Multiyear Season Setting Proposal
The Wyoming Game and Fish Department is proposing to move from an annual season-setting process to a three-year cycle. If approved by the Wyoming Game and Fish Commission at their April 2027 meeting in Casper, the change will give sportspeople dependable, multi-year season predictability, expand opportunities for meaningful public engagement, and direct more field time toward the wildlife resources hunters care about most.
The Wyoming Game and Fish Department is proposing to move from an annual season-setting process to a three-year cycle. If approved by the Wyoming Game and Fish Commission at their April 2027 meeting in Casper, the change will give sportspeople dependable, multiyear season predictability, expand opportunities for meaningful public engagement, and direct more field time toward the wildlife resources hunters care about most.
What is proposed
Seasons for all big game, small/upland game, migratory game birds, and turkeys, along with the general hunting regulation (Chapter 2), would be set on a three-year cycle. Seasons set in spring 2027 would cover 2028 through 2030. The next season setting would be in 2030, then 2033, and so on.
Frequently Asked Questions
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Public who have questions or wish to share their thoughts early in the process are highly encouraged to call or visit their local Game and Fish regional office to speak directly with regional wildlife staff or reach out to the Commissioner in their Region.
For contact information, find regional office information on the contact us webpage and for Commissioners emails visit the Commission webpage.
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Absolutely not. Annual monitoring flights, harvest surveys and biological data collection will continue uninterrupted every single year. The Wyoming Game and Fish Commission and Department maintain clear emergency authority and mechanisms to adjust license quotas, truncate seasons or alter regulations in the event of severe winter mortality, disease outbreaks, natural disasters or damage situations.
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No. Public input is fundamental to Wyoming's wildlife trust. While formal
regulatory rulemaking will occur once every three years, the department will continue holding regular public engagement opportunities during interim years to discuss local herd health, community concerns or topic spotlights during interim years.
These off-cycle meetings will allow for deeper, more collaborative discussions on topics such as long-term herd health, public access and local concerns.
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A three-year season framework gives hunters, outfitters and landowners a dependable calendar well in advance, eliminating annual uncertainty over season boundaries and regulations.
Moving to a three-year cycle allows Game and Fish game biologists, game wardens and habitat biologists to spend more time in the field, collecting additional winter observations and diving into the data they collect in more detail. Wildlife directly benefits when biologists can spend more time conducting habitat enhancements, disease surveillance and herd health monitoring. Healthier, more resilient wildlife directly translates into higher-quality, more sustainable wildlife populations that all Wyomingites can enjoy.
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Every spring, the Wyoming Game and Fish Department undertakes an intensive, months-long administrative process to propose, vet and formalize hunting season regulations across species and hunt areas.
Several peer western wildlife agencies already use this modern management approach successfully, and it benefits both Wyoming’s sportspeople and its wildlife resources.
Wildlife populations rarely make dramatic shifts in one 12-month cycle. Three-year cycles allow the department to monitor multi-year population trajectories and eliminating yearly regulatory shifts will ensure our management strategies align with real population trends.
What it would mean for you
- More certainty when planning hunts. Seasons and regulations would stay consistent from year to year, so it's easier to plan trips and work with outfitters.
- Better data on how seasons work. More time between changes lets us measure their effects on wildlife and hunting quality.
- Earlier chances to weigh in. Informal public meetings in off-cycle years, such as Mule Deer Community Conversations and December postseason meetings, would let you share input before season proposals are written, not just comment on a finished proposal.
- Allows for more time in the field for biologists. Staff time could shift toward more aerial surveys, wildlife observations, GPS collar and migration analyses, and field research.
What would stay the same
- Seasons can still change when wildlife needs it. Severe winter losses or disease outbreaks can trigger changes in off-cycle years, though the bar for those changes is high.
- Damage and conflict can still be addressed through Chapter 34 and 56 authorizations without changing regulations.
- We'll still compile harvest and herd data and estimate populations every year.
- The Commission stays involved in wildlife management decisions.
Why make this change?
The current process works, so this isn't about fixing a problem. Most annual adjustments are minor. Multiyear setting lets the department put more time into work that moves the needle for wildlife, like habitat and migration projects. Many other western states already use it, and 89% of department staff surveyed in 2025 supported a 2- or 3-year framework.
Get involved
Watch our Season-Setting page for public meeting dates and ways to share your input, and contact your regional office with questions.