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Tell Governor Michelle Lujan Grisham: Sign Senate Bill 76 to Ban Unethical, Unnecessary, Wasteful Coyote Killing Contests!

This year, the New Mexico legislature has passed Senate Bill 76 to prohibit coyote killing contests statewide (by a vote of 22-17 in the New Mexico Senate and 37-30 in the NM House of Representatives). The bill is now headed to the desk of Governor Michelle Lujan Grisham for her signature!

Senate Bill 76, introduced by Senator Mark Moores (R-Albuquerque) & Senator Jeff Steinborn (D-Las Cruces), would make it illegal to sponsor, organize or participate in coyote killing contests throughout New Mexico. Coyote killing contests are organized events in which participants compete for prizes—typically cash or firearms—by attempting to kill the most, largest and smallest coyotes over a time period, and at least 20-30 contests are held in the state every year.

Please Take Action!

Governor Michelle Lujan Grisham needs to hear from as many constituents as possible urging her to sign Senate Bill 76. Use the form below to send the Governor an email and personalize your letter, then please follow up with a quick phone call.

The Governor's office is keeping a tally of supporters, so don't forget to write and call to make sure your voice is counted! The Governor's office phone number is: (505) 476-2200

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Remember: You are one of thousands of New Mexicans that will contact the Governor about this bill. Be sure to EDIT THE DRAFT MESSAGE BELOW so that your message is viewed as unique, original, and from your heart. Here are some tips on how to personalize your message:

In or after the first line, include the town/county you live in, and any special affiliations or roles you serve in your community.
Insert your own thoughts about the importance of banning coyote killing contests across New Mexico—and include a personal story about why banning these contests is important to you.
Add any additional talking points that resonate with you (find them in our fact sheet here).
Don't worry about including every single bit of information about the bill—again, many others will contact the Governor, too. Focus on being brief, accurate, professional and polite with a personal connection.

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Click below to personalize your letter. Add other facts, meaningful personal experiences, or other details that help your elected official understand why this issue important to you. Thank you for taking time to advocate for animals!

Remember: You are one of thousands of New Mexicans that will contact the Governor about this bill. Be sure to EDIT THE DRAFT MESSAGES BELOW so that your message is viewed as unique, original, and from your heart. Here are some tips on how to personalize your message:

In or after the first line, include the town/county you live in, and any special affiliations or roles you serve in your community.
Insert your own thoughts about the importance of banning coyote killing contests across New Mexico—and include a personal story about why coyotes are important to you.
Add additional talking points (find them here) and move/delete paragraphs so that the facts that your email contains the facts that most resonate with you.
Be sure that the words reflect your voice.
Don't worry about including every single bit of information about the bill—again, many others will contact the Governor, too. Focus on being brief, accurate, and polite with a personal connection.
Sometimes an email might get lost in a busy inbox, so ALWAYS FOLLOW UP WITH A QUICK PHONE CALL: Introduce yourself and the city/county you live in, mention you're calling to ask the Governor to sign Senate Bill 76, and let the secretary know you sent an email with more information. The Governor's office phone number is: (505) 476-2200

The Honorable Michelle Lujan Grisham, Governor of New Mexico

Subject: Please SIGN Senate Bill 76 to Ban Coyote Killing Contests

Message:

As your constituent, I am writing to urge you to SIGN Senate Bill 76 to ban coyote killing contests in New Mexico. Coyote killing contests are organized competitions in which participants compete for prizes -- often cash, firearms, or commemorative awards -- by attempting to kill the most coyotes over a time period. At least 20 to 30 killing contests are known to take place across New Mexico every year. The coyotes are randomly targeted and lured with calling devices. Often, contests feature special prizes for the largest and smallest coyotes killed; a recent "small dog winner" was a 9 lb. coyote pup. The scourge of coyote killing contests in New Mexico is a black eye on our state, and in direct conflict with efforts to draw people into our state for tourism and outdoor recreation. In fact, New Mexico killing contests have attracted statewide, national and even international outrage. Coyote killing contests promote wanton killing that many people find abhorrent, and they harm our state's reputation and do nothing to help attract businesses and new residents. Coyote killing contests do not serve any purpose other than glorification of mass wildlife destruction. The futility of mass indiscriminate coyote killing was revealed when a 2000-2003 NM Department of Game & Fish program that killed over 1,300 coyotes to try to enhance deer herds was scrapped after the killing did not increase fawn survival. Published scientific research confirms that mass killing of coyotes disrupts pack social structure, which often increases breeding within the pack and results in overall population increase and rogue behavior. If there is any hope of stabilizing coyote populations for the benefit of our ranchers, neighbors, and ecosystems in rural New Mexico, all the evidence says coyote killing contests need to stop. New Mexicans from all corners of the state and all walks of life -- including conservationists, hunters, gun owners, and even many farmers and livestock owners -- oppose killing contests. New Mexico voters oppose coyote killing contests by more than a two-to-one margin, according to a 2016 poll, and opposition is strong across both metro and non-metro counties. Myriad non-lethal coexistence and deterrence measures can prevent conflicts with coyotes. To the extent that lethal action may be needed, Senate Bill 76 will still allow ranchers and hunters to continue to shoot coyotes, with no seasons or bag limits. But killing contests designed to reward and incentivize people to indiscriminately kill as many coyotes as possible are unconscionable, wasteful, and ultimately damaging to New Mexico. Please sign Senate Bill 76 to ban unethical, unnecessary, wasteful coyote killing contests.

Remaining:

Tell Governor Michelle Lujan Grisham: Sign Senate Bill 76 to Ban Unethical, Unnecessary, Wasteful Coyote Killing Contests!

Please Take Action!

Governor Michelle Lujan Grisham needs to hear from as many constituents as possible urging her to sign Senate Bill 76. Use the form below to send the Governor an email and personalize your letter, then please follow up with a quick phone call.

The Governor's office is keeping a tally of supporters, so don't forget to write and call to make sure your voice is counted! The Governor's office phone number is: (505) 476-2200

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