Residents who enjoy snowmobiling over wildlife could see their wintertime recreational pursuit explicitly protected by law if a draft bill headed for a legislative committee advances unchanged.
Running over animals classified as predators with snowmobiles is already legal in Wyoming. That status came into question, however, after a Daniel man struck an adolescent wolf with a snowmobile, muzzled and collared it and paraded it through a Sublette County bar for hours.
The Legislature formed an ad hoc panel — the Treatment of Predators Working Group — to study changes in the law that could deter the behavior. The group met for the last time on Wednesday, and they walked away from the online meeting agreeing to draft bill language that makes it clear running over animals is OK, provided the creatures are dispatched swiftly after being struck.
“Any person who intentionally injures or disables a predatory animal … by use of an automotive vehicle, motor-propelled wheeled vehicle, or vehicle designed for travel over snow shall upon inflicting the injury or disability immediately use all reasonable efforts to kill the injured or disabled predatory animal,” the draft bill reads.
Failing to “immediately use all reasonable efforts to kill” a run-down animal would constitute animal cruelty, the legislation states.
Currently, there are carve-outs in the animal cruelty statutes for predatory animals, which include wolves in 85% of Wyoming and coyotes, red fox, stray cats, jackrabbits, porcupines, raccoons and striped skunks throughout the state.
The proposed statute change would live in the Wyoming Criminal Code. Another draft bill containing almost identical language, that would instead alter the laws governing the Wyoming Game and Fish Department, did not move forward from the panel.
Although there was public pressure on the working group to also draft a bill prohibiting running over wildlife with snowmobiles, the livestock industry opposed making any changes that it asserted would inhibit predator control.
“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,” Jim Magagna, executive vice president of the Wyoming Stock Growers Association told WyoFile in July.
Gov. Mark Gordon also encouraged members to have “narrow, focused conversations on wanton animal cruelty” — and to not interfere with predator control.
In addition to being used for livestock protection, running over coyotes, foxes and other species is a recreational activity that some participants see as another form of hunting.
The working group — a mix of lawmakers and non-elected government and private-sector officials — now passes the baton to the Legislature’s Travel, Recreation, Wildlife and Cultural Resources Committee. Members will meet at the end of the month, when they are scheduled to consider the recommended legislation at 1:30 p.m. Sept. 30 in Cheyenne.
There was talk of nixing language about snowmobiles and motorized vehicles and broadening the bill during the working group’s final meeting.
“I would love to move pulling that vehicle-specific stuff out, but I think I have some things that I have to work through,” said Jess Johnson, the Wyoming Wildlife Federation’s government affairs director.
Removing the vehicle language would require adding in some exemptions for trapping, she said. “Maybe that’s something I can bring in October,” Johnson said, “if we move this bill forward.”
Earlier, soon-retiring Wyoming Game and Fish Department Director Brian Nesvik posed an argument for leaving the motorized vehicle language in.
“If we remove this stuff related to vehicles, it would then include aircraft,” Nesvik said. “That’s my concern.”
Aerial gunning, especially of coyotes, is a routine component of predator control in Wyoming, and elsewhere in the American West. It’d be problematic, Nesvik said, to require aerial gunners to land if they know an animal has been wounded in order to make a “reasonable effort” to kill it.
“We don’t want to criminalize otherwise legal behavior,” he said.
About a half-hour of the working group’s meeting was devoted to hearing from the public. Roughly a dozen people spoke, mostly Wyoming residents. Every commenter except for one — Wyoming Farm Bureau Federation lobbyist Brett Moline — encouraged the lawmakers and non-elected members to take a step further and end Wyoming’s embrace of running over animals with snowmobiles.
“I sympathize with a rancher that’s defending livestock from predators, absolutely,” Jackson filmmaker Shane Moore told the working group. “But that’s a far different issue than allowing the public to joyride on snowmobiles and torture wildlife legally on public lands, which is precisely what’s happening.”
“It seems Wyoming will be allowing wildlife torture to continue with motorized killing if either of these provisions passes — as long as it’s not prolonged,” he added.
Pinedale resident Kelly Ravner also encouraged the lawmakers to take another step.
“The low-hanging fruit is that you could make ‘whacking’ — the torturing and killing of animals with motor vehicles — illegal,” Ravner said. “Whacking is not fair-chase. It is not hunting, and it has no place in actual wildlife management.”
Wyoming’s proposed new Cody’s Cool law makes us Idahoans across the border look like saints. What a bunch of slob hunters.
This is a good article but I think you should have included the names of the people in the legislature’s Working Group. I want to know who is involved in this, including the legislators, Wyoming officials and lobbyists who are trying to get this done. Citizens should know if their elected representatives are involved and be able to talk to them about it, especially with the election being held very soon.
Running over wildlife intentionally, is despicable and cruel. Doing it to kill a predator that has been predating on your stock is understandable. Doing it as a form of recreation is beastly. That is not a line that reasonable humans cross. That is sadistic. Children should not be taught this is acceptable. It devalues all life, and in the process, our own, in a frightening way. We share this planet with all creatures, all peoples, especially those indigenous to Wyoming.
I am sitting here wondering how many of the “working group” (lawmakers and representatives of the livestock industry), are Christians? Most if not all of them. So how do they rationalize the cruel and inhumane treatment and sadistic behavior toward wildlife? What do they believe that their religion tells them about their relationship with the wolves? Somewhere they are getting the belief that animal cruelty and torture is more than ok. It’s necessary.
I support hunting and have mixed thoughts on predator control. However, the fact they bring up that people run over animals for recreation (not just predator control) is horrendous! Do better Wyoming!
My first reaction is: unbelieveable! But, when you look at the make up of the working group it was a predictable outcome. I’m tired of the pandering that Wyoming Government does for Ranchers. I’m tired of the single minded low lifes that think running a critter down is “sport”. I am disgusted that we have people in this state that not only will turn a blind eye to this despicable behavior, but do everything they can to insure that it can continue as a legal practice. Wake up, this is not the Wild West any longer.
This is horrendous animal abuse and must end ASAP!!!!
It should not be difficult to outlaw running animals down with motorized vehicles. The fact that we can’t accomplish this in Wyoming means we need people in our legislature with the courage to make the change needed. The treatment of Predators Working Group appears to be somewhat stacked as we once again bow to Wyoming Stockgrowers and fail to include those who would advocate for wildlife. Predator control does not have to be this cruel. The fact that “coyote whacking” is seen as a “recreational activity in Wyoming” and was described as “merely fun-time family recreation” is immoral. Our Wyoming culture needs to be better than this, and we need people on that committee and in our government with the courage to say “absolutely not in Wyoming” to this cruel practice.
There has to be more humane ways for ranchers to protect stock, than running predators down with motorized vehicles. No living creature deserves this kind of treatment. It is inhumane. This committee has more work to do.
legislators enacting a “right” to run over animals with snowmobiles? Now, that’s some strange s>>t right there. Have we become this barbaric? Do those supposed “rugged individualist” ranchers aka public land welfare recipatents always cower and hide under the skirts of our elected “leadership” ? Pure garbage
I initially thought the photo included with this article was photo shopped. Sadly, it’s not. Those eyes will forever haunt me. So, my friends, what can we do physically to stop this “Carve Out for Cruelty”? Signing petitions and writing letters only go so far and will have no impact on the individuals behaving this way. Does anyone have any realistic actionable ideas beyond written platforms? This sadistic “Glee” inducing behavior towards animals is not confined to WY. It is everywhere. We can start here and join forces with organizations that do have mass visibility, political and economic clout. Lady Free Thinker exposed this shortly after the photo was posted. And to that WWF, by not saying “NO” to cruelty, you are saying yes!
There are horrid people everywhere, but the difference in Wyoming is that we make excuses for them. This incident reminds me of Matthew Shepard. Barbarians live among us.
I think at this point Wyoming people need to organize and replace these elected officials who support this cruel and embarrassing barbaric behavior. There are good people ( just look at the very insightful comments below) who have the right stuff to implement laws that KEEP Wyoming a beautiful place for people and wildlife.
As a graduate of the University of Wyoming with a degree in Recreation and Park Administration this really is disturbing. This is not a recreational activity except maybe for psychopaths and the government officials that agree with it. Vote ‘em out and put up a stink.
Wyoming Wildlife Management. The mind addling process that continues to stumble along, trip over a possible ethical decision, dust itself off, and continue to stumble along.
I grew up in Wyoming, and I will always be grateful for the way I was treated there. I’m 72 now and make my living as a horse trainer using patient, old-time methods described by Bill Dorrance and Buck Brannaman. That frames my perspective. There are brutal methods used by people who call themselves trainers — I don’t even talk to such people. I still hunt, and the principle of fair chase guides that.
But the idea of recreational thugs running down animals to torture them and amuse themselves is repulsive — it is Third World barbarism of the kind shown by Hamas. I don’t think we should encourage or tolerate it, because of the kind of people it attracts. It is the opposite of showing respect for the Natural World. If Wyoming supports this as recreation, what comes after that?
I can just imagine ads in Hunting Magazine:
“Wyoming Snowmobile and Wolf Hunting Tour” No guns or license required!!!!
I couldn’t even read this article because I knew how I would feel about it for hours. I do not need my day absorbed with such absurdity.
I am embarrassed for Wyoming in this crazy decision.
I think the whole thing is SICK!!!! That the idea that it is okay makes me embarrassed to say I live in Wyoming. We are better than this!
Although I’m not surprised, I keep hoping that my home State will do the right thing. It’s doubled down on the horrific Cody Roberts’ torture killing of wildlife with his snowmachine. Crazy, cruel conclusion. Are Wyoming’s politicians and much of it’s electorate suffering from psychogenic hysteria?
When people are cruel to animals, it’s a sign of mental problems. Now with the right to be cruel will be codified in law, it makes me question the leadership of Wyoming even more.
Thank you. Totally agree.
Wyoming has seen the last of my vacation money, and on fly fishing trips that runs between $1000 and $2000 per day. I am sorry to see the lack of participation by fishing stores, guides and other purveyors of recreational services. It’s their bottom line that will be affected.
There seems to be some irony in being concerned about killing injured animals quickly so as not to be cruel while you are chasing them down and running them over with a snow mobile, as that isn’t cruel? I enjoy watching and photography of these wild creatures, where are my rights to enjoy them. Also, if you are going to allow this barbarity shouldn’t you at least have to buy a license like the Hunters that kill them with guns more humanely? As much as I love the wild country of WY it never fails to disappoint.
As a Wyomingite, this bill is shameful, embarrassing, inhumane and an absolute violation of one of the Cowboy Code of Conduct values: Be an excellent steward of the land and its animals.
This is just sick animal torture and abuse partially disguised as predator control. There are non-lethal ways to keep predators from your livestock.
Where is the Humane Society of the US (besides utterly silent) on this issue? I can’t believe that the majority of residents would support this.
I can guarantee that we will not spend any further tourist dollars in Wyoming if this policy is passed into law. What a sick group of individuals these people must be. We are all God’s creatures, why don’t you start acting like it?
What a miserable state is Wyoming. I regret my one and only visit. Never again. What kind of people think this is ok?
We need to get rid of aerial gunning as well and stop those stupid so called calling contests too. Make the sheep herders learn proper management skills.
I don’t think that it is fair to the animals. It definitely makes me sick to my stomach. Knowing that you could allow people to do that to any wild animals. They have just as much reason to live as we do. They were here long before we came here
I feel like you do. How immoral does something have to be for it to make us sick to our stomachs?
Killing wildlife on recreational vehicles is absolutely uncivilized. This is ridiculous and should be stopped
Let’s name it “”Cody’s Law” since the law sanitizes Mr. Robert’s heinous act. That’s the Wyoming Way!
Wyoming – The Snowmobile State
A beautiful place where cruelty can flourish.
This is animal abuse, and to understand that Wyoming allows this to happen makes me sick. I am amazed that this act of violence will be upheld by the law!
Running over a animal with a snowmobile is not hunting, it is abuse. There is a difference.
I live in an adjoining state in the wilds of rural Utah. I read the WyoFile to keep track of things going on in the neighborhood because Utah is really not much different. I am old enough to remember when the word conservative was tied closely to conservation and those of us living in the west respected the hard working men and women who were proud of being stewards of the environment. Unfortunately, I see no respect for anything embedded in this kind of legislation. The Wyoming law makers should be ashamed of themselves.
Jessi Johnson of the WWF needs to hang it up. When you go into a situation (such as this wolf run-over-w/snowmobile) and off the git-go surrender to the likes of the Wyoming welfare Stockgrowers Assoc, well, then you shouldn’t even be there. Chalk up one more member (me) that will not renew with the WWF
This isn’t hunting. It’s legalized animal cruelty and torture.
Animals.
Go ahead, Wyo legislature, once again do something stupid. The Fed’s will make the next move by outlawing this barbaric practice on public lands and I’ll bet the Fed’s will also take a hard re-look at this wolf predator zone nonsense. Meanwhile, the Welfare stock growers are grinning ear to ear with the bonus of nearly free public land grazing in their pocket.
The Feds are, unfortunately, extremely deferential to the states. It would be utterly surprising if Deb Haaland or Martha Williams lifted a little finger in response to this abuse.
This is very wrong!! People are idiots!!
My husband is a hunter and this is not hunting. This is cruelty, plain and simple. Call it what it is and the fact that there are people who think this is ok and should be legal are absolutely sick. Would you do this to a child? Would you think it was OK to watch another do this to a child? Animals have as much of a right to be on this earth as we do and we do NOT have the right to decide what has the right to be here. I get rancher’s frustration with predators, but the animals are just doing what they do. They don’t know that cattle are “off limits”. I have family and friends in Wyoming and I guarantee they would not be behind this. People who think this is fun and entertaining should be checked out as serial killers and psychopaths. You would have to have no conscience, no empathy, and no compassion. You people disgust me.
I say Boycott Wyoming! These sadistic human beings who do this should be rundown on a snowmobile themselves. This is not management of wildlife at all. I won’t be spending a dime in Yellowstone or the Tetons either after reading about this. It’s a shame that Wyoming such a beautiful state is run by such idiots!
Super disappointing news. I’m heartened by the comments, keep them coming! Thank you Wyo-File for keeping us informed.
As an avid snowmobiler and hunter I think this is the stupidest way to take out predators. Bad enough we have to fight both fronts with the anti hunter/environmental movement let alone draw even more unwanted attention. Common you so called outdoors people…get a clue.
Yeah, yeah we know Mr. Magagna, poisoning, snaring, trapping denning, aerial gunning, thermal imaging, night vision and calling with recordings of injured animals just isn’t enough. Pursuit to exhaustion with a vehicle and torture must be retained at all cost.
I learned in college that satire can be a cutlass or a rapier. Usually, I prefer the rapier: poking holes in bad-deas with dry-wit and sardonic-humor. But the ridiculousness of this bill, and the fact that the public is totally against it, but the legislature doesn’t care, calls for me to employ the cutlass. Please, nobody believe that I believe any of what follows.
The Treatment of Predators Working Group showed great courage in putting the protection of sheep above the will of the citizenry. They just didn’t go far enough. First, why limit this to just state-land and private-property? It makes no sense to allow predators to kill livestock on state-land and private-property, and then retreat to the safety of a national-forest park or national-forest. It’s the same wisdom that guided President Nixon to bomb the Viet Cong where they were hiding-out in Laos and Cambodia. But this is small potatoes compared to the amount of tourism and revenue that could come to Wyoming if we fully embraced this new winter-sport.
Most people cannot learn to ski, let alone afford it. There is no reason for so many others to be denied the chance to enjoy Wyoming’s winter- wilderness wonderfulness. Snowmobiles are inexpensive to rent, easy to operate, and can take tourists deep into untracked wilderness. Not only that, but think of the technological-revolution in snowmobile-design that full-fledged embrace of Predator-Control Sledding could spur, and these new machines could be build right here in Wyoming. I’m dreaming about mounting a chain-saw on the front-end of a snowmobile that looks like a Harley.
Who actually thinks running down an animal with a machine and killing it is a “another form of hunting”??? That’s just plain stupid and mean thinking by seriously sick individuals. Stand up, Wyoming!!!!
Wow! Wyoming legislature and Governor still living in the 19th Century! Manifest Destiny! Let’s make the environment safe for Cattle and trophy hunters. It’s okay to wipe out wildlife. No sense in trying to live with wolves and coyotes. It requires too much thinking and sensitivity. It’s just easier to shoot or run over an animal and be braindead about it.
This is criminal. Taken life in such a fowl way is against God’s rule and should be in mans. We are to take care of not torturing. If we need to we should do so in the most kind way we can. This is so bad for humanity it will be a true call to what we now call human kind.
I will never visit the god forsaken state of Wyoming. Wyoming is a disgrace to the United States and humanity as a whole. The people who engage in this practice for fun are, objectively, unethical and cruel, and I’m embarrassed to be unfortunate enough to count them among my countrymen. Boycott Wyoming.
Perverse and ignorant humans. It’s hard to believe that they are among us and the law could possibly allow such perversion.
Unbelievable allowing snowmobile to harass any wild animal in the winter hardest time of year for their survival
We can not allow our laws to promote and protect the perverse and ignorant among us to openly and freely commit acts of evil. As a citizen of the great country we are, we must rise to virtues of goodness and honorable integrity, it is our duty to stop perversion when it shows up as it has here.
I don’t understand how anyone could be so cruel to another living being. If anyone feels it is necessary to eliminate a predatory animal then it should be done quickly and with compassion. There is absolutely no reason for the cruelty described in this article.
As a biologist, hunter, and hailing from a ranching family, the management practices allowed in Wyoming make me sick. This is not taking on the mantle of a steward of the land, nor do I know of any hunter worth their salt that would be satisfied leaving a wounded animal to suffer instead of quickly and humanely dispatching. There are more effective ways to manage predators, not the least of which are LGD. These currently legal acts are unabashed depravity. If we want to live in rural areas anywhere, but especially in states like Wyoming, Montana, Alaska, etc, we have to accept that we share these wild areas with the rich array of predators and prey that make these lands part of the last best places. The idea that wildlife management is better handled by man than mother nature is the most misguided and scientifically unsupported lie ever peddled for personal gains.
Well stated.
Thank you for this comment.
Your last sentence says it all……unsupported lies for personal gain. Great comment. Thank you
Agree 100%, and said perfectly. This psychopathic perverted mindset wont stop with wildlife, no differentiation. A person that has this kind of mind will move onto humans. The working group are a disgrace. The only people that are in support of this, are the ranchers that graze their cattle on public land. The world is watching Wyoming, you are condoning the actions of Cody Roberts, and all the people who think this is a weekend sport. They are teaching their children that it’s OK to be cruel to animals, once you flip the switch in that human brain, there’s no going back. Chasing down a poor defenseless animal with a snowmobile? Really?
Just goes to show you that Wyoming is filled with morons. This is so stupid to allow people to run down animals for fun. It’s sure not hunting.
This is completely insane! I was so heartbroken by this incident that my family and I traveled 1800 miles to speak to the legislature in April along with many other concerned citizens. At the time the support for making whacking a crime was overwhelming. I believed this tragedy would be an opportunity for real change. Apparently I was naive and didn’t realize that Wyoming is run by a group of greedy, lazy sadists. Since it looks like it won’t be illegal, there are a few members of the working group that I would gladly run over with a snowmobile given the opportunity. Such a shame this beautiful state is full of barbaric people. We will not be spending a dime in the state of Wyoming in the future. I pray for all the innocent wild creatures that live in a state that celebrates cruelty to animals. #BOYCOTT WYOMING
Boycotted : I will not spend a penny on anything from your disgusting state and I incourage others to do the same. Screw Wyoming.
Same: Boycott Wyoming.
The legislature simply does not have the moral, ethical, or political courage to do the right thing. Unfortunately, this is Wyoming, so I expect nothing less than state sanctioned barbarism. Recently, I was sitting near a group of men complaining that people think Wyoming folks are nothing but a bunch of backwards hicks. Well, if the shoe fits…
I am shocked by these barbarians! Kind of makes me feel like running them over a time or two to see how they like it. It’s so sad that there are such deplorable people in the world.
Yep, cowboy wannabes. Not anything close to what I consider real men. Real men are stewards of the land, and have compassion for animals.
I am disheartened and frankly in shock to read this. It fills me with despair to think that some human beings find it not only acceptable but actually a good thing to enshrine torture of wildlife in law. I say hell no to any law that says go ahead and wound/maim a wild animal with your motorized vehicle and that it’s legal as long as you make some effort to end his/her suffering. That’s way too low a bar. If Wyoming policymakers can’t or won’t do it, then those who manage our federal lands on behalf of all of us need to step up and create and enforce regulations that reflect the greater good and the majority public view. I am in disbelief at the grave Wyoming is digging for itself.
I am a hunter in Idaho and have no issue with fair chase hunting seasons using lethal methods to take game. However, I find anyone who finds running over any animal with a vehicle or snowmachine fun or even acceptable to be a Neanderthal. That is beyond cruel and you must be a sadistic sicko to find entertainment in it. People suck.
The most dangerous predators in Wyoming are humans. You kill for “fun” like some humans do to other humans in the South.
I understand sheep and cattle ranchers’ concerns. Here’s a suggestion: raise bison instead. It’s their territory. I prefer bison steak to cow. Leaner and healthier. If not, take yourself, cattle and sheep back to Europe. And yes, my ancestry is European.
I concur
I am so very disappointed in the law and I and many individuals had hoped it would change the sport in Wyoming to not allowing the running down predators for fun. I realize Wyoming and the people who run the government are a sad excuse for their positions. I now realized why all the phone calls to the governor went unreturned. I didn’t realize that we have a third world country in the United States. This result makes me sick
I am just stunned, mortified.
Literally as a 4th generation Wyomingite who has a great love for the state, our wildlife and once upon a time the residents. No longer. Between the ridiculous 2nd amendment overkill, the disrespect and desire to remove women’s rights, the zealots banning books, idiots trying to define what a woman is, and now the belief that torture is predator control and anyone can claim that is their motive. What the hell is wrong with all of you? None of this is representative of the native Wyoming people I have known in my lifetime. I recognize now these actions include native Wyomingites, not just Interlopers. This absolutely must be corrected. No animal cruelty whether it be pets, livestock, or wild life, including predators, should be treated acceptable. It should be punishable with prison time, not some mediocre fine. Those that do these types of harmful, hateful, and psychotic things are capable of harming humans too. A lack of respect for someone alive and breathing is abuse and should carry significant penalties. Same goes for all living creatures.
Sheryl, that is a superb post, thank you for sharing. All the posts show a unity of wise perspective. I wonder if WyoFile has ever had such a unanimous consensus on an issue. As many have pointed out, the politicians are ignoring the will of people.
Completely agree with you and yes, most serial killers start out practicing on animals and kids. If you’re not kind to animals, I can’t trust you.
The Working Group has a mandate to protect whacking while pretending they want public comment. Public comment however overwhelmingly demands that whacking be outlawed altogether. A fraud had been perpetrated on Wyoming Citizens. Their voices are not heard. The powerful ranching, trapping and livestock lobby has the legislators on the working group cowed, rendering them ineffectual.
That’s a pathetic decision. Even predators deserve a respectful death. The people that purposely run over animals for fun have very questionable characters!
Wyoming shame on you and the barbaric individuals allowing such a cruel act against living beings. If wolves coyotes feral cats etc are a threat to wild life their are alternatives ie; ranch dogs would help, in Europe most ranchers use certain breeds for that purpose also sterilization of certain wildlife I knew a groups of veterinary doctors who volunteered in Canada using tranquilizer darts to perform neutering on bears and coyotes. After reading article I would never visit Wyoming and will share on social media despicable and 😔
Wyoming used to be known for the brutal killing of Matthew Shepard. Now its legislature is underscoring that image with legal protection for slaying animals in the most inhumane of ways. Clearly Cody Roberts was NOT an isolated incident, but instead a cultural icon.
WY is the most regressive, “anti science” state and legislature in the country.
Wyoming has two votes in the US Senate, the same as California, despite having less than 600,000 residents compared to California’s 39 million. How’s that for “democracy”?
What’s happened to Wyoming? Right to snowmobile over wildlife? During recent trips back to WY where I used to live, I’ve noticed a lot less wildlife. Towns like Laramie that were great places are now mostly closed up except for the university. Hope this is short term but it doesn’t seem like it.
I’m pulling for the wolves, always.
Me too👍
Another state I will never visit or spend my money in
I am a hunter. This is is just sick. Gives me chills to think of the mindset to torture like this.
Wyoming: where the stupid reign over the dumb…
Harvey, there is nothing humorous about the working committee’s decision, but somehow your comment managed to bring some levity to it. Thank You
I believe in hurting if it done for food. To kill just to kill an animal is wrong. To torture any living thing is wrong. To have so little respect for life is wrong. We’re supposed to be the caretakers . Not the killer of God creatures.
” The greatness of a nation and its moral progress can be judged by the way its animals are treated.”
Mahatma Gandhi
Sick bastards. Just shoot the animal and kill it outright.
People across the country are rightly protesting “animal cruelty” in this case and excoriating Wyoming for upholding it, and vowing not to visit the state. I get it. But wouldn’t it be more effective to stop eating meat and convince others not to either? Most animal farming is laced with cruelty. Call for that and you’ll really piss off the ranchers.
Rabbits?
How are Rabbits considered predators?
Is Wyoming’s legislative process some gigantic Monty Python skit or what?
Porcupines and skunks will eat insects and rodents, so technically they are predators, but I had no idea that insects and rodents were so vulnerable in Wyoming
Thank you for keeping us posted on WY barbarism. I am planning a winter vacation to the state to run over animals because I can’t find any other place to do it legally and I don’t like jail.
Wow! I have never seen so many responses to a WyoFile article. I am filled with hope for Wyoming. Maybe thinking about this plight of wild animals will help us consider other issues and their effect on our state. Hopefully, we will open our hearts to the needs of the people of Wyoming.
Get involved! Democracy is not a spectator sport. Vote, please.
problem is many of these responses sound like they are from people out of the state of wyoming. many of wyoming’s residents feel the same as our inhumane legislators.
Controlling predation of livestock is understandable but making it legal to kill wolves, coyotes, foxes etc as (supposed hunting) is cruel, inhumane and definitely not hunting. Take that position out of the proposed legislation. This is a black eye on the state of Wyoming.
As I’ve written more than once, if a predator comes onto private property to hunt a herd or flock, I have no problem shooting to kill. Killing predators on public lands is very different. You may not like it, but we have “allowed” this land to be set aside for all the creatures and plants which live, maybe even thrive, there. I understand weed control, so perhaps others see prey animals as exotic weeds. I won’t go into that. Lease payments for grazing government lands are miniscule. Not what private land owners would charge. Yet so many folks who lease public lands seem to feel it is their own private land, not federal or state land, where others have no rights.
Valid point Sarah. Our state seems to consider our public lands that are leased or permitted to the private stock growers as their management domain; much like their own. I respect a landowners right to control predators on their own land, but not on ours. Why can’t the committee reviewing this consider restricting these control measures to private lands and provide a live and let live policy on our lands. Wyoming is often considered as one of the best bastions of wild lands and wildlife left in the US. Maintaining that status on our public lands, at the very least, should be high on the list of management options.
I cannot understand the mentality of the residents of Wyoming who do not see the cruelty involved here. The chased animal has no chance of escape. This practice is inherently cruel. Life is as dear to a mute creature as it is to man/woman. This cruel practice has got to stop. Sadly this proposed law is weak and will still allow the chasing and cruelty to wildlife we have seen so far.
I cannot believe that such cruelty to animals is acceptable by people in this day and age. The culling of predators in a humane way is acceptable only when necessary to protect livestock. I’ve lived in the countryside all my life and I’m a permitted gun owner but I abhor animal cruelty. Let’s put a stop to it.
This is just barbaric!! There are better and more humane ways to control predatory animals🤬🤬🤬🤬
I have a hard time understanding why humans consider wolves and coyotes to be predators. In the animal world there is no right or wrong, as they are simply running on a programmed genetic code to hunt and provide for their families and packs. The right or wrong label is placed on animals based on human values. When an animal does something that humans consider to be wrong, we call them predators and sentence them to death. Humans on the other hand know what is right and wrong. Humans are apex predators and will kill simply for the pure thrill of killing and drawing blood even though in our society this is considered to be wrong and illegal. I believe most people would agree, that those of who partake and support the thrill of a kill by running down animals are psychopaths. I have to question why we allow animals who are innocent and operating by genetic code to be slaughtered while we allow human psychopaths to roam free and legislate.
Thank you for calling out the Anti social mental illness portion of this practice. These people present a danger to humans as well. Mathew Shepard is a stellar example of this. That this practice is condoned and protected by lawmakers is appalling. I will not spend one penny in WY and I don’t use animal products ( since the age of 12) so I’m not supporting ranchers either.
Wyoming is run by a bunch of neaderthals
I’m a 4th generation wyoming resident. Your statement is an insult to Neanderthals. We’ve got some serious clowns in charge around here.
Hard to inject humor into such an utterly cruel topic but you did it, Chuck! Well said.
It doesn’t look like things in Wyoming have changed much since 50 plus years ago when a prominent Wyoming sheep rancher hired people to shoot eagles from the air They killed hundreds. He ended up getting fined $500. In Wyoming…if its not a sheep…eliminate it.
I am appalled that such a “law” even exists. I am just as appalled by the “animals” that chase down the wild life just for the sport of it, torture them, parade them around public places and then leave them for dead. It is my opinion the “animals” who would do that to wolves (or any wildlife) is practicing cowardice, not hunting or predator control. A humane being would not even consider such a practice. Shame on Wyoming legislators for even having such a practice “legal”. Loss of livestock is part of the ranching business. Predator control should be done the “old fashioned” way. Hunt, trap/dispatch when neccessary, not for sport with any motorized vehicle.
Running down an animal in a snowmobile is a “sport”? If so then why not make it an event in the next winter Olympics? Gold medal goes to the sadist that can run over and kill the most wolves in an hour.
Wyoming, has a very tough decision to make regarding this practice. I may be mistaken about a partnership between the Stockmen and hunting community but they would usually look at this regulation from different standpoints. Interesting that Stockmen want to fence out wild game for their own benefit where the hunters would want that same game to run free. I am an ethical hunter from a different state that could never engage in predator chasing via, motorized equipment. I strongly believe in predator control, but with a gun or bow, not a snowmobile. Wyoming biologists and the state citizens should be the one’s that tackle this question.
Wyoming just can’t seem to find a way to end this heinous practice. Really stuck in the past but that’s the cowboy way. Definitely won’t be contributing to the economy of the knuckle dragging caveman state. Beautiful place but too many awful idiots to ever visit. 10 thumbs down. Yuck.
A murderous and inhumane practice. While I certainly did not vote for ANY of them. our current-majority legislators make me ashamed to be associated with such a barbarous state. Perhaps we should expand this heinous practice to include it as an approved execution method for convicted felons in the state. Let’s see how much you human supremacists enjoy being intentionally run down by some berserker on a destructive, polluting snow machine.
Wyoming may hold harmless the people who torture living beings by law. These methods are not just cruel and explicitly vile, they are indefensible as a method of hunting or wildlife management.
In states like Wyoming and Colorado ranchers hold political sway if politicians with money to reward the overtaking of public lands and the cruel destruction of anything that threatens their cattle or sheep. These ranchers grow animals for profit that are to be consumed. When an animal is killed by a predator they are paid outright fr the loss of the animal they were going to sell for slaughter regardless.
These people are not protecting the lands their domestic animals consume out from under moose, elk, bear, coyote, wolves, foxes or big horn sheep. They want the cheap use of it and their profit protected.
It beyond consciousness to allow this, nevertheless have Wyoming become a state haven for sociopaths who enjoy torturing animals by law while continuing to ensure ranchers hold sway over actual land management and actual hunting practices grounded in ethics.
If this passes the states name will be just that “ Wyoming the place where cruelty, torture and slaughter thrives, by law”
I understand the need to protect livestock, I really do. But is the Wyoming legislature really going to codify animal cruelty? The inmates are truly running the asylum.
This is insane and below human behavior. Where is this culture headed?? We must protect our Wildlife. They have the right to live also
Perhaps one way to put everyone in the same boat would be for those who insist on having wolves have to sign up for their opinion to count. That list of wolf supporters could then be responsible for repaying ranchers whose live stock is killed by the wolves. The present situation is all pleasure and no down side for prowolfers and all downside and lost income for those paying the cost of the state raising wolves.
Marion, Your opinions, to my thinking, are always somewhat misguided. First, we already pay livestock growers for depredation, it’s called tax dollars, hunting license fees, property taxes, low federal and state grazing leases, etc….
and, as I’ve stated more than once to you……I know of no rancher that has ever gone under from livestock depredation. Agriculture is one of the most heavily subsidized industries in the United States. Your one sided argument and blindness to reality are truly typical of the mentality that cripples this state.
The ability to kill an animal takes a different kind of mind. I understand hunting for food, but trophy hunting is about an ego out of control and cruelty against animals is right there with psychopathy that should be removed from the population.
thank you. you put my view into words.
The working group has two goals: keeping ‘yote whacking legal; b) making a symbolic gesture to the public in the form of a legislative tweak.
Hence the composition of the group and the exclusion of an independent wildlife biologist with experience in native carnivores.
At least one member, Rep. Newsome, now tires of hearing from the unwashed. Almost immediately after the meeting began, she proposed the group limit all public comment to the substance of the two draft bills. Happily, she was overruled.
The group proceeded to tie itself in knots. It yanked the word “humane”, on the pretext it is hard to define. At a previous meeting, there was ponderous discussion about the word “ethical.” Two problematic words, it appears, should not sit alongside the legal abuse of wildlife.
One useful aspect of the meeting was a rebuttal of Mark Gordon’s assertion to the committee in June. He stated that ‘yote whacking was neither wildlife management nor predator control. Mr. Magagna, for the stockgrowers, made it clear that this activity is one of their most effective tools.
As an aside, due to oversight or incompetence, ten members of the public who took the time to attend yesterday’s meeting in person in room PRM1 at the capital were ignored. They had no opportunity to comment on the bills or on the wider issue of excluding listed predators from protections in our animal cruelty statutes.
All in all, not a great reflection on our legislature.
I can’t imagine it making it through as a bill and then not getting vetoed particularly given Gordon’s response above.
Running over criminals would be more useful.
This is animal cruelty plain and simple. There are more effective and non cruel ways to address protecting livestock, which doesn’t even seem to be the case here, just being used as the excuse. If this bill passes, then they are making animal cruelty a sport which should not be happening. It sickens me that this could even be a thing. We are also in their territory and people should remember that and not think it’s all about humans.
Why is it that some humans or i should say cretins get a cheap thrill from being cruel. I have living in wyoming all my life. And i have never seen my fellow wyoming citizens as beeing cruel. But i guess i am nieve. Or i was just raised to repect the wildlife that wyoming has to offer. It is sickening to think how meny people there ate with suck disregard for wildlife.
As painful as it was to read about such barbaric behavior I thank the author of the article for bringing this topic to light…
Absolutely appalling. I nor my extended family agree to never enter your borders again nor do business with Wyoming.
This is so wrong and cruel. I get protecting livestock but handle it correctly and without cruelty. If this bill passes, it will be another reason for me to unfortunately leave this beautiful state, but I can not support the people in charge. These are the actions of horrible humans and if this is legal then I have zero hope for the direction the new leaders and residents who support this. This is animal cruelty plan and simple and I will not live in a place that has no class and supports animal cruelty!
I’m in Houston Texas..after reading the article regarding the ability of allegedly civilized citizens to torture predators I’ve come to the conclusion that those Wyomians are not worth the blessings of having beautiful animals in their state..Shame Shame Shame!!! ,barbaric behavior..I will Never. Return to that state..makes me Sick!!
what if the Shoe was on the others foot? and the animals were on the snowmobile? huh
how incredibly sad the majestic beauty of Wyoming is embraced with deliberate vicious acts of torture to wildlife who have been a natural part of the landscape for generations. an infectious disease of cruelty has surpassed the splendor of your state…it starts with animals and slowly crosses over to humans.
Is this perhaps another case of legislators not looking at the big picture impacts of their proposed legislation (a fairly common failing these days). “Any person who intentionally injures or disables a predatory animal … by use of an automotive vehicle, ……shall upon inflicting the injury or disability immediately use all reasonable efforts to kill the injured or disabled predatory animal,”. A game warden sees John Doe swerve to avoid running over a skunk on the highway, but John actually runs it over but doesn’t stop to kill the injured animal. Can John be cited under this proposed new law and be forced to go to court to argue his intent?
I recall the horrible events surrounding the cruelty to the wolf. My blood was boiling and is now. People have no right to place Roman’s in the Collusieum with wild animals, or stray domestics. This is animal cruelty and barbaric. I addressed the wolf case with WY’s Governor and signed every petition on the internet. Humans that intentionally are cruel, nasty and stoic to animals need a good slap in the face and a reconditioning of Right vs.Wrong. This behavior is not assisting any farmer with predator control. This is evil-minded, cruelty and should be a prosecuting offense and jail time with court ordered community service with an Animal/Wildlife Rehabilitation Program.
I am appalled and sickened. I will boycott anything to do with Wyoming but doubt any of the perpetrators of cruelty will care.
More and more, Jessi Johnson and the WWF slip away from what their mission was and don’t think for a moment that the resident outdoors people haven’t taken notice. Guess you can chalk another one up to the Stock growers with their almost free public grazing, woolie sheep in places that native bighorns should be and their own set of little laws that should be died away in the 1880’s. No wonder Managna always has a —-eating grin on these WyoFile story photos
Tie the bill to a ban on farm and ranch subsidies, and minimum $1000 per head for grazing on public lands. Fewer welfare ranchers, and more predators would make WY a better place, while alleviating a heavy burden on the US taxpayer. No reason we should pay the bill for them to cruise around on their Obama snowmobiles and take pictures of it with their Biden phones. No rules on fair chase? No government checks for the parasites.
Obama snowmobiles? Biden phones? Huh?
In other word’s abundent food supplies for humans should be done away with? The wolf food needs to be of first concer>>>
I am not opposed to “fair chase” hunting or the need for predator control when livestock is repeatedly killed by a predator that habitually chooses livestock for dinner. However, to allow “recreational” running down of any animal for fun is abhorrent. It is pure torture. There are other methods of predator control and even methods of non-lethal predator control that have been proven to be effective. It is especially disturbing that such practices are allowed on public lands – property supported by everyone’s taxes. Public opinion should be considered when determining policy governing public lands. I may not live in WY, but I have owned property there in the past and regularly spend vacation time and my hard-earned money there – since such policies as this are allowed to continue, I sadly will be rethinking my choices.
Sad ,barbaric means,there are more humane ways of control, I’m a hunter I find this absolutely undesirable
Chase an animal till it’s worn out then kill it ,mtn.lions,wolves,fox,rabbits ,it doesn’t matter firearms,dogs and working ranchers know this is not humane they also know how to kill,trap and protect their herds and flocks one day eyes will open
In response to Linda Burt’s comment, I served on the Wyoming Wildlife Federation board in the mid-90s, but I resigned in disgust because this kind of cowardice was developing. The main cause was that support of wolf reintroduction in 1994 had lost the group 1/3 of its membership, and so the board abandoned its wildlife conservation mission in favor of “getting to yes” with the powers that be, especially the Geringer administration, which was in the process of destroying the Game and Fish Department, and the Wyoming Stockgrowers Association. Thirty years later, the WWF has clearly lost its way. If the group had any sense of honor, it would disband.
Robert, I agree completely. The Wyoming Wildlife Federation should answer to all of the other groups that are working hard to protect our wildlife. “Lost its way” is the perfect way to say it. I was in the group that attended the meeting yesterday. It was very sad.
What a barbaric, cruel way to handel wolf issues. It seems that a more humane and intelligent solution could be proposed. Still, intelligence in politicians is usually absent. Shame on Wyoming, what a black eye to the state.
Recreational torture of animals for the fun of it is indicative of psychopathy. The fact that Wyoming allows and, essentially, supports this sick abuse of wildlife says a lot about the state. It certainly feels less safe knowing that these disordered people could be my neighbors.
What is wrong with these people???? I am sick of hunters, poachers, and trappers, and now the governor says that it is okay to let snowmobilers to run over the wildlife???? And it is okay for ranchers and others to use helicopters to chase down and murder coyotes and wolves just because they say the predators are killing their livestock, give me a break!!!!! The people in Wyoming sound just the people in Namibia on the African continent who want to start murdering elephants and other wildlife so that they can feed the people. All of you fools had better realize that if you go down this road there is no turning back and you will destroy creatures which have been on Earth long before the so-called human race, and I say so-called because some of us are real humans because we care about the Earth, the animals and the environment unlike the rest of you. Every living creature on Earth is in danger because of people’s greed, their arrogance, their egos, and people thinking that they’re entitled to destroy everything, which by the way none of you are entitled to anything on Earth. People are so overpopulated that they’ve screwed up everything, the water, the air and the land, and folks that is exactly why this planet is in deep, deep trouble. So before you people in Wyoming do such a stupid move, you had better think of what I’ve said, and that goes for the rest the people around the planet too.
thank you Freda. well said. couldn’t agree more.
If I ever needed a reason to avoid anything to do with your state, this would be it. Legal to abuse wildlife? Wow.
Inhumane jerks.
Give the wildlife your guns and snowmobiles. Let them have the upperhand.
Nothing but ignorant idiots who never studied their own ecosystem but thrive on abuse and greed. I feel sorry for the wildlife that live there.
So any sound of motorized vehicles in wild will stress these predators,may make hunting harder with a gun,so more research is needed
This useless, unenforceable bill will be further watered down by the Wyoming Wildlife Federation and the Stock Growers before it gets to the committee. The testimony by the public was never even mentioned when working the bill – there is no interest in prohibiting the inhumane torture that is running animals to exhaustion & then running them over or bashing them against the side of the snowmobile to kill them. Stock growers would like to remove the word immediately because, you know, it might be hard to immediately kill an animal depending on the circumstances and the word humane was removed from the bill. I am still baffled as to why the Wyoming Wildlife Federation is now a lobbying partner of the Stock Growers. I must have missed a change in their mission.
The selection of a hunting org that has increasingly become an ally more to the Stockgrowers Assoc than to the common resident hunter is all telling about what the intended outcomes of this initiative were. This is an absolute insult to those of us who actually follow fair chase ethics beyond “well, it’s legal, so it’s probably fine.” And for what? Hopes that it will result in slightly different outcomes than the last 20 plus years of trying to put bighorn sheep back where domestic sheep have taken over? At what cost? Ridiculous that Storer and random members of the public are the strongest voices for what is right.
Looks like Wyoming’s top predator wins again. Using the technological blessings of the 21st century the rape of God’s lands & creatures, both wild & domestic, is being ramped up. Public lands remain unprotected by corrupt, bought out and/or intimidated government officials. What a model of civilized & moral leadership for the rest of the primitive & ignorant world to follow. Mother Earth & the balance of nature is dammed to Hell in Wyoming. Do not go there so as not to endanger your eternal soul by associating with demons masquerading as Humankind.
I think free license should be issued to people to allow them to do predator control. I think the proposed Bill leaves it wide open. Running down any animal for the fun of it is wrong. But, there are idiots out there that think it fun. Running it until it is exhausted And then leaving it is wrong .