Columnist Dan Abernathy.

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What this reads is that it’s alright to run down a predator, breaking bones, popping eyeballs from the sockets, tearing off limbs and scaring the holy bejesus out of them is acceptable, just don’t pop the top of a Bud Light before you pull out your AR-15 to humanely assassinate the suffering creature.”

Columnist Dan Abernathy

There is little doubt to be had that snowmobiling is big business. Not just because a new snowmobile can cost over $22,000, but also what the snowmobilers contribute to the economy.

According to the International Snowmobile Manufacturers Association, snowmobilers in the United States and Canada spend over $28 billion on snowmobiling each year. This includes expenditures on equipment, clothing, accessories and snowmobiling vacations. Recent surveys indicate that on average, snowmobilers take three- to- five trips per year, spending two nights per trip away from home.
Snowmobiling is responsible for spin-off economic benefits such as jobs for thousands of people. These jobs enable people to further stimulate the economy through additional expenditures on goods and services. Millions of dollars in tax revenues are derived from snowmobile-related businesses including manufacturers, suppliers, distributors, dealers, resort and hotel facilities, restaurants and service stations. Snowmobiling is a big part of winter tourism and it has rejuvenated and supports many local Snowbelts.

The University of Wyoming released the 2022-2021 Wyoming Comprehensive Snowmobile Recreation Report that analyzed monies spent on items like equipment, gasoline, service, lodging and food. This study concluded that snowmobiling generates over $255 million per year of economic activity for the Wyoming economy. This includes $194 million in annual direct visitor spending that generates another $61 million in secondary activity in the Wyoming economy. Economic activity associated with snowmobiling supports the equivalent of 1,874 annual jobs with labor income of $66.4 million. Additionally, the report estimates snowmobiling generates $17.6 million in state and local government revenue in Wyoming.

No place in this collected economic data of snowmobiling is there a section for the profitability of coyote whacking. Coyote whacking is vehicular assault that involves the use of a vehicle to threaten, harm or kill, what are now deemed “predators.”

Running over animals classified as predators with snowmobiles is already legal in Wyoming. The right of snowmobilers to run over wildlife could see their wintertime recreational pursuit protected by law if a bill headed for a Legislative committee advances unchanged.

The Legislature formed a panel, The Treatment of Predators Working Group, to study changes in the law that could detour the behavior. The group walked away from the online meeting agreeing to draft a bill that makes it clear running over animals is okay, provided the creatures are put to death swiftly after being struck. 

“Any person who intentionally injures or disables a predatory animal by use of an automotive vehicle, motor-propelled wheeled vehicle, or vehicle designed for travel over snow shall upon inflicting the injury or disability immediately use all reasonable efforts to kill the injured or disabled predatory animal,” the draft bill reads. 

Failing to “immediately use all reasonable efforts to kill” a run-down animal would constitute animal cruelty, the legislation states. This would protect the offender with a vague determination of reasonableness. This whole absurd and ludicrous bill does not and will not change anything.

What this reads is that it’s alright to run down a predator, breaking bones, popping eyeballs from the sockets, tearing off limbs and scaring the holy bejesus out of them is acceptable, just don’t pop the top of a Bud Light before you pull out your AR-15 to humanely assassinate the suffering creature.

Currently, these animal cruelty statutes for predatory animals include wolves in 85 percent of Wyoming, along with coyotes, red fox, stray cats, jackrabbits, porcupines, raccoons and striped skunks.

Although there was public pressure on the working group to also draft a bill prohibiting running over wildlife with snowmobiles, the livestock industry opposed making any changes that it asserted would inhibit predator control. 

Jim Magagna, ironically a sheepman leading the group of cattlemen as the executive vice president of the Wyoming Stock Growers Association, stated that he has been in contact with livestock producers across the state. Their view is this is one of their most effective tools of predator control.

Gov. Mark Gordon encouraged members to have narrow, focused conversations on malicious animal cruelty and to not interfere with predator control. In addition to being used for livestock protection, running over coyotes, foxes and other species is a recreational activity that some participants consider another form of hunting.

Running down a coyote, wolf or skunk is neither hunting nor predator management. The current law allows people to kill predatory animals without a license. It also allows the use of any flying machine, automotive vehicle, trailer, motor propelled wheeled vehicle, or a vehicle designed for travel over snow, to do so. None of this includes animal cruelty.

Animal cruelty is a criminal offense under Wyoming’s criminal code, although the laws are written to address domestic animals, not wild animals. The animal abuse statute also exempts predatory animals from animal cruelty.

Not wanting to criminalize legal behavior, they want to leave the vehicle language in the bill. This whole thought process is far from a process of thinking. You can still use snowmobiles, airplanes, boats and bikes in predator control. You just cannot use them as an assault weapon and a means of breaking their back to stop them.

A glowing spotlight has already left a tarnished light vividly shining on Wyoming and especially Sublette County after the fiasco of chasing fur went viral worldwide.

I understand there is a need for predator control and livestock producers must protect their animals, but it must be done as humanly as possible. This whole issue is not so much about defending livestock from predators, it’s allowing snowmobilers to joyride and torture wildlife legally on public lands. It is a statement coming from Wyoming that is okay to inhumanely torture a predator as long as its final demise is not prolonged. This concept has no place in any type of wildlife management.

When this chasing fur incident happened last spring it flared into a muffled condemnation and a boycott of Wyoming. Wyoming temporarily halted tourism promotion. If this issue is not addressed properly, the spotlight is going to return even brighter and the numbers about the state wide revenue could plummet. 

Hunting predators helps control their populations and protects livestock. Without it, the populations of predators would continue to expand and harm wild game and livestock resources. We must keep them in check, but we must also be humane about it. 

A heavy western coyote pelt is worth between $40 and $100 and supports a very minuscule economic benefit. Predator control may help keep meat in a hamburger, but it’s a far howl from generating over $255 million per year of economic activity for the state of Wyoming. - dbA

You can find more of the unfiltered insight and the Art of Dan Abernathy at www.contributechaos.com.