The Wyoming Game and Fish Commission has directed the Department to move forward with the Wyoming Wildlife Taskforce recommendation to eliminate the 7,250 cap on nonresident elk licenses and develop regions for nonresident elk general license hunt areas. Learn what it means for hunters.
Nonresident Elk License Cap and Development of Nonresident General Elk Regions Fact Sheet:
In June 2022, the Wyoming Wildlife Taskforce recommended the Wyoming Game and Fish Commission remove the 7,250 cap on nonresident elk licenses, establish regions for nonresident General elk licenses, and implement a process for determining the nonresident general elk license quotas for each region that takes into consideration: (1) herd objectives, (2) access to hunting opportunity, and (3) resident hunting experience/hunter pressure.
In July 2022, the Wyoming Game and Fish Commission directed the Department to move forward with the public process to remove the 7,250 nonresident cap, and develop regions for nonresident general elk hunting with preliminary quotas.
Nonresident general elk regions will be managed similarly to nonresident general deer regions.
Nonresident general elk regions were developed using elk population data and harvest survey information from 2019 through 2021.
While the proposed nonresident elk regions include limited quota hunt areas within their overall boundaries, General license hunters will only be allowed to hunt in areas identified in
Commission Regulation as open to General licenses.
The 7,250 cap of nonresident elk licenses is regulated through the Wyoming Game and Fish Commission’s Chapter 44 Regulation for Issuance of Licenses, Permits, Stamps, Tags,
Preference Points and Competitive Raffle Chances.
Proposed changes to Chapter 44, including nonresident region general elk hunt area maps, nonresident region General elk license quotas and the removal of the 7,250 cap will be available
for public review and comment on the Department’s website in April, 2023.
The revised Chapter 44 regulation will be presented to the Wyoming Game and Fish Commission at their July 18-19, 2023 meeting in Wheatland, Wyoming.
WE WANT TO HEAR YOUR THOUGHTS.
FAQs
A. The Wyoming Wildlife Taskforce was convened to study top-priority wildlife policy issues facing the state related to the allocation of hunting opportunity, sportsperson access and other issues. The topics are identified by the taskforce members with input from the public for study over an 18-month period with the goal of presenting conclusions and recommendations to the Wyoming Legislature, Game and Fish Commission and governor to support decision-making on Wyoming’s wildlife resources. The Taskforce has no rule-making authority.
A. The Taskforce recognized that the 7,250 cap for non-resident general license allocation instituted in the 1980s was based on the average of non-resident license sales at that time. There was no biological purpose for this number. 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.
A. Residents and nonresidents will still be in separate draws, with 90% of available licenses to residents and 10% to nonresidents.