Commissioner Vows to Revisit Rule if Contests are Held Despite the Ban

Phoenix, AZ – Today the Arizona Game and Fish Commission (AZGF) voted unanimously (4 to 0) to ban wildlife killing contests (WKCs) for predatory and furbearing species in Arizona. For months a coalition comprised of concerned citizens and wildlife conservation organizations has worked tirelessly to ban WKCs statewide. Wildlife killing contests are barbaric events wherein participants compete to kill the greatest number, the largest, or even the youngest of the target wildlife species for “entertainment” and prizes. Hundreds of coyotes, bobcats, cougars, foxes and other species are killed in these events every year in Arizona.

In 2018 and 2019, Dewey-Humboldt, Flagstaff, Coconino County and Yavapai County passed resolutions condemning the events (Tucson and Pima passed similar resolutions in recent years). New Mexico and Vermont banned coyote killing contests in 2019 and 2018, respectively. California passed a wildlife killing…