CHEYENNE —  Free annual sage-grouse hunting permits are available again through the Game and Fish Department. These permits, initiated in 2024, are part of an ongoing effort to enhance the department’s efforts to survey sage-grouse hunters and gather information on hunting experiences.

“Wyoming has about 60,000 game bird license holders each year, and only a few thousand hunt sage-grouse,” said Nyssa Whitford, Game and Fish sage-grouse/sagebrush biologist. “The annual permit system allows Game and Fish to send targeted surveys to sage-grouse hunters, ensuring more accurate and timely data to aid in the management of this iconic species.” 

Who needs to carry the permit:

• All licensed sage-grouse hunters must carry the permit alongside their game bird license. This requirement applies to daily, annual, lifetime and pioneer license holders.
• Wyoming hunters under the age of 14 are exempt from needing the permit as they do not require a license to hunt game birds. However, nonresident hunters under the age of 14 who purchase a game bird license and take their own limit will need a sage-grouse permit.
• Falconers hunting sage-grouse must possess the sage grouse permit and their falconry and game bird licenses.

Whitford said the 2024 roll out of this new permit was successful, as hunters showed compliance and provided useful data that will be utilized in management strategies.

“We do want to thank our hunters who made the 2024 implementation of the sage-grouse permit a resounding success,” Whitford said. “We had 99% compliance of hunters obtaining the permit, and an almost 50% response rate to our harvest survey. We are hoping for a similar rate of success this year.”

The sage grouse permit can be acquired at Game and Fish offices or online through the department’s website. Paper and electronic copies are available, and permits can be downloaded to a mobile device. This permit is not available through license-selling agents.