Fourth Attempt: Wyoming Lawmaker Again Seeks to Ban Snowmobile Wildlife Harassment

For the fourth time in two years, a western Wyoming legislator is trying to outlaw the practice of chasing and striking wildlife with snowmobiles on public land—a legal activity that drew national outrage following a high-profile 2024 case involving a wolf. Rep. Mike Schmid, R-La Barge, filed House Bill 153 on Wednesday, proposing to prohibit intentionally harassing, pursuing, or killing any Wyoming wildlife or predatory animals using motorized vehicles, including snowmobiles, on public property.

Schmid’s latest effort comes amid ongoing fallout from the case of Cody Roberts, a Daniel resident who allegedly ran over a wolf with a snowmobile before taking the injured animal to a local bar. Roberts faces felony animal cruelty charges. That incident, Schmid said, reflects a broader problem with recreational riders—many from out of state—who abuse a practice that some livestock producers defend as necessary for predator control.

“It’s not going to affect coyote hunters,” Schmid said. “They can still pursue. They just can’t use the machine as an intentional weapon.” He emphasized the bill applies only to public land, carving out an exception for ranchers defending livestock on private property.

The proposal has already drawn sharp criticism from within the agriculture industry. Cat Urbigkit, a Sublette County woolgrower who ran against Schmid in the last election, called the bill “poorly crafted” on Facebook and said it “should be killed.” She argued that many ranches operate on interspersed public and private land and rely on intentionally harassing predators to protect sheep and cattle. “My state representative just proved that he doesn’t represent my interests at all,” Urbigkit wrote.

Wildlife advocates, however, see HB 153 as a long-overdue correction. Lisa Robertson, a Jackson Hole activist, noted lawmakers have tried and failed to address the issue since 2019. “This could be a simple solution to preventing injuries and deaths of wildlife and predatory animals caused by vehicles, including snowmobiles,” she said. “We should all be able to support this.”

Schmid’s previous attempts stalled in 2025 after opposition from livestock interests and skepticism from fellow lawmakers. The current bill faces a steep climb: as a non-budget measure introduced during a budget session, it requires two-thirds approval in the House to advance. The introduction deadline is Friday.