Luke Cowan switches off the safety of his .204-caliber rifle.
The single shot rings out and then a thump as the animal hits the ground.
Back at the UTV, he holds it out to his hunting buddies, Jaden Randall and Sean Moyer.
A 2023 undercover investigation into a Nevada wildlife-killing contest revealed large numbers of native coyotes killed for cash prizes. Bodies were piled, dragged, and hung at the weigh-in.Courtesy of the Humane Society of the United States
He opens the foxs jaw so the guys can regard its sharp little teeth.
They can terrorize some shit, Randall says.
They bump up and down the rocky hills hoping to cover about 3,000 acres of private property outside Uvalde.
(Opponents call these events wildlife-killing contests, while the hunters themselves refer to them as predator-hunting contests.)
Only about 25 teams participated when it began in 2008, according to co-founder Jeremy Harrison.
Coyotes, for example, can be killed year-round in most states in the U.S. without limits.
Some animals killed at the contests might be sold to fur buyers or taxidermied while others might be discarded.
Undercover Humane Society investigators once found coyotes in the dumpster after a New York contest.
Randall tells me they bury the animals they dont use.
The landowner had earlier marveled at the piece of handiwork.
If you dont get any, you cant blame it on your equipment, he says.
Randall leans against the vehicle and chews a toothpick.
Sometimes he gestures silently to the guys to indicate he sees movement.
Everything is quiet except the torturous, repetitive wail of the caller.
Cowan and Moyer turn slowly in their chairs, theirgunsaimed like two submarine scopes.
Though its a cloudless 73-degree day, conditions arent on their side.
Its windy as shit, says Randall at one point.
For hours, Cowan is the only one to kill.
He shoots the second gray fox in the head.
The third one behind the shoulder.
Moyer and Randall jokingly call him the predator god.
At the eleventh spot, Randall who hasnt taken a shot starts to get frustrated.
The sun sets behind the mesquite and turns the sky pastel.
Randall takes the truck and goes for a Dominos run.
The guys now scarf their slices standing up while their headlamps beam in the dark.
Moyer changes into a fleece jumpsuit in anticipation of the cold night ahead.
Then theyre off again Moyer at the wheel through a metal gate and into a neighboring private property.
Cowan shoots two more foxes.
The night wears on and the air chills under the dome of a thousand stars.
They kill a few more foxes and a raccoon.
The bed of the Can-Am piles up with bloodied carcasses.
At around 3 a.m., they call it quits.
Some game hunters are even at the forefront of the fight to stop these competitions.
You cant justify it.
In 2024,a federal billwas introduced to prohibit the contests on public lands but has gone nowhere.
And in some states, like Oregon and New Mexico, the bans dont apply to private land.
Carter Niemeyer, a hunter and retired employee of the U.S.
I think that alone is what can make or break these killing contests.
Yet social media can also be an asset for the contests.
Other flash points include the ethical qualms over the disposal of unwanted carcasses and the baked-in entertainment factor.
The most divisive issue, however, seems to be over the use of advanced technology.
As Randall says, We attempt to be as efficient as we can and quick.
As long as the predator isnt confined to a pen, Harrison explains, then its fair chase.
Im not apologetic for what we do, he says.
Its a necessary thing.
The outfitter Cabelas hosted the First Annual West Virginia Coyote Hunt in 2017 that paid out $10,000.
Politicians have also hosted versions.
Afterward, the meat was cooked in a fundraising dinner for the local American Legion chapter.
And all of this is happening under the guise of conservation when its not.
We had vets coming back from Afghanistan and Iraq, he says.
And they took up these military weapons and AR-15s.
That same year, aMeatEaterpodcast episode was also dedicated to the same topic.
Theyre finding hunters willing to do their dirty work for them, he said on the podcast.
And its a stroke of genius.
Katie Stennes, a senior program manager at the society, denies this.
Most hunters dont support killing contests, she says.
They just are afraid to speak out.
The issue of killing contests has even infiltrated hunting families.
Later, Norton explained that he isnt a fan of trophy hunting or hunting for entertainment.
Im trying to preach this ethical-based hunting for necessity, he says.
And not to kill just to kill.
At one point, Randall texts me to ensure the story isnt a hate on hunting piece.
Though, as Tantillo points out on theMeatEaterpodcast, The optics of hunting in general are equally bad.
I had signed up because I wanted to hear the section about ethical hunting.
An instructor named Ron begins the morning by asking, What are ethics?
People raise their hands: being mindful of others, making a clean shot, following the hunting laws.
All good answers but not quite what he seems to be looking for.
We turn to page seven in our handbooks.
Hunting laws preserve wildlife, but ethics preserve the hunters opportunity to hunt, reads a bullet point.
Because ethics govern the behavior that affects public opinion of hunters.
In other words, as another instructor named Julie says, Its always about image.
Another hunter swings a limp coyote carcass as it hits an ATV.
Laughter plays in the background.
Thats how we roll, bitches, he narrates offscreen.
And its just wrong to kill a pile of animals for prize money, he wrote.
More than 350 people commented, including hunters with large platforms.
I thought if people know about this theyre going to be so upset, she says.
And I couldnt grab anybodys attention.
Some contest participants provide behind-the-scenes footage in the style of reality TV.
At the same time, he says, humans are the only means of maintaining order.
Nemnichs content in particular seems to be made for polarizing people either riling them up or cheering him on.
389 coyotes in 5 months is a personal record for me, he wrote on Instagram last March.
But it’s possible for you to bet your ass Ill be gunning to break it next season!
The first team has already weighed their animals and starts drinking before anyone else shows up.
He cant legally purchase gray fox in Texas without a fur license, so the hunters donate them.
His U-Haul already has a large heap, blood dripping from the bottom of the truck.
People nod but everyone just seems eager to go to sleep and rest up for the next contest.
This is the thick of contest season.
In Texas, competitions are held every weekend from January to March.
As Moyer says, Theres a lot of money involved.
