WARNING: CONTAINS SENSITIVE/DISTURBING IMAGES
WHAT IS YOTE WHACKING?
Yote whacking is the killing of coyotes or wolves by running them down and running them over repeatedly with snowmobiles.
Despite being the subject of statewide, national and international outrage, yote whacking continues to be legal in the state of Wyoming, with no animal cruelty laws in place to protect wolves, coyotes and other predators* from torture or animal cruelty.
*Other animals that are considered predators in Wyoming include red foxes, raccoons, porcupines, skunks, jackrabbits, and domestic stray cats.
THE OVERALL ISSUE
Yote whacking has seen an increase in media coverage as a result of a recent incident in Daniel, Wyoming, wherein a wolf was run over by a snowmobile, tied up, and paraded around a local bar before being killed. The incident was the subject of widespread local and national coverage.
While some have tried to suggest that this incident was an isolated occurrence, yote whacking is not uncommon. Ranchers consider yote whacking to be a tool to remove coyotes and wolves from their land, and snowmobilers consider yote whacking to be a leisure activity.
The majority of Wyoming citizens who are aware of what yote whacking is are horrified of the practice. Despite this, Wyoming still lacks laws to protect predators from this form of animal cruelty. Not only do the state's wildlife managers, ranchers and lawmakers have no intention of creating punishments for yote whacking, they have recently proposed legislation that will codify the practice into Wyoming's animal law.
WHAT YOU CAN DO:
Wyoming lawmakers, as of January 23, 2025, are considering two vital bills, HB0003 and HB0275, representing a move in the right direction. One would require the humane killing of the animal immediately after running over it on public lands, an outdated and inhumane practice. The other would impose harsher penalties on those who torture predators.
HB0275, the more comprehensive bill, is a step in the right direction, but our lawmakers need to hear from the public that running to exhaustion, terrifying, and then crushing an animal, any animal, with any vehicle, is not acceptable behavior in a modern society. A third suggested bill might restrict running over any animals by vehicular methods. This should be striven for.
Concerned constituents should write directly to your representatives and make clear your displeasure at the current state of the bill, which must be thrown out in favor of a new draft that actually makes yote whacking an effectively illegal practice. Your input is essential.
HB0275 is in the TRW committee. Sponsors are Representative(s) Byron <Andrew.Byron@wyoleg.gov>, Schmid <Mike.Schmid@wyoleg.gov>, Singh <Daniel.Singh@wyoleg.gov>, Williams <jd.williams@wyoleg.gov>, and Senator(s) Barlow <Eric.Barlow@wyoleg.gov>, Hutchings <Lynn.Hutchings@wyoleg.gov>, Landen <Bill.Landen@wyoleg.gov>, Nethercott <Tara.Nethercott@wyoleg.gov>, Olsen <Jared.Olsen@wyoleg.gov>
Credits:
Website written and designed by Landon Alsup Sources for photographers included