Boaters still have time to submit their surveys to be entered into the 2016 Wyoming AIS Boater Appreciation Raffle. The last day to enter the raffle is November 30, and winners will be selected and posted on the Wyoming Game and Fish Department raffle webpage on December 1.

Boaters who went through an inspection at a Game and Fish  AIS check station this season received a receipt with a unique identifying number. With this number, boaters can go to the Game and Fish website, fill out a short survey and submit their entry. As a thanks to boaters, Game and Fish is partnering with outdoor recreation businesses to enter into a raffle for prizes, including a kayak package with two Emotion Guster Kayaks, paddles, lifejackets, ratchet straps and a Yeti Tundra 65 Cooler; a two-person guided trout or walleye fishing trip; Garmin Striker 5cv Fish Finder; Coolest Cooler and a Creek Company Odc 420 Ultralight Float Tube. Prizes are provided by Sportsmen’s Warehouse, Two Dogs Guide Service, Citimarine, Marine Products and the West Laramie Fly Store. All prizes are completely funded by raffle sponsors.  

“Boaters work hard to make sure they clean, drain, dry their watercraft and stop at inspection stations when required, to keep invasive species from spreading in Wyoming. The raffle is a means to say thanks for taking the time to help with this effort from Game and Fish and our partners,” said Beth Bear, the AIS program coordinator for the Game and Fish. 

This was Wyoming’s eighth boating season following passage of Aquatic Invasive Species (AIS) legislation in 2010. In 2017, over 40,000 watercraft inspections were conducted for invasive plants and animals, including zebra and quagga mussels. This included over 2,800 inspections on watercraft considered to be a high risk for transporting AIS, and of those over 600 required decontamination to eliminate the potential for AIS transport.