Wyoming residents with watercraft can save on registrations and renewals during the month of December. Watercraft registrations are one of the fees set to increase on Jan. 1, 2018. Watercraft registration and renewal information is available on the Game and Fish website. Residents and non-residents can also save in the last few weeks of December on annual fishing, small game and game bird licenses, and lifetime licenses and stamps for the 2018 season.

It’s been 10 years since there was an increased fee for hunting, fishing and other licenses in Wyoming, during that time costs of wildlife management have continued to escalate. But, the 2017 Wyoming Legislature also had to continue to reduce spending. One way was to cut the $6 million per year that came from the state’s general fund to Game and Fish. Recognizing the value of conserving the state’s wildlife lawmakers also passed a license fee increase to offset the cut and to maintain current investments in wildlife at the level they are at now. 

This change means the Wyoming Game and Fish Department no longer receives any general fund legislative support and is funded almost entirely by sportspeople through license sales and federal excise revenue coming from the sale of hunting, shooting and fishing equipment.

“We want to thank hunters and anglers for investing in the future of all of Wyoming’s wildlife,” said Scott Talbott, director of Game and Fish.“Thanks to lawmakers for their support this license fee increase allows your Wyoming Game and Fish Department to maintain the same level of services and wildlife management without state funds. Sportsmen and sportswomen fund nearly all wildlife management from mule deer to minnows and grizzly bears to cutthroat trout.”