SHERIDAN — Bagging a moose or bighorn sheep in Sheridan County may become a little easier if the Wyoming Legislature moves forward with recent recommendations from the Wyoming Wildlife Taskforce.
In a series of unanimous votes earlier this week in Casper, the taskforce agreed to issue two recommendations to Gov. Mark Gordon, the Wyoming Legislature and the Wyoming Game and Fish Commission. Both recommendations serve as ways to increase opportunities for local sportsmen hoping to hunt the “big five” — moose, bighorn sheep, bison, mountain goats and grizzly bears.
“For all of these animals, there is such a small number of tags available compared to the amount of interest in hunting them,” taskforce co-chairman and Sweetwater County resident Josh Coursey said. “Our goal is to make it easier to get tags into the hands of local sportsmen. These changes will have an impact, but I think it might be a pretty minimal impact considering the size of the problem we’re trying to deal with. But at least we’re taking steps forward and recommending solutions.”
Both of the recommended big five changes will be potential topics for the state legislature next spring.
The Wyoming Wildlife Taskforce, comprising 18 members including sportsmen, legislators and landowners from across the state, was formed by Gordon with direction from the Legislature. The taskforce's charge is to study top-priority wildlife policy issues facing the state related to the allocation of hunting opportunity, sportsperson access and other issues.
The taskforce’s big five suggestions aim to increase local hunting opportunities for some of Wyoming’s rarest and most coveted animals, according to Coursey.
The taskforce’s first suggestion is to make a big five license “once in a lifetime.” Currently, hunters can reapply for a big five license five years after previously drawing a tag, and this change prevents some hunters from drawing a tag multiple times while others struggle to get a single tag.
The second suggestion is to institute a 90-10 split for big five licenses, with local hunters receiving 90% of the licenses and out-of-state sportsmen receiving 10%, according to taskforce co-chairman and Campbell County Commissioner Rusty Bell. Currently, 75% of big five licenses are allocated to local hunters with 25% allocated to out-of-state hunters.
The change would have a small but noticeable effect on the number of big five licenses available to Wyoming residents, Coursey said. For example, 180 bighorn sheep tags were available in the state last year with 135 going to local hunters. Under the recommended change, that number would increase to 162.
Similarly, 340 moose tags were available in the state last year with 255 going to local hunters. Under the recommended change, that number would increase to 306. Based on last year’s tag allocation totals, 27 new bison tags and 17 new mountain goat tags would be available to local hunters.
The new recommendations, if moved forward by the Legislature, would not apply to grizzly bears, which are currently endangered species and cannot be hunted. However, the new big five rules would apply if the endangered species designation is ever lifted, according to Bell.
While these recommendations would increase hunter opportunities, they do not address the biggest problem facing the big five: populations are decreasing, and because of that, the opportunity for sportsmen to hunt them is shrinking as well.
That’s why the taskforce is also recommending the Legislature fully fund the Wyoming Wildlife and Natural Resource Trust, which pays for habitat preservation.
“The best way to create more opportunities for hunters is to get populations up to where they once were,” Bell said. “Like everything, habitat preservation costs money, but we believe it is the best way to protect these species and help their populations grow, which, in turn, creates opportunities for hunters.”
The Wyoming Wildlife Taskforce’s next meeting is Sept. 1 in Casper, but the taskforce will also hold a community listening session at the Campbell County Public Library in Gillette Thursday at 6 p.m.
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