Wildlife killing contests are unbeknownst to many Wisconsin residents.  Hundreds of these contests occur across Wisconsin throughout the year.   Many wild animals are targeted including coyote, fox, bobcat, rabbit, raccoons, opossums, snowshoe hares, squirrels, and crows.  Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources does not monitor or regulate any of these hundreds of killing contests.

Great Lakes Wildlife Alliance states: "A wildlife killing contest is an organized competitive event in which participants compete to kill the most, the largest, or sometimes the smallest animals — within a set time period — for cash, prizes, or trophies.  Contests are typically held over a single weekend. Entry fees and sponsorships fund cash jackpots. Dead animals are often weighed in publicly — sometimes in parking lots — with carcasses discarded afterward. The killing is an end in itself.  These are not hunting. There is no management purpose, no harvest intent, no wildlife management justification — only competition to see who can pile up the most bodies."   Great Lakes Wildlife Alliance position, consistent with findings of state wildlife agencies that have reviewed and banned these events

What is also unknown to most people is that hound dogs are used in these contests to track and kill coyotes as well as the use of predator calling devices.  Regulations state that hound dogs are not allowed to come into contact w/ wild animals but in reality dogs get to the coyote before hunters can arrive as hound dogs run unleashed and hunters are often times miles away.  Canid against canid fighting occurs and eventually the dogs kill the coyote.  Since this form of killing is NOT regulated by the WI DNR,  it is difficult to estimate how many coyotes are outright killed by the dogs.  One reformed coyote hound hunter estimates that 50% of the coyotes are killed by hound dogs.  Many photos of dead coyotes w/ wet and mangled necks indicate that packs of hound dogs have attacked the coyotes.  (see nose of coyote hound dog below from a Wisconsin coyote hunt).