Good News for Bobcats, Crows and Foxes: No More Wildlife Killings Just for Fun

The state of Washington has become the seventh US state to ban all wildlife killing contests, a “sport” where hunters kill as many animals as possible for fun, on its territory.

“We applaud the Washington Fish and Wildlife Commission for passing this rule, which recognizes that the vast majority of the state’s citizens will not tolerate this reprehensible practice,” says Dan Paul, Washington Senior State Director of Humane Society of the United States (HSUS). “We urge other states to follow.”

Between 2013 and 2018, 1,427 wild animals like coyotes, bobcats, crows, and foxes were killed in such contests in Washington. The new law protects local wildlife populations. Arizona, California, Colorado, Massachusetts, New Mexico, and Vermont have already passed this legislation, and HSUS is pushing for Oregon, New York, New Jersey, and Maryland to pass it as well.