by Marty Irby

Wildlife Killing Contests (WKCs) are a disgrace. And, for all the right reasons, they are under siege.

In September 2019, the Arizona Governor’s Regulatory Review Council (GRRC) voted unanimously to approve a rule initiated by the Arizona Game and Fish Commission banning WKCs for predators and other furbearing animals in the Grand Canyon State. A grassroots effort energized by concerned animal welfare advocates and even hunters, and led by Animal Wellness Action’s Lain Kahlstrom and Tina Meredith, provided the impetus for the rulemaking action.
Events like the “Santa SLAY” and “Fox Frenzy” killing contests – slaughter-fests where participants compete to win cash and prizes for killing the greatest number, the heaviest, or even the smallest of the targeted species within a certain time frame (usually 24 hours or a weekend) – soon became a closed chapter in the book of Arizona’s wildlife management history.
But the practice…