Ely council directs attorney to draft ordinance banning hunting in city limits

The Ely City Council on Sept. 12 voted to direct the City Attorney to draft an ordinance prohibiting hunting within the city limits following multiple public comments about a recent in‑town deer kill.

Residents at the meeting urged action. “Any hunting including corralling, herding, chasing, or harassing wildlife within the City limits is immoral, unethical, and unsafe,” said Julie Gianoli during the public‑comment period, citing community safety concerns. John Gianoli said “just because something is legal does not make it ethical,” and urged the council to act to prevent in‑town harvesting of big game.

Councilman Kurt Carson moved to direct the City Attorney to draft such an ordinance; Councilman Terrill Trask seconded the motion and the council voted unanimously to proceed. The motion instructs the City Attorney to prepare draft language and to consult stakeholders before returning the ordinance for council consideration.

City Attorney Shain Manuele told the council the issue is more complex than a single prohibition and said he would research options and legal requirements, including whether state law imposes posting or other duties. “I’d like to have more conversations around it to say, what is our actual desire? What are we trying to limit? What are we okay with?” he said.

Nevada Department of Wildlife Game Warden Nick Brunson encouraged focusing on big‑game animals and suggested explicitly including city‑owned lands in any ordinance. “I do think big game issues are kind of the main issue,” he said, noting many Ely deer are habituated to people and do not behave like wild deer from surrounding areas. Police Chief Scott Henriod urged a broader scope to avoid gaps (for example, animals such as coyotes), and he described limits of current criminal statutes when no individual victim reports endangerment.

Why it matters: Council members said the directive responds to safety and ethical concerns raised by residents and observers who said a recent incident brought the issue to public attention. Officials also emphasized the need to craft enforceable local rules that align with Nevada Revised Statutes and with state wildlife enforcement practices.

What happens next: The City Attorney will draft ordinance language and consult with local stakeholders, including law enforcement and the Nevada Department of Wildlife, before returning a proposed ordinance to the Council for debate and possible adoption. No firm deadline for the draft was given at the meeting.