Earlier this year, the world became aware of a practice called "wolf-whacking." It is the act of running down a wolf with a snowmobile, ATV, UTV, or other vehicle and running it over.
It's a method of predator control that's explicitly legal in the state of Wyoming. But the reason why it became a topic of worldwide discussion was that a local Wyoming resident didn't immediately kill the animal he had run down. Instead, Cody Roberts of Daniel, Wyoming, ran the animal down, tied it up after it had been severely injured, brought it to a local bar, paraded it around, had patrons take pictures with the wounded animal, and then ultimately killed it behind said bar.
The only repercussion Roberts faced was a $250 fine.
Roberts' actions went viral, spreading wide and far. Countless organizations spoke out against his actions, as well as Wyoming's predator statutes, including animal rights and hunting groups. The two made strange bedfellows as they're often very much at odds with one another—look at the current fight for mountain lion hunting in Colorado—but both argued that the practice, and its legality, were cruel methods of take toward the animal.
After the outrage poured in, it looked as if the laws surrounding the practice would be changed. And, indeed, it may. But rather than outlaw wolf-whacking as a predator population control methodology, it's looking as if Wyoming is moving toward allowing people to continue using vehicles to run the animals down, but adding a small caveat.
An ad-hoc working group was formed after the incident went viral with the direction to see what could be done to mitigate further incidents such as Roberts. With that directive, many believed that "wolf-whacking" would be outlawed given we have better predator population control methods that are far more ethical in how the animal is put down, i.e. high-powered rifles, state wildlife management techniques, and actual wolf hunting seasons with responsible hunters.
But the group met for the last time last week and in its proposed draft update to Wyoming's law, not only did it not ban the practice, but said it was still absolutely OK to engage in. They did propose a change.
"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 reads. So the wolf-whacking can continue, but the person who runs the animal down has to immediately kill it so it doesn't suffer as in the case with Roberts.
But as a late-onset hunter, a snowmobiler, and just a human, this doesn't feel like it goes far enough.
Though the draft legislation states that the person responsible must "use all reasonable efforts to kill the injured or disabled predatory animal" to end any suffering, the act of running the animal down and running it over, however, will inflict said suffering no matter what. Now, I'm still new to hunting, but one of the chief tenets that's drilled into your brain as you're learning how to hunt is that you do everything in your power for your method of take to not inflict suffering on the animal. To be ethical in your shot process so that it dies quickly.
I've spent countless hours practicing my bow shots in my backyard, at varying ranges, angles, sitting, kneeling, standing on one foot, and with 80 pounds on my back. I know that when I release an arrow, it's going to go exactly where I want and that animal should hopefully die quickly and cleanly.
Running it over doesn't have good enough odds that the animal dies quickly like a rifle or a bow does, though. As in the case of Roberts' actions, that wolf lived for quite some time, likely in a lot of pain, and that isn't hunting. More than that, what the Wyoming working group's action doesn't just embolden others to do what Roberts did, but it also gives ammunition to anti-hunting groups who will use this to attempt to strip our hunting rights and privileges away. And not just for predator hunting, but for deer, elk, and everything in between.
That language is already baked into the Colorado mountain lion ban proposal.
Hunters are often portrayed in a similar light as Roberts was. Wanton killers who don't care about the animal suffering and are only in it for the trophy and the killing, which just absolutely isn't true.
We're stewards of the land and animals. We clean up trails and the woods, we fund conservation projects and revive animal habitats. We protect our drinking waters from pollution and halt government sales of public lands that are enjoyed by all who recreate, not just hunters.
And that good work is all risked by lawmakers taking what already is bad optics and painting people like Roberts as hunters and seemingly throwing gasoline on the fire.
According to WyoFile, "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."
As for what happens next, there's talk amongst lawmakers that the draft language could change once it hits the legislature. But from the scuttlebutt reported is that the proposal's language could become more encompassing, though vaguer, removing language of vehicles, something that directly flies in the face of the state's Fish and Game Department wants.
"If we remove this stuff related to vehicles, it would then include aircraft,” Wyoming Game and Fish Department Director Brian Nesvik said, as aerial hunting is legal in Wyoming. He added, "We don’t want to criminalize otherwise legal behavior."
The likelihood of the draft proposal changing drastically doesn't look certain, which will likely have reverberations throughout the West, and indeed the hunting community at large, even though this isn't hunting. We'll have to wait and see what occurs, but this isn't a good look for anyone involved.
