CHEYENNE — The Wyoming Game and Fish Department is hosting a series of public meetings to discuss proposed regulation changes, including Chapter 44 Section 8, which covers landowner licenses. Meetings are scheduled throughout the state through early June, and online comments are open through June 10.
The Wyoming Game and Fish Commission has proposed changes to the regulation, which provides qualifying landowners the opportunity to hunt elk, deer, antelope and turkey in exchange for providing habitat resources to these species. The proposed updates are the result of a comprehensive and transparent process initiated by Governor Mark Gordon's Wyoming Wildlife Task Force in 2021-22.
The changes aim to address complex wildlife topics, including landowner license qualifications and limitations in limited-quota license areas. The task force provided recommendations to the Commission for consideration, and following extensive public discussion during seven Commission meetings in 2023-24, the Commission directed the department to develop a draft regulation.
Proposed changes include changing the minimum acreage requirement. To be eligible under the proposed changes, landowners must own a minimum 160 contiguous acres of cultivated land, or a minimum 640 contiguous acres of land regardless of the amount that is cultivated.
Another proposed change is increasing the required minimum animal-use days from 2,000 to 3,000 during the 12-month period preceding application. Use days are calculated by multiplying the number of animals with the number of days using the property. For example, 30 deer for 100 days, or 150 elk for 20 days would equal 3,000 use days.
The draft regulation also includes the proposed requirement of significant interest of 20% or more to prevent abuses identified where individuals were becoming “owners” solely to qualify for landowner licenses. Applicants would need to provide information demonstrating they are bona fide Wyoming landowners.
A full schedule of the public meetings that will be held to discuss Chapter 44, as well as other proposed regulation changes, can be found on the Game and Fish website. Online comments can also be submitted online through 5 p.m. on June 10.
—WGFD—