In October 2024, the Alberta Trapper’s Association and the Alberta Professional Outfitters Society launched a province-wide contest on trapping and killing wolves. The competition, which began on October 1st, encouraged participants to kill as many wolves as possible over the winter of 2024–2025. There were no restrictions on the number of wolves that could be killed. Hunters were offered $250 for each wolf pelt submitted, with an additional $5,000 prize awarded for the “best” wolf skin.
Initially, the contest circulated quietly among trappers and hunters, largely unnoticed by the general public. However, it gained widespread attention when the Exposed Wildlife Conservancy issued a press release, prompting mass media coverage.
The news sparked outrage among many Albertans, who questioned how such a practice could be permitted. A frequent concern was, “How can private groups be allowed to organize and profit from exploiting the province’s wildlife?”
Legal and Common
In an interview with TheRockies.Life, John E. Marriott, co-founder of Exposed Wildlife Conservancy, told us that wildlife killing contests are legal and are common across western North America. Over the past few decades, as societal attitudes toward animal cruelty have shifted, these contests have moved more underground, leading many in the general public to believe they were a thing of the past. They are not.
For example, this coming weekend, on January 25 and 26, Storm Mountain Outfitters, based in Stettler, Alberta, is sponsoring a coyote-killing contest. Up to 50 teams of 2–3 participants are expected to participate, using pickups, quads, and snow machines to hunt down as many coyotes as possible. Cash and firearms are being offered as prizes, and even children are encouraged to participate, framing the event as “good family fun.”
Once again, the Exposed Wildlife Conservancy brought this issue to public attention. When we asked Marriott about his reaction to the contest, he said, “It’s vile and disgusting to award prizes for killing the most coyotes, bagging the mangiest coyote, and killing a coyote with the nicest fur. This is reprehensible behaviour, especially in today’s society when we clearly understand the importance of biodiversity and ecosystem stability.”
Marriott’s anger resonated with many others.
Social media discussions on Exposed’s Facebook page about the contest largely condemned it as having nothing to do with responsible wildlife management. Instead, it is an excuse for what some have called an “entertaining killing frenzy.”
However, many people on the Facebook page defended the contest, viewing it as a necessary tool for wildlife management in rural areas.
Mass Killing as a Wildlife Management Tool?
Many supporters of the coyote-killing contest argued that coyote populations are currently out of control and that mass killings are necessary to protect ungulate populations, livestock, property, pets, and even children.
One typical comment came from Sarah Sommerfeld, who wrote: “These are not being killed just for sport; they are being killed to help protect farmers’ livestock, house pets, and other small pets! I would love to join; there is such a huge coyote problem in Alberta… I protect my livestock and my pets. That means shooting coyotes or foxes. Also, have you seen the damage coyotes do to the deer population?”
When asked if mass killings of coyotes and wolves are essential for wildlife management to protect elk, moose, deer, and antelope populations, wildlife photographer, trained wildlife manager, and wildlife advocate John E. Marriott offered a different perspective. He said, “The mantra of too many coyotes has been repeated ad nauseam for the last 100 to 150 years, with those interested in killing coyotes portraying them as killing everything in sight and that humans are needed to manage these out-of-control predators.”
Marriott further challenged this notion, asking why national parks—where hunting and trapping are prohibited—are not overrun with predators decimating ungulate populations. He concluded, “Plainly put, humans are not needed by nature to balance predator-prey relationships.”
Do Bounty Hunts Solve Wildlife Conflicts?
We asked Marriott whether there is a significant population of problematic coyotes in the Stettler area and if killing contests effectively reduce human-wildlife conflict.
His response?
“There is no science showing there is an overpopulation of coyotes anywhere in Alberta or that there has been an increase in coyote conflicts over time,” he said.
Marriott elaborated: “In fact, studies across western North America all indicate that when coyotes are killed randomly, and in large numbers, like this contest is doing, neighbouring coyotes come in and fill the empty void almost instantly, repopulating the area. Killing coyotes, cougars, or wolves does nothing to reduce conflict; in fact, studies show doing so often creates more conflict.”
And what about concerns that coyotes might attack pets or children? Marriott dismissed those fears as unfounded. “Statistically, way more people die each year from vending machine accidents than all the people who have been attacked or die from coyote, wolf, and cougar attacks combined.”
A study of coyote attacks on humans over a 38-year period (1977-2015) found only 367 documented attacks by non-rabid coyotes in Canada and the U.S., two of which resulted in death.
Marriott acknowledged that some farmers and ranchers experience occasional livestock losses to predators but emphasized that effective solutions exist for coexistence. He pointed out that numerous resources are available to help ranchers and farmers coexist with coyotes and protect their livestock, including resources from the Alberta Government.
One southern Alberta rancher, who chose to remain anonymous, shared their perspective: “I live in bear, cougar, wolf, and coyote country, and I rarely have conflicts with my wild neighbours because I ensure my rangeland remains a healthy ecosystem with plenty of natural food for these predators. I make sure I don’t leave food attractants outside, and I also make sure my vulnerable livestock is protected with proper fencing and livestock dogs. If I lose stock to a predator, I blame myself, not the predator. After all, I live in their habitat, not the other way around.”
Hunters Getting a Bad Name
John Marriott argues that killing contests tarnish the reputation of all hunters.
“There are many ethical hunters who are afraid to speak out against these killing sprees for fear of being blackballed,” he said.
Marriott emphasized that hunting has historically been guided by strong ethical principles, focusing on sportsmanship and safety rather than the mob-like mentality of killing contests. Ethical hunters strive to use as much of the animal as possible for food and fur.
In contrast, coyotes are not hunted for food, and their pelts fetch only $30 to $40 each—far less than the costs associated with hunting them. This economic imbalance suggests that these contests are not about sustainability or practical use but rather indiscriminate killing.
Moving Forward or Backward?
According to John E. Marriott, wildlife management in Alberta has regressed to practices reminiscent of the 1950s, abandoning science-based policies in favour of catering to a small special interest group.
For example, Alberta recently lifted trapping limits on wolverines despite not knowing the number of animals in the province. Minister of Forestry and Parks Todd Loewen says the decision to lift limits on trapping and harvesting is being made to gather more data on the number of animals in the province. You know, kill the animals to discover how many lived here!
When asked about the kind of policies Alberta should adopt, Marriott pointed to California, which he described as being “30 years ahead of any other jurisdiction.”
In California, trapping, sport hunting, and killing contests are prohibited. While meat hunting is still allowed, the state has embraced a non-consumptive model, encouraging people to interact with wildlife in ways that leave animals unharmed—such as bird-watching and nature photography.
In the meantime, he urged Albertans disturbed by these “barbaric killing contests” to take action by calling their MLA or the MLA’s representative directly. “Letters and petitions are easy to ignore; phone calls, not so much,” he added.
We recommend Project Coyote’s Coyote Coexistence Plan for those interested in learning more about how humans and coyotes can coexist.
Marriott summarized, “It’s all about education and not the spread of misinformation and fear that will help us coexist with apex predators.”
