Anger over bobcat video causes meeting tension

Eight armed Nevada Department of Wildlife officers escorted members of the county Advisory Board to Manage Wildlife into the government center Tuesday night.

They monitored the group's meeting in the County Commission chambers, and they kept a watchful eye on vehicles in the parking lot.

It was out of the ordinary for the seven-member board filled with sportsmen, farmers and ranchers -- appointed by the County Commission -- that advises the Nevada Wildlife Commission on wildlife matters.

The strong police presence was a safety precaution after Tracy Truman, the board's vice chairman and a 40-year trapper, shot and posted online a video of his dog barking and lunging at a bobcat snagged in a leg trap. Truman, who said last month that the video was an educational tool meant to show other trappers that a dog doesn't have to make contact with a trapped animal, did not attend the meeting.

Paul Dixon, the county board chairman, said Truman was absent because he was advised by law enforcement to skip the meeting after receiving death threats.

More than 40 people attended the meeting. A handful spoke about Truman's character, calling him "a great guy." Dozens called the video "horrific" and said they want Truman off the board. Protesters of the video denounced any threats made against Truman. At one point, a Truman supporter and a protester briefly clashed in the audience, and Dixon warned them to settle their issues in the hallway. Some took issue with Truman calling the video an educational tool, because there was no disclaimer with the video.

Karen Layne, local Humane Society president, characterized the video as "harassment of wildlife."

Public reaction to the video has Las Vegas police investigating whether Truman is the victim of a stalker after he filed a police report Jan. 23. According to the report, an unidentified male has called Truman's law office more than once regarding the bobcat video, said officer Jay Rivera, a spokesman for the Metropolitan Police Department.

The police report does not mention any threats to Truman's life, Rivera added.

The state wildlife department also is looking further into Truman's bobcat video, an agency spokesman confirmed. The results of that investigation will be forwarded to the district attorney's office.

Local animal rights activists reposted the video, without Truman's permission, and are calling on the County Commission to remove him from the board. The video has since been removed from YouTube after Truman complained of copyright infringement.

The video, shot in December in the Spring Mountains, shows a bobcat trapped by one leg. Truman's hand appears in the video holding part of a chain attached to the trap while his dog barks at the bobcat, which takes a few swipes at the dog. Truman is heard encouraging the dog and saying, "Get him, boy!" as he pulls on the chain. The animals never make contact with each other in the minute-long video.

County Commissioner Chris Giunchigliani has called the video "disgusting" and said the commission will discuss the video and Truman's appointment at a Feb. 21 meeting.

Truman, who has met privately with individual commissioners, refused to step down, even after Commissioner Steve Sisolak asked him to do so.

"The video is disturbing," Sisolak said. "I think the animal is being tortured and used to taunt the dog. I didn't see any purpose in it. I'm not buying it was a training video."

Sisolak said he will not support Truman for reappointment when his three-year term is up in 2014.

Before Tuesday's meeting, wildlife law enforcement "did a threat assessment," Dixon said.

Threats were made by phone calls, emails and letters to harm board members' vehicles, he added.

According to the Nevada Trappers Association, which Truman serves as vice president, bobcat trapping is a lucrative business that has been in Nevada since the late 1820s. Individual pelts sell from $443 to $1,111, according to statistics from last year's annual fur sale in Fallon.

Contact reporter Kristi Jourdan at
kjourdan@reviewjournal.com or 702-455-4519.