Wyoming Considers Amending Law on Killing Wolves with Vehicles After Controversial Incident

Wyoming lawmakers are set to discuss changes to the state’s animal cruelty laws following public outrage over an incident in which a man intentionally struck a wolf with a snowmobile, injured it, taped its mouth shut, and brought the animal into a bar, CBS News reports.

The event has prompted a review of current regulations regarding wolves and how they can be killed, especially in situations involving vehicles.

Under the proposed draft legislation, it would still be legal to run over a wolf intentionally, but the law would now require that the animal be killed quickly, either upon impact or immediately afterward. The bill, scheduled for review on Monday, would mandate that if a wolf survives being hit by a vehicle, the person responsible must use “all reasonable efforts” to kill the animal swiftly. However, the proposal does not specify how the wolf should be killed after surviving the initial strike.

Wyoming’s existing animal cruelty laws currently exclude predators like wolves, and this proposed tweak marks a small step toward addressing what some view as a gap in the state’s treatment of these animals. Kristin Combs, executive director of Wyoming Wildlife Advocates, said that while the bill is a slight improvement, it wouldn’t result in significant changes.

“Everybody is against torturing animals,” Combs commented.

She added that no one she has encountered supports continuing cruel treatment of wildlife.

The incident that sparked the proposal took place last winter in Sublette County, where a wolf was intentionally struck by a snowmobile and later paraded into a bar. The incident, captured on camera, led to public backlash and calls to boycott Wyoming’s tourism industry, which relies heavily on visitors to Yellowstone and Grand Teton national parks—prime wolf habitats. Despite the outcry, the state’s tourism industry has seen little impact, with Yellowstone reporting one of its busiest summer seasons on record.

The man involved in the wolf incident faced a $250 fine for illegal possession of wildlife but was not charged with more serious offenses. Sublette County authorities have indicated that their investigation has stalled due to uncooperative witnesses, and the case remains under review.

If the draft bill passes, individuals who intentionally hit a wolf with a vehicle and fail to kill it quickly could face felony animal cruelty charges. However, it remains unclear how frequently wolves are intentionally killed in this manner, as such cases are rarely reported.

Wyoming has some of the least restrictive wolf management policies in the US Wolves are not federally protected in the state, unlike most parts of the country, and they can be hunted or killed without limit in 85% of Wyoming outside of the Yellowstone region. This is largely due to the threat wolves pose to livestock, which makes them unpopular among ranchers and hunters.

Jim Magagna of the Wyoming Stock Growers Association condemned the incident but described it as isolated and unrelated to the state’s broader wolf management policies. While the case has sparked a fresh look at how wolves are treated, resistance to significant changes in Wyoming’s wolf policies remains strong, particularly among those who rely on ranching in the region.

The legislative committee will review the draft proposal on Monday, and further changes may be made before the bill moves forward.