Hunting Season FAQ's
Frequently Asked Questions
by Wyoming Game & Fish
September 22, 2006
b>Q - What licenses are still available, and how can I obtain one?
A - A list of leftover licenses can be obtained at any Game and Fish Office or on the Game and Fish website at http://gf.state.wy.us/wildlife/hunting/license/leftover/index.asp. Hunters can purchase full priced licenses by sending an application via mail or hand delivering it to the Cheyenne Headquarters Office. Most of the remaining elk, antelope and deer licenses are for hunt areas in which it is difficult to obtain access. Reduced price licenses for hunt areas in the region will be on sale at selected local vendors beginning August 15. Hunters should get permission to hunt before obtaining a license.
Q - Where can I hunt? In some hunt areas there is public land.
A - Hunters can hunt on this land as long as they obey the rules and regulations of those who manage the land. Most state sections are open to hunting, but there are some exceptions. You can contact the state land board for information about specific areas. Hunters must have permission to hunt on private land. We recommend that they have the landowner sign their license as evidence that they have permission. You should not wait until the morning you plan to hunt to secure permission. Respect the landowner, and obtain permission well in advance of the season. The Game and Fish has also secured access to some private lands for hunting. The Game and Fish pays a fee so that hunters have places to hunt. You can find out about the Access Yes program, and Walk-in Areas or Hunter Management Areas by stopping by any Game and Fish office or logging onto the Game and Fish website.
Q - I just moved here, how long will it be before I can purchase a resident license?
A - You will have to wait one full year (365 days) to obtain a resident license. During that time, you cannot claim residency in any other state for any reason. You will lose your residency if you reside in any other sate, territory or country for an aggregate of 180 days or more in a calendar year. There are a few exceptions to this rule. If you have a question about residency, find out your status before you purchase a license.
Q - I've heard that you can hunt coyotes and prairie dogs without a license, is this true?
A - Coyotes, jackrabbits, porcupines, raccoons, red fox, skunk and stray cats are considered predatory animals in Wyoming. You can hunt these animals without a license, but would still need landowner permission and cannot shoot on or across any public road. You can also hunt prairie dogs, but the Game and Fish does not maintain lists of where you can go.
Q - If I shoot an elk and pack out a quarter at a time, what do I do with the tag?
A - Large animals like elk are frequently packed out in quarters or pieces. If this procedure becomes necessary, the carcass coupon or tag should remain with the person packing out the animal. Remember that whenever a kill is made under any circumstances, the normal tagging procedure as outlined on your license must be followed. Simply detach the tag from the license, cut out the entire wedge for the day and month and sign the coupon. If you need to leave your animal to get help to pack it out the tag must be left attached to the carcass.
Q - When do I have to leave evidence of sex on a big game animal I harvest?
A - Wyoming regulations require evidence of sex to be left attached to any carcass taken in a hunt area where the taking of either sex is controlled or prohibited. The evidence can be either the visible sex organs or the head with horns or antlers attached. The evidence, including the head if it is to be used as evidence of sex, must remain naturally attached to a quarter, or an edible portion of meat, if the animal is boned or quartered. The evidence must remain naturally attached until the carcass is in the residence of the hunter or until it is delivered to a custom meat processor licensed by the Wyoming Department of Agriculture.
Q - Do I need to buy an archery license for both my deer and elk license?
A - You need to buy an archery license in addition to your deer and elk license to hunt during the archery pre-season. You do not need to buy separate archery licenses for elk, deer, antelope or whatever other big game you may be hunting with bow and arrow. The archery license is required of all archers who have a regular, not "archery only" license. Holders of archery only licenses do not need the separate archery permit. The resident archery license is $13; $25 nonresident.
Q - I hear that only boned big game meat can be transported from Wyoming due to concerns about spreading chronic wasting disease. Is that right?
A - In 2005, Wyoming passed a regulation that provides two options to hunters who harvest a deer or elk in a CWD area. Hunters can leave the head and spine at the site of the kill; or they can take the animal to a Wyoming residence for processing, to a Wyoming taxidermist, game processor, Department CWD sample site, or the Wyoming State Veterinary Laboratory in Laramie, as long as the head and spine are disposed of in an approved landfill.
Q - What parts can be transported within Wyoming or imported to Wyoming from other states with CWD?
A - Edible portions with no part of the spinal column or head attached; cleaned hides without the head; skull plates that have been cleaned of all meat and brain tissue; detached antlers; upper canine teeth, or, finished taxidermy mounts.
Q - I have an elk license but will be unable to go hunting. Can I give the license to a friend?
A - Wyoming regulation specifically prohibits the transfer of licenses from one individual to another. If you cannot go hunting then your license cannot legally be used. Wyoming regulation prohibits the taking of wildlife using another hunter's license. It is much the same as with most licenses. For example, if you obtained a driver's license and were unable to drive, you could not transfer it to another person.
Q - Does the Game and Fish have maps?
A - The Game and Fish has the hunt area regulation map. These maps display only the hunt area boundaries. These maps do not show land ownership. Hunters will need to obtain a map from the U.S. Forest Service, the Bureau of Land Management, the U.S. Geological Survey or a local vendor to make sure they know if they are on public or private land, and to ensure they are in the correct hunt area.
Q - Can I buy a black bear or mountain lion license, or are there special requirements?
A - Residents and non-residents can purchase black bear and mountain lion licenses over the counter at license selling agents. Bears and lions have female mortality quotas. When hunters have harvested the predetermined number of females in a specific area, that area is closed. To see if areas are open, hunters call a 1-800 number. Mountain black bear and mountain lion hunters must present the skull and pelt, with evidence of sex still attached to a district game warden, district wildlife biologist or Department personnel at a Game and Fish office within 3 days (72 hours) of the harvest.
Q - What are the hunter safety requirements for Wyoming?
A - Anyone born on or after January 1, 1966 must carry a hunter safety card with them while hunting with a firearm to be able to demonstrate that they have taken and passed a hunter education course. All Hunters in Grand Teton National Park and the National Elk Refuge are required to posses a hunter safety certificate, regardless of age.If you have lost your card and it was issued in Wyoming, you can obtain a duplicate at any Game and Fish office for a $5 fee.
Q - I lost my hunting license, what can I do?
A - You must obtain a duplicate hunting or fishing license before heading back out to the field. You must obtain a duplicate affidavit from the original license selling agent, then you can purchase a duplicate license there or at any Game and Fish Office. Offices are generally open from 8-5 Monday through Friday.
Q - I plan to use an ORV to retrieve my animal, what are the regulations?
A - Each land management agency has specific regulations on off road vehicle use. Check with them. You may also need an ORV permit. You can call 307-777-7477 or log onto their website at http://wyotrails.state.wy.us.
|
