The Wyoming Game and Fish Department is encouraging anyone who finds or harvests an animal that is wearing a tracking collar (or transmitter) to return that piece of equipment undamaged and as soon as possible to any Game and Fish office throughout the state.

“Between our projects and those through the University of Wyoming Cooperative Fish
and Wildlife Research Unit, there are a lot of radio-collared animals around the state,” said Laramie Wildlife Biologist Lee Knox.

In various areas of Wyoming, people may come across collared big game animals including moose, mule deer, pronghorn, bighorn sheep or elk. There are also trophy game animals wearing collars, including black bears, grizzly bears, mountain lions and wolves; game birds and waterfowl.

“Sometimes we have animals that have been collared or radio-tagged in other states or National Parks that turn up in Wyoming as well, and gaining insight into the start and endpoint of the animal or collar allows managers to better understand the long range movement patterns of some of these animals on the landscape,” said Knox.   

It is extremely important that people refrain from cutting, damaging or otherwise destroying any portion of a collar. 

“If you find a collar in the field, please do not cut it off the animal unless you have the proper tools to remove it without damaging the collar in any way,” Knox said. Otherwise, he asks that people mark the location or take GPS coordinates and let the local Game and Fish office know where it is. “We want to keep these collars intact to reuse them and save money, and cutting through the collar can disable it enough that we may not be able to recover data from it or reuse the collar.”

If you do find a collar, contact the nearest Game and Fish Department office or call the Cheyenne Headquarters at (307) 777-4600.