Dear Editor,
As a resident of Rock Springs, I think it is shameful that Buddha Bob’s at The Sands allowed a coyote killing contest participants to gather and celebrate on Feb. 5.
In these cruel and unsporting wildlife killing contests, participants compete for cash and prizes for killing the most, the largest, and even the smallest animals over a specified period. Wildlife management professionals, responsible hunters, and scientists across the country have stated that these contests serve no wildlife management purpose, they don’t prevent conflicts with wildlife, and are an embarrassment to their states’ hunting tradition. As a result, eight states have now banned them, including many western states like Arizona, New Mexico, Colorado, and Washington.
Our Wyoming Wildlife Protection Group held peaceful demonstrations outside Buddha Bob’s bar at The Sands for seven days until Feb. 5. While we were respectfully exercising our First Amendment right to assemble, we were called all kinds of names, given the middle finger, and were told—inexplicably—to “go back to California.” And the abuse didn’t stop here. On Tuesday evening during the protest, two people pulled up in a car, and while one man tried to distract us with small talk, another placed a dead coyote’s body next to us. The man then jumped in the car and sped away. How can anyone justify these egregious hateful, violent acts by the contest’s supporters toward peaceful protesters?
But appalling behavior like this did not distract or intimidate us. In fact, it only made us stronger and more determined to fight harder for Wyoming’s wildlife that has been treated like trash. These animals cannot defend themselves, which is why we were there to speak on their behalf. We are representing their lives and the life of our ecosystem.
Buddha Bob’s should decline to allow future embarrassing events like these in its establishment that promotes violence against our wildlife and our peaceful community members. Until that happens, we will continue to protest their support.
Quotes from wildlife management professionals, scientists, and responsible hunters on wildlife killing contests and predator control (each with direct citations to their quotes and scientific studies): http://www.humanesociety.org/sites/default/files/docs/HSUS_Statements-wildlife-killing-contests.pdf
https://www.humanesociety.org/wildlifekillingcontests
Madhu Anderson
Rock Spring
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