Clark County Commissioners defer decision on wildlife board member

Trapper Tracy Truman will remain on the Clark County Advisory Board to Manage Wildlife despite posting a video of his dog barking and lunging at a trapped bobcat, footage that angered some of the county commissioners who approved his appointment.

The County Commission decided Tuesday to defer for 30 days the discussion considering Truman's membership on the board of sportsmen, farmers and ranchers who advise the Nevada Wildlife Commission on wildlife matters.

The item will come back in front of the commission March 20.

In an email to commissioners, former interim District Attorney Mary-Anne Miller, who serves as county counsel, advised officials to defer the matter because "a request for prosecution has been submitted to the criminal division of the DA's office."

"It will be awkward and/or ill advised of (Truman) to answer questions from the commissioners about this matter," Miller wrote.

The Nevada Department of Wildlife conducted its own investigation and sent the results to the district attorney's office, which is protocol for any inquiry, according to a department spokesman. It will take the district attorney's office about one or two weeks to review the results, which will not be made public until the prosecutor's office makes a decision about whether to pursue a case.

It is unclear where the prosecution request came from. But Gina Greisen, president of Nevada Voters for Animals, had asked the district attorney's office to hold the file so new District Attorney Steve Wolfson could review it.

"I have not requested for Tracy Truman to be prosecuted," Greisen said. "I requested the file be held until the new district attorney was sworn in. I asked very specific questions of the DA candidates about animal cruelty in a forum. All I wanted was the new district attorney to give the file a full and fair review."

Truman, a 40-year trapper who said 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 Tuesday's meeting.

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 since has been removed from YouTube after Truman complained of copyright infringement.

The video shows a bobcat trapped by one leg. Truman's hand appears holding part of a chain attached to the trap while his dog barks at the bobcat . 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.

Commissioner Steve Sisolak called the video "disturbing" and said he would not support Truman for reappointment .

Truman's three-year board term expires in 2014.