The fallout from the infamous incident involving a Wyoming wolf that was run down by Daniel man on a snowmobile, badly injured and paraded into a bar now includes federal legislation aimed at banning the practice.
Rep. Nancy Mace (R-South Carolina) was the lead author of a bill that’s been dubbed the Snowmobiles Aren’t Weapons Act, which would prohibit running over and killing wildlife with motorized vehicles on some classes of federal land. The bipartisan measure was introduced on Thursday, according to Gabrielle Lipsky, a staffer for the South Carolinian congresswoman, who shared a statement on behalf of her boss.
“Our federal lands are not battlegrounds for reckless and belligerent behavior,” Mace said. “This bill will preserve the safety and beauty of our natural spaces and ensure wildlife can thrive without the threat of harm from motor vehicles.”
Co-sponsors include three congressmen from southern states that aren’t exactly known for their snowmobiling: Reps. Don Davis (D-North Carolina), Matt Gaetz (R-Florida) and Troy Carter (D-Louisiana). The bill materialized after months of lobbying from animal rights and environmental organizations, and it was shepherded chiefly by Wayne Pacelle, a former president of the Humane Society of the United States who now leads a group called Animal Wellness Action.
“We have allowed state authorities plenty of time to handle the situation on their own,” Pacelle told five members of the Wyoming media in a press call on Thursday. “That’s why we’re turning here.”
Simultaneous to the bill that will be considered by Congress, the Wyoming Legislature will have a shot at enacting legislation in response to the February torture of a wolf in Sublette County. In its current form, the state-level legislation would explicitly maintain the legality of running over species classified as predators with motorized vehicles, with the caveat that they must be swiftly killed after being struck.
Pacelle also shopped the bill to one member of Wyoming’s congressional delegation: U.S. Sen. Cynthia Lummis, who was not on board.
“With all due respect to my southern colleagues, we do not need members from districts that do not even drive snowmobiles trying to regulate our western way of life,” Lummis told WyoFile in a statement.
Efforts to regulate running over animals with snowmobiles have been contested by the livestock industry.
“I’ve talked with a number of livestock producers across the state — in particular, sheep producers — who have said that they view it as one of their most effective tools” for predator management, Wyoming Stock Growers Association Executive Vice President Jim Magagna told WyoFile in July.
Lobbying nationally, Pacelle also ran into resistance from industry groups. Early in the summer he was working with Rep. Troy Nehls (R-Texas) on sponsoring the legislation, who was “poised” to bring it, but it died while being vetted.
“I do believe it was the Texas Farm Bureau and perhaps the Safari Club International,” Pacelle said.
Although Safari Club International is a hunting organization, hook-and-bullet conservation groups have generally advocated for a prohibition on running over animals with snowmobiles, which is a recreational activity in some portions of Wyoming.
In Pacelle’s view, broad support for addressing animal cruelty helps explain why what could be considered strange congressional bedfellows have united to sponsor the Snowmobiles Aren’t Weapons Act.
“These are lawmakers who are keenly interested in animal welfare,” he said. “Ultimately, their decision to introduce the bill today is an affirmation of their view that cruelty to animals is wrong.”
The framework of the SAW Act is based on a single-sentence state statute from Minnesota that dates to 1986: “A person may not use a motor vehicle to intentionally drive, chase, run over, kill, or take a wild animal.”
The SAW Act, however, has more layers. It would impose a fine of up to $5,000 and up to one year imprisonment for intentionally using a motor vehicle to “run over, strike, or kill a wild animal on public lands.”
There are also exceptions. A snowmobiler or motor vehicle user would not be liable if they struck wildlife to “avoid injury or death to themselves or another person” or to “avoid the destruction of personal property.” Wildlife officials who run over animals “pursuant to a preexisting wildlife management plan” would also not be in violation.
As it’s written, the SAW Act defines public land as those managed by the U.S. Department of the Interior. That provision would exclude U.S. Forest Service managed property — which is under the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s purview. Federal land managers in Wyoming told the Jackson Hole News&Guide this spring they lack the jurisdictional authority to prohibit killing wildlife with snowmobiles. Absolute primacy over wildlife policy is debated, however, and there are federal laws that prohibit certain types of hunting, such as the Airborne Hunting Act.
The old time clean up your act adage, or somebody else will do it for you, and if you don’t like the outcome, you’ll only have yourself to blame.
Wyoming is not getting my tourist money. Ranchers get paid for animals lost to wolves. They are having the wild horses removed so they can Grazed their HMAs, killing this animal and that one just because. They are allowing game
migration paths to be mined and destroyed, the list goes on. I’m boycotting Wyoming on all my websites.
Seeing even the likes of the ever useless Matt Gaetz and Nancy Mace supporting this bill, while jimmy-eyed Sen. Lummis does not, is truly a pathetic sight. Running over animals on a snowmobile is not part of the “western way of life,” but what do you expect from someone with the vocabulary of a 5th grader.
There is NO excuse for harassment of ANY animal with motorized vehicles, and that includes TERRORIZING HORSES WITH HELICOPTERS!
The people of Wyoming that condone this barbaric behavior are sick and twisted. Cruelty and inhumane behavior should never be allowed. I come from a ranching family and understand the loyalty and responsibility that comes with owning livestock. If there is predation on livestock, there is the duty to protect your livestock. You are able to kill the offender in this instance. You are also compensated for the value of the animal. Wanton killing for “the pleasure of it or for sport”, is just beyond what is acceptable in a civilized society. We will be judged as a society by how we treat our animals. Evidenced by the global outrage at the actions of Cody Roberts in Daniel Wyoming when he mortality injured a young wolf and paraded the wolf around a bar making fun of it while the animal was dying and in horrific pain…it is plain that this type of behavior is unacceptable in civilized society. His sadistic behavior and that of other sadists who consider animal cruelty sport should never be allowed to happen especially on any Federal land.
Interesting that running over wolves and coyotes is ranchers’ best management tool. Sublette County has its unique predator control board and contracts with USDA Wildlife Services in the wolf predator zone; the state Dept of Ag ovsees animal damage management boards. Perhaps the county boards could be brought into the discussion to clarify how effective winter killing is or what their perspectives are on it as a tool?
The lawmakers signing on to this bill are not out to get ranchers. They are looking to support a bill that bolsters their own stock and makes them look better to their own electoral base. There is no language about entirely stopping the culling of wolves. Banning the use of snowmobiles to cull predators would be an easy layup with 95% of the state and 99% of the country. Wyoming could have handled this at the state level and chose not to because of the rancher lobby. Now it goes to the federal level and makes the entire state look bad.
There will never be laws to address stupid. I agree with Cynthia Lummis on this one.
I for one am glad that there is federal legislation proposed to stop the torture and purposeful killing of prey animals. Am I thrilled that it was southern state legislators who are introducing it? No. But nevertheless, I’m glad that someone is doing it. I can’t see any western legislators being the lead on these bills. So I say let’s move forward, get behind this, and see if we can get this deplorable practice stopped. At least on public lands. What happens on private ranches may be far less controllable.
Incredible! It takes Southern State maga to pass a national law protecting wildlife in Wyoming. Mace, Gaetz, etc. providing moral guidance to Wyoming…who knew?! Lummus is worthless, as usual.
I have read each of the comments on this story and not one supports the legality of running down animals with snowmobiles. This tells me explicitly that those who favor running animals down to cruelly kill them are ashamed to admit they are in favor of it. As they SHOULD be. This has nothing – zero- to do with real hunting.
It is disgusting and truly gives human beings the bad name they deserve. Torturing animals for fun should be held at the highest level, jail, fines, and taking their license away for at least a year.
How about letting the people of Wyoming vote on the issue. That way all will see if their representatives actually represent them.
Once again some ignore the fact that residents of Florida, Louisiana and North Carolina own the public land and water in Wyoming too.
This bill is for prohibiting running over wildlife with motorized vehicles on some classes of federal land. Note the “federal.” Wyoming doesn’t own this land any more than people from Florida, Louisana, and N. Carolina. Federal land is owned by all tax payers in the country.
So many excellent comments here.
My Question to WyoFile: has any other topic ever generated more responses, and especially one-sided responses?
“Our western way of life” hahaha, this politician inadvertently screams out that she is part of this sick problem.
Somehow Gaetz, an individual under investigation for paying minors for sex, has moral high ground over the WY lawmakers. If that is not insulting enough, Mace, one of the ficklest and attention starved of our National politicians, is backing up the sexual predator, and still they have the high moral ground here. The race to the bottom is over. WY has clearly won. Well done WY Fascism Caucus, you’ve peaked.
The people of WY, after publicly demonstrating they can’t ethically govern themselves, will now be bottle fed by the worst the Federal system has to offer.
When Gaetz and Mace are the grown-ups in the room, when the argument is that they don’t have “snow” which the obvious leap is to then condone the torture of animals, how do we scrape ourselves off the bottom of the heap? Can we go any lower? Yes, they can and they will. Can Wyoming at least try to find higher quality leadership?
Huh, maybe these legislators, stock grower reps and the game and fish members who are making up this heavily swayed and biased Task Farce can name this proposed new law “Cody’s Law” so the like of Cody Roberts can run over defenseless animals with not only full immunity, but the blessings of the State of Wyoming. Maybe Gov. Mark Gordon could award Cody Roberts a medal of heroism at the next Cheyenne Frontier Days. Heck, let’s make Cody Governor and maybe his Auntie at the bar could be the new Game and Fish director. As a Wyoming resident, all I can say that we sure put some self interest losers and poor representatives in charge around here. Disappointing
This is a terrible practice. This makes most people sick to their stomachs. Wy surely must be better than this practice. Animal cruelty is simply not acceptable. That the congress people that represent Wy seem to condone it is simply disgusting.
Well, Cindy Lummis really never said a bright thing in her entire time “representing” Wyoming.
It is my firm belief that there are only a handful of individuals who are dictating the approach to this most egregious behavior. I am a fourth-generation Wyomingite, and no-one in my extensive family thinks this behavior is in any way acceptable. I so wish that our representatives in Washington would actually support the views of the majority of their constituents. What kind of person actually enjoys this stuff? NOT your everyday Wyoming resident!!
I don’t understand how any part of running animals over with snowmobiles is right or humane. There is no circumstance that something that is cruel and barbaric is even considered acceptable. Please stop this practice. It is wrong.
Thank you to the law makers from other states that are taking a stand against this behavior. To the argument that they are from states other than WY, I say this. I don’t want my Federal taxes to go towards subsidized ranching or factory farming in any state. I thought we had a free market economy and business shouldn’t be artificially sustained if they are no longer viable.
The motorized torture of animals behavior is indicative of individuals with anti- social personality disorder which, if my research is correct has replaced psychopath and sociopath personality disorder categories. The point being is that this behavior will continue as folks affected by this generally consider themselves above the law and will do whatever they want protected and encouraged by others of like mind. Their behavior is not letting WY be WY. Rather, It’s not recognizing a very dangerous group of people that exist not only in that state but every where. We do need to start somewhere so ” Bravo” to the those people stepping up. I’d like to see the CO law makers come to the plate as well, not just for WY . Colorado is not above reproach by a long shot.
“Our western way of life” does not include running down predators or any other wildlife with snowmobiles. If Sen. Lummis objects to South Carolina Rep. Nancy Mace’s very reasonable bill to ban it, then she should develop her own, one that contains the same protections. If someone as radically right-wing as Florida’s Rep. Matt Gaetz can support a ban, surely any clear-thinking Wyoming senator could.
Some Wyoming hunters are Wyoming residents who think the expansive land areas and access to wild places gives them the right to violate norms usually attributed to the thinking reasoning brains of homo sapiens.
Protecting wild places and the animals that naturally reside in them is not an ethic uniformity shared.
Most ranchers, for example, with below market grazing leases on federal lands, consider the federal subsidy they receive, to maximize the opportunity to make their business profitable, as a right. Most only consider their stock “dollars on the hoof” and anything that reduces the number is worthy to be eliminated. Subsidies given to ranchers when stock is lost to predation levels the playing field.
However, protection of the investment has nothing to do with the use of a recreational vehicle as a killing machine.
Wolves and other preditors are survival smart and their role in the natural environment is useful in the natural balance. Wolves are among the smartest. But they don’t own guns, snowmobiles, barbwire, and lobbyists.
The ethics of predation is the issue.
When a so called human with an evolved brain reverts to neanderthal behavior and the state of WY sanctions that behavior then one has to ask some very serious questions.
The Sublette County Wyoming person who acted like a Neanderthal
torturing the animal by running it down with a snowmobile, then, showing the mortally injured animal off in a local bar exhibited aberrant behavior that even a preditory wolf pack wouldn’t sanction.
The federal legislation banning the use of snowmobiles to run down preditors is a good idea but it needs to be expanded to all federal lands not just BLM.
If the only way people can live in wild places is to kill those natural inhabitants, who predate them, then the system is out of whack and needs to be fixed.
Spot on
This barbaric, inhumane and unacceptable practice has no place in society. These perpetrators should be reigned in, fined and incarcerated for a very long time.
Some of you know this, many probably don’t: in Wyoming, the going rate to graze cattle on Federal lands is 4.5 cents PER DAY for a cow & calf pair. I took a recent drive through the Bighorn National Forest the other day and almost every creek bottom and riparian area was covered with cattle that were stomping down the banks, eating all of the vegetation and defecating in the streams. This was on YOUR public land and again, 4.5 cents PER DAY “rent” per cow & calf pair. On top of this, the highly subsidized….let’s not mince word here “welfare” Wyoming ranchers still want the privilege and sport of running down wildlife with snowmobiles. So, they want virtually free grazing and the privilege to run over coyotes, wolves, etc. with snowmobiles. Maybe it’s time that the American public takes back their public lands, enact strict regulations on taking what is classified as “predators” and kick those welfare bums off Federal property. Since I’m on a roll, the Wyoming Game & Fish dept needs to have a serious revamp and transition from pandering to the “rugged individualists yet constant handout for a Federal dime” livestock industry to actually serving the citizens of Wyoming. You know that when a Florida congress Rep Matt Gaetz has to get involved, things are pretty messed up here in Wyoming.
for comparison, the average private land grazing rate is around 65 cents a day for cow/calf pair
Look like Managna and his “don’t want no handouts” fauxboys only pay about 7% vs. the nationwide commercial private rate. I’m not sure why Wyofile and other publications keep showing his face but I can see why Managna always has that sheet eating grin. Without virtually free grazing rates, wouldn’t you? Hey Wyofile, do a story on this soooooper cheap grazing fee that the Wyoming stock growers so adore!
BLM will remove all of the horses but won’t touch the cattle lobbyists. The horses always lose
I grew up in Wyoming, and lived there nearly 20yrs, in Lander and Laramie — it was that window in a young man’s life where his values are formed (often for life) and I’m grateful for all of it. It will always be my home range. I am a staunch opponent of governmental regulation.
I’m 72 now, and spent 30yrs as a lawyer — nearly all as a prosecutor in disciplinary systems. All lawyers — all of us — including Ms. Lummis, Ms. Hageman and Mr. Barrasso — are familiar with the term “race to the bottom.” The jist of my earlier comment was: When this becomes recreation in Wyoming — and it will — it’s going to attract very unsavory people, and the next inevitable question is: What happens after that?
No animals, predator or not, should reap the cruelty from such snowmobiling incidents, period. The people that do this are sick, and even more so, doing it for fun, as a sport.
I was born and have lived my whole life in Wyoming and it’s news to me that cruelty to animals is a “way of life” in our state.
What do the(snowmobile) hunter’s do with the “wolf’s”body after killing them??,do they eat them?? Do they “stuff”them?? What a waste of a “beautiful”animal that doesn’t deserve to be tortured by “two-legged fools” that aren’t “skilled” as actual hunter’s are.
People who engage in this behavior and enjoy it, probably should have a mental health evaluation. I think it’s sickening and disgusting to run down any animal. Someone like this will even run down a domestic animal. If someone gets caught doing this, suspend their hunting license and fine them 10,000 dollars at least.
Ban them from operating a snowmobile or atv on federal land.
People will think of Wyoming as a state that allows the abuse and destruction of wildlife for sport for years to come. Something to be real proud of. Claiming that running over wildlife protects domestic stock is ridiculous. Saying that it fulfills someone’s sadistic urge is more truthful.
State-sponsored animal cruelty.
It boggles the mind.
Stating that the animal “must be killed quickly” didn’t do a damn thing for that poor wolf in Daniel, did it. That idiot tormented that animal for hours before he finally put a bullet to her.
The wolf-hating gangs out there post THE most horrendous, inhumane methods for killing wolves, and their excuses for their vicious brutality are as lame as they are.
I understand the necessity for lethal means of protecting livestock.
But I cannot fathom fostering the psychosis of employing the most cruelty in killing wolves and coyotes.
I have been haunted by this cowardly act of violence against our wildlife. Yes, our wildlife. Don’t advertise Wyoming with beautiful pictures of healthy. Wolves and their families. I will be after my congress representatives to see this abuse and cruelty for what it really is.
I will never be a visitor to Wyoming after the sick torture of that young wolf . Apparently the government needs a law out west to stop exhausted animals from being run down with a snowmobile then parading the critically wounded through town for hours while suffering internal wounds. Did you really think there is a defense of this? How barbaric.
It always amazes me that the people advocating to stop this behavior, are the same ones screaming to allow a fetus to be mutilated in the womb, or, born and allowed to die on a table.
Sorry, l cannot believe that this is a “sport” in Wyoming.
Surely the people that do this are really sick. I would be very afraid of them.
Murdering human babies is also a travesty. Again, people with a sick mentality.
And it amazes ME that always ALWAYS…..”pro life”people seem to hate all animal life and enjoy inflicting pain and observing suffering
I have ti respond AGAIN I can’t help myself.Why do these anti abortion people have to be here tormenting those of us who have an interest in animal welfare.It is a different subject!Why don’t they just keep on procreation and then deny social services to neglected children lije they always do!
Well said Ken ! I do agree this is not the wa to dispatch a predator , but i also think this should be the state legislators making laws to prohibit this. Next the federal government will be telling land owners what they can grow on their own land.
NO baby is “mutilated” or “born and allowed to die on a table.” It’s sickening to see people spread such flagrant lies while defending the cruelty of running down a wolf on a snowmobile.
While I personally could not run down animals, I think Wyoming is right in defending this practice. Keep Wyoming as Wyoming.
No no Chris, this is not normal behavior.
If the people in Wyoming consider torturing animals a “sport” then they are a sick bunch.
Similar to a kid shooting up a school. Sick!
Wyoming does not own Federal lands within its borders. If Wyoming wants to sanction running down animals with motor vehicles then we can do it for State and private lands.
Running over animals on a snowmobile is abhorrent and there is no defense of it. There is nothing “Wyoming” about it. It is a stain on the state that people will not so easily forget.
It’s about time that this bill has to be introduced by senators in another state. Wyoming is a third world state that condones torture to animals they consider as a predators. Not only wolves can be run down for sport but it includes domestic cats, coyotes, racoons and skunks. What kind of sick person does this for sport. Thank goodness other senators have stepped up to protect our animals on our public lands. So Wyoming has not realized that all Americans pay taxes to support public lands. It’s a shame the governor of Wyoming didn’t do the right thing after Roberts tortured this young wolf for hours. What a sick government in Wyoming.
A note to Senator Loomis. I was born in Wyoming and lived here most of my life and I can tell you that the cowardly, cowardly Act of running over wildlife with a snowmobile is not to be considered the Western way of life. It’s a cruel, cowardly, and immature activity that should be condemned by people who believe in the western way of life.
What has happened to the Human Race? Barbaric killing of animals for sport. I thought the coliseum days of horrific behavior of murdering humans and animals was a thing of the past.
This is a good bill! Why is it that a certain group of people get cheep thrills from being crule? I have lived in wyoming all my life. Avid hunter and fisherman. But i dont kill for the sake of killing. Only a warped demented person would do that or condone it!
Thank you. I would think that a hunter as you are does not condone killing for fun. Some have no guilt in killing for fun. Those people are the ones who give hunting a bad name.
Seems like a waste of time if the act will not apply to USFS land…..the majority of snowmobile areas in WY are on national forest, not too many places where the park service allows snowmobiling
I’m pleasantly surprised by this! It needs to pass and certainly seems like it will.
Yep, I predicted that the Feds would get involved. They’ve seen right through these phony “task farces” that Gov. Gordon has orchestrated that are heavily weighted towards the ranching industry. Also predictable, again on this article, head welfare getter Magnagna is quoted. The Gordon/Nesvik duo has been a disaster for the sportsmen and women of Wyoming and our own Wyoming Wildlife Federation has also pandered to the welfare stockgrowers. My next prediction is that the Wolf predator zone will be the next target of the Feds