Wyoming lawmakers eye wolf policies in wake of alleged animal cruelty

JACKSON — Following international outrage over alleged wolf abuse in Sublette County, Wyoming officials are examining the state’s wolf policy.

In the last week, Wyoming Gov. Mark Gordon has convened a group of ranchers, hunters, wildlife advocates and legislators to respond to the incident and the publicity it’s generating, three members of the group told the Jackson Hole Daily. While the group has talked about statewide policy, it’s not clear if it will propose changes — or consider them at all.

“To be clear, this is not a formal working group and there is no ‘end goal,’ ” Gordon’s spokesman Michael Pearlman said via email. “The Governor did have a joint call with a few state officials and stakeholders to discuss what occurred in Sublette County and wolf management in general. There was agreement to continue to monitor the situation as it develops.”

Pearlman declined to provide the names of people in the group, citing security issues. Amid a firestorm of public opinion, violent threats have been lobbed at officials across Wyoming.

The group met this past week and plans to meet again next week, members told the Daily.

Meanwhile, the Wyoming Game and Fish Commission plans to address wolf management Tuesday and Wednesday at its meeting in Riverton, where wildlife advocates plan to deluge state wildlife managers with public comment.

They want the state to ban people from running over wildlife with snowmobiles and apply animal cruelty protections to all animals in the state, including predators.

A legislative committee that deals with wildlife issues also plans to take up wolf management at a May meeting, though committee chairs cautioned that any legislative proposal is a ways off.

The furor comes after the Wyoming Game and Fish Department charged Cody Roberts with “possessing” a live wolf on Feb. 29, after he transported the wolf to his home and later to a Daniel business. Reporting by the Cowboy State Daily, citing anonymous sources, has further alleged that Roberts hit the wolf with a snowmobile and, rather than killing it in the field, took the animal to his home, then to Daniel’s Green River Bar.

The online news outlet also alleged that Roberts then brought the wolf out back and killed it. A separate article includes a photo that has since gone viral and appears to show Roberts posing with the wolf, which has red duct tape around its mouth.

The incident has turned attention to Wyoming’s wolf management policy. Game and Fish regulates wolf hunting in the Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem, but does not manage wolves in the remaining 85% of the state, where they’re considered “predators” and can be killed with few restrictions.

The Wyoming Game and Fish Commission, which is appointed by the governor and oversees the Wyoming Game and Fish Department and Wyoming wildlife management writ large, is gearing up for its two-day agenda in Riverton.

“We’re going to have an exciting meeting,” Commission President Richard Ladwig said, adding that he has received countless emails from Wyoming constituents, as well as people from the U.K. and Ireland.

Ladwig said the commission will take public comment and that it may make a policy recommendation to the Legislature. But it’s too early to say what that would look like. He’s waiting for the meeting, when the commission also will consider trapping reform. Wolf management is not on the agenda, but the commission allows public comment at the end of its meetings, which are at 5:30 p.m. Tuesday and 12:30 p.m. Wednesday at the Holiday Inn in Riverton.

Wildlife advocates plan to show up in force, according to Lisa Robertson, executive director of Wyoming Untrapped.

“We want legislation, anti-cruelty laws to cover all wildlife, across the board,” Robertson said. “We also want a draft bill that restricts snowmobiles injuring, chasing, running over, whatever you want to call it, any wildlife. We want severe penalties — to make it a felony.”

The Wyoming Legislature’s Management Council dictates which topics committees can consider in between sessions, said Sen. Wendy Schuler, R-Evanston, co-chair of the Legislature’s joint Travel, Recreation, Wildlife and Cultural Resources Committee. The council has not yet decided about wolf policy, Schuler said. But Schuler said that she and her co-chair, Rep. Sandy Newsome, R-Cody, are open to considering some changes. In particular, they’re interested in looking at fines.

So far, Roberts has paid a $250 fine. Schuler and Newsome both said they’re mulling higher penalties for “possessing” live wildlife.

“If we don’t do anything else, we at least need to pump up fines for that kind of behavior, or take a look at hunting privileges,” Schuler said. “$250? That doesn’t deter anybody from being dumb. But if you put it up to $5,000, $10,000? That’s a better deterrent.”

Both legislators worry, however, about going too far based on one incident.

“The actions of a single person not behaving well are sometimes not cause for legislation,” Newsome said.

This story was published on April 13, 2024.