The Oregon Fish and Wildlife Commission opted not to pass rules banning coyote-hunting contests at its last meeting of 2022.
One of the obstacles to make such rules is the official state view of the coyote as a "predatory animal." That status--meaning it can mess up livestock and other agriculture--makes it easier to trap and kill coyotes. So wildlife defense groups are working to change state law on predatory animals, with Senate Bill 199 in the current session of the legislature.
Quinn Read, Oregon Policy Director at the Center for Biological Diversity, walks us through the proposed changes and their early odds of passing and other priorities of the Oregon Wildlife Coallition.