BEND, OR -- Oregon’s Fish and Wildlife Commission voted Friday to work toward banning coyote killing contests. KBND Outdoor Expert Gary Lewis says the competitions help protect young livestock from the predators, "It is good for wildlife conservation because, not only do we want those beef calves to grow up, but we want the baby antelope to survive. And, we want to keep the coyote numbers in balance where they need to be, not out of proportion." He adds, "The fewer coyotes that we have out in those areas, the better it is for those cows and the ranchers who are running those cows; who own those cows."

Fifteen organizations had asked for state rules for coyote killing contests. Their petition was denied. Instead, the commission directed ODFW staff to work within its legal authority to stop the competitions. They will now work with the Department of Justice to to develop rules to stop the contests.

The commission’s vote was 6 to 1.