Promised boycotts led Blondies Trophy Room and other supporters to distance themselves from the hunt.
“It has come to our attention that we have offended many people in our community of Montezuma County with our involvement with an organized predator hunt,” Blondies posted on Facebook. “Although predator hunting is completely legal and promoted by many states in this great nation and supported by many ranchers, farmers and other community members. We have decided not to host this event because a torn community can benefit nobody,” the Blondies post said.
Change.org distributed a petition to stop the hunt, and it was reportedly presented to the Colorado Parks and Wildlife commission at the meeting on Friday in Denver.
According to Colorado Parks and Wildlife spokesman Joe Lewandowski, hunting coyotes is legal year-round.
“We don’t sponsor or advocate any contests like this,” he said.
The hunt, scheduled for Jan. 25, is still being planned. The Facebook page Four Corners Predator Callers posted an entry form online Monday afternoon, Jan. 19. The form requests a $100 entry fee, and states that prizes will be awarded.
The Colorado Parks and Wildlife allows anyone with a small game hunting permit to hunt coyotes at any time.
“Coyote are a native species, and they are very hearty survivors and the reproduce prolifically,” he said.
Biologists say that coyotes control their population based on available food. High populations of prey, such as rabbits and mice, can trigger a larger litter of pups. Opponents say that wiping out coyotes increases rodent and rabbit populations, and eventually boosts coyote populations.
Andy Spruell, who participated in the contest last year and is helping to organize the hunt this year, announced on his personal Facebook page that the hunt would go on, but in private.
“I am not sure if it is going to be held Sunday, not sure if it will be next weekend or at all,” he said.
Spruell’s Facebook post was removed after an interview with The Cortez Journal, but his name and contact information are listed on the Four Corners Predator Callers entry form.
Last year, Spruell said, the coyote shoot drew 26 hunters, who killed five coyotes.
Spruell posted that he was surprised at how much attention the hunt got and said a photo was circulated of hundreds of dead coyotes piled up on top of each other, a photo that was not taken from a local hunt.
Both Spruell’s and Four Corners Predator Callers’ Facebook pages contain photos of dead coyotes. Spruell and family members are pictured posing with dead coyotes, and in another photo, coyotes line a truck bed.
“We hunters are the only ones who can control the coyote population,” said Spruell. “The day the DOW comes to us and says you can no longer hunt predators, we will stop.”
Last month in Utah, the first wild wolf documented in the Grand Canyon in 70 years was killed by a hunter who reportedly mistook it for a coyote.