Letters Urge Federal Agencies to Prohibit Killing of Wildlife With Snowmobiles

This letters were spurred by a recent incident in which a man from Daniel, Wyoming, ran over a yearling female wolf with his snowmobile. This is a hunting practice that states like Wyoming and Idaho authorize for wolves and other predators.

Instead of immediately putting the wolf out of her misery, media reports indicate that the man took her to his home and then to a bar. Shocking photos, videos and witness statements resulted in him being convicted of a misdemeanor under state law for possession of a live wolf. The penalty was a $250 fine.

Public pressure finally resulted in the state wildlife agency, state wildlife commission and governor’s office condemning the man’s actions. Their statements, however, reflect a tendency by state officials to paint the incident as a “one-off,” even though it stems from the state’s anti-predator laws, which authorize running down wolves with snowmobiles and other brutal hunting practices.

In Wyoming 85% of the state is designated as a “Predator Zone,” where wolves and other wildlife classified as predators — including coyotes, jackrabbits, porcupines, raccoons, red fox, skunks and stray cats — may be killed without limits at any time of year by any means with no license requirement