WYOMING — The Wyoming Wildlife Taskforce recently released its final report making a total of 17 recommendations to the governor, legislators and Wyoming Game and Fish Commission related to “top-priority wildlife policy issues.”
The Taskforce recommended that Governor Mark Gordon continue to take all possible steps to return management of the Greater Yellowstone population of grizzly bears back to the State of Wyoming.
In a letter to Gordon, the Taskforce said, “the Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem’s population of grizzly bears has achieved, and exceeded, federal recovery criteria.”
The letter went on to say that the state has a sound management plan for when grizzlies are returned to state management.
“Hunting is a time-tested model for managing many wildlife species in North America, including large carnivores,” the letter states. “It also offers those who provide the financial resources to manage grizzly bears an opportunity to take an active role in their management.”
Other letters were sent to Senator Affie Ellis and Representative Jamie Flitner
co-chairs of the Travel, Recreation, Wildlife and Cultural Resources Committee. One urged legislation on a 90/10 policy for “Big 5” tags, meaning 90% of all bighorn sheep, moose, mountain goat, bison and grizzly bear tags are allocated to residents and the remaining 10% go to nonresidents.
The Taskforce asked Ellis and Flitner to have their committee consider drafting legislation to differentiate whitetail deer and mule deer in state Statutes.
The Taskforce also sent a letter to the Wyoming Game and Fish Commission recommending that the 1980s-era non-resident elk hunting license cap of 7,250 be removed because the number was based on the average non-resident license sale at the time.
“There was no biological purpose for this number,” the Taskforce said. “The state elk population has increased significantly since the 1980s and new methods are required to manage these herds in Wyoming. With the cap removed, game managers will have greater flexibility to control harvest.”
The Taskforce said allowing game managers to regionalize the allocation of licenses for non-residents will help manage population and hunter crowding.
Other recommendations include:
- Once-in-a-lifetime drawing for “Big 5” tags, attempting to guarantee that everyone who is able to apply for their entire lifetime, would draw a license.
- Funding for the Wyoming Wildlife and Natural Resources Trust Fund.
- Updates to the preference point system for bighorn sheep and moose licenses.
- Continued support for wildlife crossings
- Limits to antelope license allocations
- Support for invasive grass eradication
- Updates to landowner hunting license regulations
- Support for legislation to give the Wyoming Game and Fish Commission authority over the use of emerging hunting technologies such as drones and advanced archery equipment.
- A fee increase for nonresidential “Big 5” tags
- Fee increases for nonresidential special licenses
- A 24-hour head start for residents during leftover license drawings
- Wildlife Conservation license plate funds be spent only on actual construction costs and the Wyoming Transportation Commission include the Game and Fish Commission in the approval of funds.
- Developing waiting periods for hard-to-draw elk, deer and antelope licenses.
The report is years in the making; the Wildlife Taskforce first began meeting in June 2021 and is comprised of 18 members including county commissioners, landowners, state representatives, state senators and state officials.
According to a press release by the Wyoming Game and Fish Department, the members were jointly appointed by the Governor, the speaker of the House of Representatives, the president of the Senate, the president of the Wyoming Game and Fish Commission and the director of the Wyoming Game and Fish Department.
The Director of the Game and Fish Department, Brian Nesvik and President of the Game and Fish Commission, Pete Dube were also members. No one from Teton County was on the Taskforce.
The full, 2,630-page report is available for download here.
