WYOMING— A bill giving Wyoming shed hunters a three-day headstart is heading to the Governor’s desk for his signature.
House Bill 123, Collection of antler or horns by residents and nonresidents, passed on the Senate Floor this morning, Feb. 27, on its third reading. Senators first voted to reconsider the bill, then voted 16-15 to pass it.
The bill outlines that the Wyoming Game and Fish Commission is the authoritative body for establishing seasons for the collection of shed antlers and horns on public lands but “any season to collect big game animal antlers and horns shall begin for residents three (3) days before the start of the season for nonresidents.”
According to reporting by Wyofile, “to protect wintering wildlife the Wyoming Legislature changed the law back in 2009 to prohibit shed hunting west of the Continental Divide between Dec. 1 and May 1. As a result thousands of out-of-staters mob the landscape all at once when the restriction lifts.”
Last year Game and Fish opted to push the opening time for shed hunting from midnight on May 1 to 6 a.m. May 1.
“The May 1 antler opening in years past used to be a madhouse event starting at midnight, with everyone running around the hillside with headlights on,” Evan Guzik, public affairs specialist for Bridger-Teton National Forest told Buckrail last April.
In an effort to manage the masses, the Town of Jackson also implemented an application requirement and motorcade sign-up process for those wishing to access the Elk Refuge Road to Curtis Canyon area. Instructions for the 2023 hunt are expected to be released on March 1.
HB123 also states, “for the purpose of this act, all wildlife in Wyoming is the property of the state, including shed antlers or horns located on public lands.”
If Governor Gordon signs HB123, it will take effect July 1, making this year’s shed antler opener the last unregulated hunt for nonresidents.
An enforcement plan has yet to be seen.
Senator Dan Dockstader (R-Teton, Lincoln) along with Representatives Mike Yin (D-Teton), Liz Storer (D-Teton) and Andrew Byron (R-Teton, Lincoln) voted in favor of the bill. Senator Mike Gierau (D-Teton) voted against the bill.
