The battle over contests perfectly illustrates the animal-rights gameplan in a microcosm . When activists first started targeting bans , the focus was solely on coyote contests in Arizona and New Mexico . As they pushed similar legislation in California , Washington , Colorado , Oregon and Montana , the goalposts were moved to protect anything from “ all predators ” to “ all wildlife .” Their blitzkrieg crossed the northern U . S . and hit East Coast states like New York , New Jersey and Vermont before returning to Nevada in the West — where the proposed penalty for participation or even promotion was a felony !

Faced with opposition from the Sportsmen ’ s Alliance , the movement has been forced to dial back their egregiousness and carve out exemptions . HR 7398 exempts turkey , deer and duck hunting , as well as field trials associated with a national organization .

“ This bill is a perfect example of how anti-hunters don ’ t attack socially acceptable hunting endeavors like deer and duck hunting outright . Instead , they keep striking at predator management to gain a toehold , which they ’ ll later use to push bans on everything else ,” said Sportsmen ’ s Alliance Vice President of Government Affairs Todd Adkins .

The bill ’ s sponsors ignore the use of derbies and contests to reduce the number of predators , such as coyotes , wolves , bobcats and foxes , in very focused areas prior to calving season for livestock and ungulates , as well as nesting season for upland birds and waterfowl .

HR 7398 would further hamstring efforts to control coyote numbers by forbidding predator contests on lands

controlled by the U . S . Fish and Wildlife Service , Forest Service , Bureau of Land Management and National Park Service . In most cases , the federal government defers to state fish and wildlife agencies for management plans involving species that are not migratory or endangered . However , now national animal-rights groups have targeted wildlife contests nationwide and have recruited their most reliable anti-hunting allies in Congress to carry this legislation ; it ’ s a who ’ s who of anti-hunters , including New Mexico Rep . Raul Grijalva , who chairs the House Natural Resources Committee , which is the final hurdle before a vote in the full House of Representatives .

“ Wildlife contest bills stigmatize organized events where people hunt wildlife for recreation ,” explained Adkins . “ But this legislation is just a first step . How is a coyote contest any different than a fishing derby or a big-buck contest ? It ’ s not , and that is how we know where the animal extremists will head next if they push this measure through the Congress .”

ADOBE STOCK