Coyote-killing contests still legal: Bill dies in NM House

Coyote-killing contests will remain part of life in New Mexico. The state House of Representatives on Tuesday defeated a bill to ban the events, such as one last fall in which a gun shop owner collected $50 entry fees and then gave prizes to the team that killed the most coyotes. The House vote was 38-30 with a handful of Democrats joining Republicans in defeating the bill. "We have to be able to maintain our cattle, our ranches and our livelihoods," said Rep. William Gray, R-Artesia. State Rep. Nate Cote, D-Organ, sponsored the measure to ban coyote-killing competitions. He said they were bad for the state's image and that even hunters had denounced them as unsportsmanlike. Cote himself is a hunter. Opponents of the bill included the state Game and Fish Department. Its director, Jim Lane, said the ban could have negatively affected predator management and license fees. New Mexico residents can hunt coyotes and skunks anytime without a license...more