A "dream hunt" with Donald Trump Jr. is up for grabs as part of a hunting organization's annual convention, igniting controversy from animal rights groups.

Safari Club International is auctioning off a week-long trophy hunt with President Donald Trump's son through Alaska as part of its annual convention in Reno, Nevada, set to take place Wednesday through Saturday. Trump Jr. is the event's keynote speaker.

The auctioned hunt with Trump Jr. would target black-tailed deer and sea ducks. Some Alaskan sea duck species, including the spectacled eider and Steller's eider, are protected by the Endangered Species Act.

The auction website describes Trump Jr. as the "number one ambassador for our way of life." The bidding for this event begins at $10,000.

Other hunts up for auction start bidding at up to $27,500 for a two-week leopard hunt in Tanzania.

Trump Jr. has been criticized for hunting endangered and vulnerable trophy animals, including the Mongolian mountain sheep, or argali, and an African elephant. In 2012, photographs surfaced showing Trump Jr. holding an elephant tail.

Animal rights activists and conservationists called the event "senseless."

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“This annual event is the largest meeting in the world of people who celebrate the senseless killing, buying and selling of dead animals for bragging rights," said Kitty Block, president and CEO of the Humane Society of the United States, in a statement.

Alesia Soltanpanah, the executive Director of World Animal Protection US, said that the hunting industry should "be worried about declining participation."

"“Hunting for sport is cruel and devoid of sportsmanship," she said in a statement. "This auction attempts to use Donald Trump Jr.’s notoriety as a trophy hunter and son of the President to sell a luxury hunting trip and introduce sport hunting to the next generation."

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Musical acts The Beach Boys and REO Speedwagon were slated to perform at the event, but the latter group pulled out of their performance. Beach Boys members Brian Wilson and Al Jardine are boycotting the touring group's performance.

In 2018, the Trump administration loosened trophy hunting laws, permitting Americans to bring back elephant and lion carcasses from Zimbabwe and Zambia.

"Enjoying wildlife in their natural habitat would be a much better excursion for young people to experience," said Soltanapah.

Follow Joshua Bote on Twitter: @joshua_bote

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Donald Trump Jr. trophy animal hunt auction starts bid at $10,000