Dear Editor,
It is shameful that the Wyoming Legislature refuses to pass Mike Schmid’s amendment to house bill 275 or House Bill 331, both of which would prohibit the intentional killing of wildlife with snowmobiles.
The fact that such an act isn’t already explicitly illegal is a disgrace, but the Legislature’s unwillingness to correct this moral and ethical failure is even worse.
Last year’s horrifying incident in which a snowmobiler deliberately ran down a wolf, prolonging its suffering, sparked widespread local, national and global outrage. Yet our lawmakers still refuse to act.
The vast majority of Wyomingites respect wildlife and fair chase, whether they hunt, recreate, or simply appreciate the natural world around us. Allowing this kind of cruelty to go unpunished does not reflect our values.
Opponents of the proposed bill continue to argue that such practices are necessary for predator control, particularly in areas where wolves threaten livestock or big game populations.
However, this justification does not hold up. Wyoming already has well-established methods for managing predators, including regulated hunting, trapping, and lethal control measures carried out by wildlife officials in addition to the fact that these practices of mitigating livestock/predator conflicts are actually contraindicated by the prevailing wildlife science.
Enter the common sense argument and the Dunning-Krueger posse. Come on Wyoming, would you ask a dentist how to raise cattle, or a mechanic to perform surgery?
The experts are experts for a reason and running an animal down with a snowmobile is not predator management—it is reckless, inhumane, and unnecessary.
You want common sense legislation, this is it. Protecting wildlife from wanton cruelty should not be controversial.
The Legislature’s inaction sends a disturbing message: that senseless brutality is tolerated in Wyoming. This is not the Wyoming I know and love.
It’s time for our elected officials to do the right thing and pass a law that explicitly bans this barbaric practice.
Sincerely,
Ryan Grove, Pinedale
