on Bureau of Land Management (BLM) land even though they did not have a BLM Special Recreation Permit.

These are two of only a few statements the Humane Society gleaned from two days of fishing for bad quotes. The organization’s report includes a short video clip from a hidden camera, but none of the quotes in the report are contained in that clip. MeatEater reached out to the Humane Society to obtain the full audio recording and verify the accuracy of the participants’ statements but did not receive a response by the time of publication.

George McNeil organized the Cold Springs Station Overnight Coyote Derby in Fallon, Nevada. He told MeatEater that although the Humane Society report is “mostly correct,” it exaggerates the number of coyotes killed (52 instead of 60).

It also falsely implies that the coyotes are “dumped like trash” after the contest is over. McNeil told MeatEater that some of the participants have fur trapping licenses and sell the pelts at the local fur show in Fallon.

“Contestants have also been approached by people who want the pelts,” McNeil said. “I’ve been approached twice from people calling in and asking, ‘What are you going to do with those pelts?’ They’ll come out here and pick up all the dogs the day-of,” he said.

The Humane Society investigation is part of a larger campaign to push Nevada Assembly Bill 102. This bill prohibits anyone from organizing, sponsoring, promoting, conducting, or participating in any kind of contest that offers a prize for hunting a list of animals that includes coyotes, bobcats, beavers, and rabbits.

If this bill is passed, anyone who is found guilty of organizing one of these events will face a fine between $5,000 and $30,000, and anyone found guilty of participating will be forced to pay between $50 and $1,000.

The Humane Society and other animal rights organizations have successfully banned contests in California, Vermont, Arizona, Massachusetts, New Mexico, Colorado, Washington, and Maryland. With the exception of California, which handed down its ban in 2014, all of these bills passed in the last five years. Animal rights activists see coyote calling contests as low-hanging fruit, and they’ve been successful in their more recent lobbying efforts.

The Assembly Natural Resources Committee heard testimony on AB 102, but it has yet to vote on the measure. Advocates of the legislation argue that coyote calling contests do not reduce coyote populations or conflict with farm animals. At the same time, they worry that killing coyotes can damage the local ecosystem.

“Coyotes are native to Nevada, and as a top carnivore, they provide vital ecosystem balance,” the Humane Society wrote in its report. “Left alone, coyotes regulate their own numbers based on available habitat and food sources, and conflicts can be avoided using nonlethal deterrence techniques.”

Others worry that coyote contests harm the reputation of hunters. “There are many sportsmen who feel that these types of contests aren’t aligned with the hunting that we normally do,” AB 102 sponsor Howard Watts told the Natural Resources Committee. “And frankly, can provide a negative image of most of the sporting activities that most sportsmen conduct within the state.”

McNeil pointed out that when ranches are having trouble with coyotes, the Nevada Department of Wildlife sometimes shoots the predators from helicopters to manage the population. While effective, these hunts are actually more likely to wound the animals than calling contests.

“If you’ve seen a calf with a half-eaten face from these coyotes going crazy on them, you know why we’re doing this,” McNeil said.

Nevada wasn't the only state targeted by the Humane Society this year. The group also conducted a similar undercover operation in Illinois in an effort to ban coyote contests in that state.

Feature image via Humane Society.

Sign In or Create a Free Account

Access the newest seasons of MeatEater, save content, and join in discussions with the Crew and others in the MeatEater community.
Save this article