Last year, hunters killed more than 12,000 coyotes in the state of Utah. Half of those were rewarded with a $50 bounty that the Utah Division of Wildlife Resources (DWR) set aside to encourage the animals’ annihilation. According to officials, this is in an effort to protect the mule deer population, an animal popular among hunters in the state.

The problem is the DWR has no idea how many coyotes live in Utah and no way of truly controlling the impact of their bounty hunt incentives. The biggest threat to the mule deer population isn’t the coyote, rather it's the changing habitat. In fact, a six-year study in neighboring Idaho found that coyote removal did not effectively increase the mule deer population. Without sound evidence to support its coyote bounty program, Utah should ban coyote hunting.

In essence, the state of Utah is allowing the uncontrolled slaughter of one of the most important animals in the food chain, so Utah’s hunters can kill more mule deer. There is no logic to the plan and I want the state to discontinue their bounty program that encourages the population’s annihilations rather than control.

The Sierra Club, Utah Humane Society, and the Western Wildlife Conservancy have all expressed their opposition to this practice. Join me in standing up for coyotes in Utah. Sign my petition and ask the state of Utah to end their coyote bounty program.