Victory! New York Passes Bill to Ban Wildlife Killing Contests
Gov. Kathy Hochul's approval would make New York the ninth state to outlaw these events.
New York has taken a significant step forward for animals by passing a bill to outlaw wildlife killing contests.
Gov. Kathy Hochul must now sign the bill into law to make New York the ninth state to enact similar legislation to ban these events. California, Vermont, New Mexico, Arizona, Massachusetts, Colorado, Washington State, Maryland, and Oregon have similar laws or regulations in place.
S.4099, sponsored by Sen. Tim Kennedy, was approved with a vote of 46-15 on June 7. Three weeks later, A.2917, sponsored by Assemblymember Deborah Glick, passed with a vote of 86-54 on June 21.
The legislation will prohibit any “contest, competition, tournament or derby where the objective of such contest or competition is to take wildlife.”
"The fact that these contests and competitions are still legal in New York, and fall under the disgusting guise of 'entertainment' is not only absurd, it's inhumane," said Sen. Kennedy. "This bill takes a real, meaningful step to outlaw these cruel events, and provides new protections for our wild animals."
More than 20 killing contests took place across New York in January and February 2023, with participants awarded cash prizes for categories such as the most killed, the largest, or the smallest kill. In 2020, an undercover investigation by the Humane Society of the United States revealed that 118 coyotes alone were killed in a single contest. During this contest, coyotes, including pregnant females, were lured with bait, killed, mutilated, and then thrown in dumpsters.
“Most New Yorkers would be shocked to learn that dozens of horrific, unsporting contests take place each year in New York to kill the largest number of certain species of wildlife, or some other metric like the largest specimen,” said Assemblymember Glick. “These killing contests encourage senseless brutality, and serve absolutely no scientifically backed ecological or conservation purpose. The wildlife of the state is a natural resource for all New Yorkers to enjoy, and to allow these cruel contests to incentivize wasteful killing for cash is an insult to nature.”
Campaigners have long fought to ban these killing contests in New York. The original bill was introduced in 2020 and referred to the Codes Committee in January 2021. It was reintroduced this year, gathering a huge amount of support from groups across the state, including animal and environmental activists, students, farmers, and even hunters.
The Species Unite community voiced their support for the bill, with more than 5,500 people signing a petition calling for a ban on wildlife killing contests.
Hunters in New York also backed the state's legislation, voicing concerns about how killing contests can generate negative perceptions of hunting.
Over 50 farmers in New York signed a letter in support of the ban, highlighting the importance of coyotes in protecting their crops by controlling rodent populations and helping to maintain a healthy ecosystem.
"A.2917/S.4099 is commonsense legislation to protect wildlife from needless and cruel killing contests,” said Brian Hackett, Animal Legal Defense Fund Legislative Affairs manager. “Wild animals in the state of New York should be cherished and conserved, not killed for cash and prizes.
“This bill enjoys the overwhelming support of New Yorkers, including animal and environmental advocates and even hunters. We encourage Governor Hochul to sign the bill into law as soon as possible."
Nationwide, the scale of these controversial contests is widespread, with at least 730 such events taking place in 2022 alone. The estimated death toll ranges between 18,000 and 110,000 animals, encompassing coyotes, foxes, bobcats, raccoons, squirrels, rabbits, groundhogs, porcupines, armadillos, opossums, beavers, cougars, and numerous other species.
At Species Unite, we are driven by a vision of a world where every animal is protected from cruelty and suffering. In pursuit of this, we are excited to announce an empowering new initiative called 30 Days of Action for Animals. Through this campaign, we aim to share knowledge and essential resources with the Species Unite community, enabling everyone to make a lasting impact in the lives of animals. Together, we can create a compassionate world for all. Sign up now to take part.
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