The 2024 Sublette County case of wildlife torture and abuse is spurring a "Clean Kill Bill" initiative, asking the Wyoming Legislature to establish felony penalties to punish those who would purposely torture Wyoming's wildlife. The proposed bill protects recreational hunting and predator management.
Wyoming Sportsmanship, a new advocacy organization led by respected leaders of Wyoming's sportsman community, is advocating for a stronger bill than is currently drafted in the state Legislature aligned with the prevailing sentiment of Wyoming voters regarding wildlife torture.
Lifelong Wyoming Sportsman Paul Ulrich is spearheading Wyoming Sportsmanship.
"This legislation is all about our responsibility to be stewards of Wyoming's wildlife. We need to actively live up to that important responsibility, and we urge the Legislature to act. We can preserve and protect our culture of predator management, hunting, and 'clean kills," said Ulrich. "Those who engage in the abuse and torture of Wyoming's wildlife violate our Wyoming values and would face enhanced penalties under this new law," he added.
"This isn't saying you can't hunt a predator – of course you can – but it is saying that when you take that animal, you will dispatch it as a sportsman – without torture, abuse and reprehensible actions. And if you torture Wyoming's wildlife, it's a felony with penalties consistent with Wyoming Game and Fish statutes," Ulrich said.
Ulrich is joined in Wyoming Sportsmanship by Josh Coursey, President of the Muley Fanatic Foundation, and Marilyn Kite, former state Supreme Court Chief Justice and a founder of the Wyoming Women's Antelope Hunt.
"Uniquely, the wildlife in Wyoming is a resource belonging to the people of this great state. What they saw in the case of multi-day wolf torture was something Wyoming people want the Legislature to deal with strongly," said Coursey.
The Clean Kill Bill is sponsored by House Travel, Recreation and Wildlife Committee Chairman Andrew Byron and cosponsored by Senate Chairman of Travel, Recreation and Wildlife Committee, Bill Landen.
Chairman Byron said, "Wyoming learned there is a deficiency in our statutes – an absence of directly addressing wildlife torture in order to stop it from the start – and we need to address that deficiency with a strong bill that specifically takes on wildlife torture. This is leadership, this is stewardship and passing this bill in this session is important to make sure that no one thinks they will just get a slap on the wrist and lots of media attention for torturing more of Wyoming's wildlife."
Chairman Landen said, "As a lifelong sportsman, I am embarrassed by what happened in Sublette County. The Wyoming Legislature needs to respond and this is the right thing to do." He added, "As sportsmen we are not taught to treat any animal like that."
Coursey also said, "Protecting hunting and predator management are essential priorities that must be upheld. We have seen and heard of language in other efforts to address this unfortunate circumstance that have unintended consequences. The Clean Kill Bill addresses the concerns that Wyoming folk have raised without overreach."
Kite emphasized: "The majority of Wyoming people proudly support true sportsmanship, with 78 percent supporting meaningful consequences for those who would maliciously torture wildlife. The legislation has no impact on predator management, which remains essential to protecting livestock."
A poll was conducted in December 2024 by Wyoming Sportsmanship. Its findings are clear: The May 2024 case of Cody Roberts torturing a wolf over multiple days is abhorrent to Wyoming people, and Wyoming people are nearly 80 percent in favor of strict, felony-level penalties for wildlife torture in the state.
Please visit http://www.wyomingsportsmanship.com for more information.
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