Two years ago, the world got rightly angry with Wyoming resident Cody Roberts. The case involved Roberts striking a juvenile wolf with his snowmobile and, instead of putting the predator out of its pain, tapped its mouth shut, and dragged the injured animal into a local bar for patrons to snap photos with. He later dispatched the wolf behind the bar. And, obviously, he posted pictures of the incident online, as everyone can't go three seconds without telling the world what they're doing.
As you can imagine, the proverbial excrement hit the fan, with animal rights groups, snowmobiling associations, hunting and fishing organizations, and pretty much everyone but a few select ranchers, called him out on his actions. The world quickly became aware of the practice called "wolf whacking," and almost no one was pleased.
Roberts originally didn't face much of a punishment for his actions, as the most the Wyoming Department of Natural Resources could do was impose a small fine for the transport of a live, warm-blooded animal. Subsequent actions taken by the state's legislature also failed to hold him accountable, as ranchers lobbied to not change current statutes.
But in recent months, the case took a turn, as prosecutors believed they had enough evidence to charge Roberts with a misdemeanor felony. And while Roberts appealed the courts with arguments left and right, ultimately, the man took a plea deal in order to avoid any potential jail time, seemingly bringing the case to its final close.
According to Wyofile, which has been following this story since the beginning and doing amazing reporting on it, "A signed plea agreement filed with the Sublette County District Court and obtained by WyoFile on Wednesday afternoon means that Roberts, 44, would likely no longer face trial. It had been set to begin March 9. Under the deal, Roberts will withdraw his earlier not guilty plea and plead guilty or no contest to felony cruelty to animals."
The plea deal, which still needs to be approved by the judge overseeing the case, would mean that Roberts would avoid going to trial, which could result in him facing an 18-month to two-year prison sentence. Instead, he'll face 18 months of probation, a $1,000 fine, and won't be able to hunt, fish, or purchase or consume alcohol for the entirety of his 18-month probation. He'll also have to follow a "recommended addiction treatment" plan, though it's unclear what that'll be.
My own personal take on the whole situation is that I had hoped the Wyoming legislature would've stepped up. Predator hunting and management is one thing, as hunting is wildlife management and it should be up to hunters to manage for healthy populations. Tossing that stewardship down the road hurts everyone in the long run. Likewise, tying Roberts' consequences to hunting by prohibiting him from hunting is a slap to the face of ethical hunters everywhere, as wolf whacking ain't hunting. It's not fair-chase, nor even relates to what real hunters do.
It was animal cruelty, plain and simple.
That said, it does seem like the case is finally close, and at least there were some consequences to his actions. That is really all we can ask for in the end, and push for better regulations in the future.
