CHEYENNE, Wyo. — Starting this year, all licensed sage-grouse hunters will be required to carry a free, annual sage-grouse hunting permit, the Wyoming Game and Fish Department (WGFD) has announced.
WGFD said the new regulation would allow for better assessment of Wyoming’s sage-grouse population, and allows personnel to send surveys to sage-grouse hunters in its efforts to gather hunting experience data. The new permit will provide data specific to sage-grouse hunters, instead of sifting through data from all game bird license holders.
“Wyoming has about 60,000 game bird license holders each year, with only a few thousand estimated to hunt sage-grouse,” WGFD Sage-grouse/Sagebrush Biologist Nyssa Whitford said in the announcement. “The new annual permit system will allow Game and Fish to send targeted surveys to sage-grouse hunters, ensuring more accurate and timely data to aid in the management of this iconic species.”
According to the WGFD, all licensed sage-grouse hunters must carry the permit alongside their game bird license. This requirement applies to daily, annual, lifetime and pioneer license holders. Wyoming hunters under the age of 14 are exempt from needing the permit as they do not require a license to hunt game birds. However, nonresident hunters under the age of 14 who purchase a game bird license and take their own limit will need a sage-grouse permit. Falconers hunting sage-grouse must possess the sage-grouse permit and their falconry and game bird licenses.
The sage-grouse permit can be acquired at Game and Fish offices or online through the department’s website. It can be obtained as a paper copy or electronically via a mobile device. A screenshot or downloaded PDF of the permit on a mobile device is acceptable in the field. The permit will not be available at license selling agents.
Learn more about the sage-grouse hunting seasons and requirements in the 2024 Game Bird and Small Game Regulations.
