Trapping Reform in Wyoming

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Outlaw Animal Cruelty for a Humane Wyoming

Change laws to end all wildlife cruelty by motorized killing, and amend Wyoming cruelty statutes

UPDATE: January 25, 2025. The 2025 Legislature is currently in session.

September 30, 2024, marked a critical juncture for Wyoming. It presented an opportunity to alter the state’s harsh reputation stemming from its insufficient animal cruelty laws. Despite appeals to outlaw the practice of chasing down wolves in Wyoming with snowmobiles, the committee moved forward with a bill that, while not prohibiting the use of snowmobiles for hunting wildlife, mandates that the animal be dispatched soon after being run down. The bill was amended to allow judges to suspend hunting and trapping licenses for up to three years as a possible penalty.
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The fight to end animal cruelty in Wyoming is arduous, but our commitment to the cause is unwavering. We will persist in advocating for respect, compassion, and a harmonious existence for wildlife.
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On Wyoming’s wild expanse, a profoundly troubling act sparked outrage: a man struck a young wolf with his snowmobile, muzzled and collared the injured animal, and paraded it through a local bar for hours. This shocking display of cruelty drew condemnation from near and far, raising urgent questions about how we treat wildlife.
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In response, Wyoming lawmakers are now considering two vital bills representing a move in the right direction. One would ban the use of snowmobiles to run down animals on public lands, an outdated and inhumane practice. The other would impose harsher penalties on those who torture predators. These measures are essential to creating a more ethical approach to wildlife management.
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We believe it’s time to end these barbaric practices. Chasing animals with snowmobiles inflicts needless suffering, disrupts our ecosystems, and has no place in modern-day society. Passing these bills would demonstrate Wyoming’s commitment to compassion, respect, and responsible stewardship of our wild heritage. Let’s move forward and ensure our laws reflect these values.
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HB0003 and HB0275 have been referred to the TRW committee and are awaiting scheduling.
Now is the time to reach out to the TRW members.
(see contact list below).
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Wyoming residents only, please!

~Your Legislators

Senators: https://wyoleg.gov/Legislators/2025/S
Representatives: https://wyoleg.gov/Legislators/2025/H
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Animal Cruelty Legislative Bills

HB0003 – Animal abuse-predatory animals

AN ACT relating to crimes and offenses; providing for a new criminal offense of cruelty to animals; increasing the maximum fine for a misdemeanor first offense cruelty to animals conviction; providing for the suspension of hunting privileges for a cruelty to animals conviction as specified; authorizing game and fish law enforcement to enforce the criminal provisions of cruelty to animals as specified; specifying applicability; and providing for an effective date.
HB0275 -Treatment of AnimalsAN ACT relating to crimes and offenses; amending the offense of felony animal cruelty to address actions where wildlife is reduced to possession; prohibiting the torture of wildlife as specified; specifying penalties; providing for license revocation and suspension and forfeiture of devices and equipment for specified felony animal cruelty convictions; clarifying trapping requirements; removing a reporting requirement; providing definitions; making conforming amendments; and providing for an effective date.
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Approved new legislative bills for consideration:
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It’s time to bring an end to animal cruelty in Wyoming in the following ways:
  • Pass a law that will criminalize the motorized killing of wildlife.
  • Amend the Wyoming cruelty statutes. Confirm that all wildlife are included in the list of protected animals and that the behaviors exhibited in the Daniel, WY case, such as capture of an injured animal, torture, and torment of wildlife, are prohibited. This includes trapping and snaring.

Wyoming wildlife is not protected from torture and cruelty

Your Voice Matters

Cruelty to all Wyoming wildlife should be outlawed.

Wyoming Untrapped stands against unethical and torturous practices. All wildlife should be treated with dignity and respect.

Please contact the members of the Travel, Recreation, Wildlife and Cultural Resources Committee (TRW) and politely request the ban on the use of snowmobiles to chase and kill wildlife. Let them know that legislation concerning wildlife cruelty needs critical updates. Wyoming’s reputation is at stake, and it’s time to include diverse input, and to take decisive action. Wildlife deserve dignity and respect.

Contact List

Travel, Recreation, Wildlife and Cultural Resources (TRW)

Co-chair Senator:
Bill.Landen@wyoleg.gov
307-259-4194

Co-chair Representative:
Andrew.Byron@wyoleg.gov
307-690-2767

Senators: 
Brian.Boner@wyoleg.gov
307-359-0707
Larry.Hicks@wyoleg.gov
307-383-7192
Stacey Jones@wyoleg.gov
307-371-8182
Wendy.Schuler@wyoleg.gov
307-679-6774

Representatives:
Andrew.Byron@wyoleg.gov
307-690-2767
Elissa.Campbell@wyoleg.gov
307-277-4782
Karlee.Provenza@wyoleg.gov Democrat
307-922-0202
Marilyn.Connolly@wyoleg.gov
307-217-0345
Liz.Storer@wyoleg.gov Democrat
307-421-4711
Steve.Harshman@wyoleg.gov
307-262-8075
Julie.Jarvis@wyoleg.gov
307-670-0202
Pam.Thayer@wyoleg.gov

307-xxx-xxxx
Bob.Wharff@wyoleg.gov
307-799-8944

Additional Contacts:

Governor Mark Gordon:
Governor@wyo.gov
307-777-7434
Sara Direnzo, Governor’s Office: Sara.Dirienzo1@wyo.gov
Director-elect WGFD: Angela.Bruce@wyo.gov

Wyoming Game and Fish Commission
President: Richard.Ladwig@wyo.gov
Vice President: Mark.Jolovich@wyo.gov
Kenneth.Roberts@wyo.gov
Ashlee.Lundvall@wyo.gov

John.Masterson@wyoboards.gov
Rusty.Bell@wyoboards.gov
Ralph Brokaw@wyoboards.gov

Please get in touch with any questions: info@WyomingUntrapped.org

Talking Points

How should you say it? We offer talking points to help you compose your comments in your own words.

Why is brutal cruelty permitted to any wild animal in Wyoming?

  • It’s time to bring an end to animal cruelty in Wyoming in the following ways:
    • Pass a law that will criminalize the motorized killing of wildlife.
    • Amend the Wyoming cruelty statutes. Confirm that all wildlife are included in the list of protected animals and that the behaviors exhibited in the Daniel, WY case, such as capture of an injured animal, torture, and torment of wildlife, are prohibited.
  • Killing wild animals with vehicles goes against the ethical standards laid out by the North American Wildlife Model and directly violates fair chase, respect for, and humane killing of wild animals. In any other situation, this behavior would receive a felony animal cruelty charge. Predatory species in Wyoming still deserve protection from abuse, and no animal, whether domestic or wild, deserves to be treated with such outrageous aggression, brutality, and violence. (provided by @wildlifefor all)
  • Please amend any bill that continues the practice of running over wildlife with snowmobiles and other vehicles. People across the state and from our entire nation agreed that the circumstances under which the wolf was captured and killed in February were inhumane. Wildlife watchers, hunters, and the public all agree: this isn’t a fair chase, this isn’t management — it’s animal cruelty, and it needs to end.  (provided by @wildlifeforall)
  • No animal deserves to be tortured and suffer that kind of prolonged pain before death.
  • Written public comments discussed the paramount concern that animal welfare and the mistreatment of animals go against the North American Model of Wildlife Conservation:
    • There is a need for responsible predator management for agricultural and wildlife management purposes.
    • An overview of the North American Model of Wildlife Conservation shows a difference between legitimate predator management activities for agriculture and wildlife management. Other activities are legal under Wyoming law but go against the North American Model of Wildlife Conservation tenets.
    • There is concern over the lack of fair chase for animals, particularly in running down an animal with a mechanized machine that can exceed the speeds of most animals or at speeds an animal cannot sustain.
    • Concern over the possession and transport of an injured animal instead of putting it down humanely and the subsequent public display of a live and injured animal.
    • A core issue is the lack of decency and respect for wildlife.
    • The committee must seek ways to discriminate between certain behaviors that should or should not be legal under Wyoming law regarding predator management.
    • Torture should never be involved in protecting livestock or hunting.
    • At the Wyoming Sportsperson Conference in Dubois, Governor Gordon stated, “I don’t think there’s any reason why people need to run over animals.” We don’t either!
    • Running over any animal with a snowmobile or other vehicular means should result in strict punishment.
    • Urge the committee to continue addressing the cruelty issue and vehicular killing of wildlife. It is wrong, and the public overwhelmingly favors changing Wyoming laws to restrict it.
    • If someone intentionally tortures and brutalizes and animal in Wyoming, they will face real consequences.
    • This behavior undermines the traditions and values of humane treatment in Wyoming.
    • ALL wildlife, including furbearers and non-game animals, should be protected from brutal cruelty. This includes protections from barbaric trapping and snaring.
    • Please do the right thing, address animal cruelty, and create a humane Wyoming!
  • In 2020, following a disturbing video displayed publicly showing coyote whacking in Wyoming: the legal chasing, harassing, and brutally running over a coyote with a snowmobile until its death, WU submitted a draft legislative bill via Representative Mike Yin and Senator Mike Gireau to restrict this gruesome activity. The bill did not make it to a committee:
    • WU sent all 90 legislators a copy of the whacking video. This recent incident is not a one-up but has been happening for decades.
    • This is a common winter activity in certain districts of the state.
    • It has been five years since the legislature has been publicly aware of this activity, it is time for our state laws to change.
  •  A recent poll of Wyoming voters conducted by the Humane Society of the U.S. found:
    • 71% of voters, including majorities across all political parties and ideologies, believe the actions in the wolf incident are animal cruelty.
    • Across the board, an average of 3-in-4 Wyoming residents believe that it is not acceptable to use snowmobiles to kill animals classified as “predators” in Wyoming. This includes wolves, coyotes, foxes, jackrabbits, porcupines, raccoons, and domestic cats, which are classified as “stray” by the state.
    • A majority of voters (58%), including majorities across all major media markets in the state, would support changing the law to prohibit snowmobiles from pursuing, striking, injuring, and killing wolves and other previously mentioned animals.
  • A 2024 national survey conducted by Colorado State University’s Animal Human Policy
    Center, in collaboration with Project Coyote, explored U.S. public perspectives on a
    range of animal protection issues. The survey examined support for key animal welfare
    policies that are currently being discussed by policy-makers and stakeholders nationwide,
    including multiple issues related to wildlife and wild carnivore killing. A summary of key
    findings are included below as well as a link to the full report:

    • 85% support for a federal law specifying cruelty towards wildlife is a criminal violation.
    • 80% support for banning purposefully running over wild carnivores with vehicles.
    • For all case studies examined, the majority of respondents somewhat or strongly agreed with all potential proposed state or federal policies to reduce human-caused animal suffering.
    • More than 75% of respondents somewhat or strongly supported most proposed state or federal policies supporting animal welfare, and support for related state policies was typically slightly higher than for federal policies.

2 Comments

  • Mary Elliott

    For heavens sake can’t we behave like decent people and respect all animal and wildlife? They aren’t hurting you, leave them alone. If they are damaging your animals or property, put up obstacles to stop them. The onus is on you!

  • Robert Stowe

    Anyone that thinks using motorized vehicles to run wildlife down is truly messed up. What’s wrong with trapping and hunting to curb them. It’s worked since we first settled this land.

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