A Wyoming man is apologizing for tossing, kicking and stabbing a coyote in a controversial video that went viral last week.
Aron Snyder posted a video statement on social media over the weekend in which he says the coyote video was taken in Texas in 2019 or 2020.
He said that he finished off the wounded coyote with a knife because he didn’t have a firearm with him at the time. He also admits that the video is "a very bad optic."
Snyder also confirmed that because of the video, his employment has been terminated, and that he accepts that decision.
A private investigator sent the video to Cowboy State Daily last week, saying that Snyder is from Riverton. The video and accompanying information were also sent to wildlife agencies and animal welfare groups in Wyoming and several other states.
There was no response to messages to cellphone numbers registered to Snyder.
Cowboy State Daily reached out to the Texas Parks and Wildlife Department (TPWD), asking if the department is investigating the incident depicted in the coyote-killing video, and if any reaction might result.
TPWD law enforcement spokeswoman Maggie Berger promptly responded with an email saying she would check into it, but was swamped early Monday.
“We are currently responding to service calls due to flooding and severe weather in multiple areas of the state as well as much time being dedicated to the new world screwworm response,” she stated.
There is concern in Texas that an emerging screwworm infestation in cattle will spread to wildlife. There’s also worry that it could eventually hit big game herds in other states, including Wyoming.
Snyder’s Account Of Events
Response to the coyote video has been overwhelmingly negative. Some hunters and animal welfare advocates have condemned the depicted actions as unethical and cruel.
However, some social media commenters have supported Snyder, saying the video shows him doing what he had to do to kill the coyote with the means he had at hand at the time.
In the video, Snyder is seen stabbing the coyote once in the shoulder area. Supporters have commented that indicates he was trying to puncture the coyote’s lungs and/or heart, which would have resulted in a quick death.
In his statement, Snyder said the video was taken during a coyote hunt “after an ice storm” in Texas.
“The coyotes were wreaking havoc on my buddy’s cattle, horses (and) dogs, as they do,” he said.
He said he drove an ATV to the location where the coyote in question was, but had left his gun behind in a pickup.
“When I got to it (the coyote), um, it wasn’t dead, it was still alive,” he said. "Pulled it out of a brush pile, um, kicked its legs out from under it, stabbed it, you know, it was growling at me, I kicked it again."
He also said he performed a “dead check” on the animal. That’s a term hunters use for checking to make sure an animal is dead.
Snyder said he recalled that he might have stabbed the coyote once more, although the video clip shows him stabbing it only once.
‘Bad Optic’
Regarding the video, Snyder admits that “it’s a very bad optic, I understand that, for the hunting community. That wasn’t my intention but even when I watched it, it looked bad."
He said that if one watches predators “tear apart” wildlife, dogs and livestock “you do lose value and respect for them (predators)."
“That’s not an excuse that’s just a fact of life, and my actions that day showed that,” Snyder said.
Snyder also said the fallout from the video could be a “blessing in disguise” because it gives him a reason to get off social media and simply enjoy being outdoors.
Fired From Born Primitive
After the video emerged, the Born Primitive Outdoor clothing and gear company announced that it had fired Snyder.
“Born Primitive Outdoor supports ethical hunting and holds itself and its partners to that standard,” the company says in the announcement. "The behavior shown in the video involving Aron Snyder does not align with that standard.
"As a result, Aron Snyder is no longer an employee of Born Primitive,”
A message requesting further comment from Born Primitive was not answered by publication time.
In his video statement, Snyder confirmed his termination from the company saying, “my actions are mine. Born Primitive should not be held responsible. I respect their decision.”
Mark Heinz can be reached at mark@cowboystatedaily.com.
