January 1 shutdown helps massive sport survive winter.

CHEYENNE, Wyo. — Many parts of public lands in western and southern Wyoming at the moment are closed for antlers and looking.

The annual shutdown for parts of public land, state land, and Wyoming Recreation and Fish Fee wildlife habitat administration areas in Wyoming took impact at midnight on December 31.

A Wyoming Recreation and Fish Fee regulation prohibits anybody from gathering shed antlers or antlers on public lands, corresponding to U.S. Forest Service and Land Administration Bureau lands, state lands, and Wyoming Recreation and Fish Fee owned or managed lands west of the Continental Divide. , from January 1 to six a.m. Could 1, annually, aside from the Nice Divide Basin and a few lands west of Laramie. A map of the containment area is available online and the boundaries are detailed in the regulation.

“Closing the annual antler and antler assortment is to attenuate discomfort and stress on giant sport in winter ranges,” mentioned Rick King, Recreation and Fish’s vp of wildlife. “It is rather essential that our massive sport animals don’t expertise extreme stress through the winter months.”

Gathering means trying to find, discovering, stockpiling or maintaining the antlers and antlers of huge sport shed on public land or looking for, discovering, stocking or trying to retain antlers and antlers of huge sport shed on public or authorities land through the off season. . Violation of this regulation contains the identical potential penalties as many different Recreation and Fish violations – together with fines, confiscation of captured antlers and antlers, and lack of looking and fishing privileges.

“Horn fanatics can help wildlife by complying with antler and antler looking rules and different winter vary closures throughout the state,” King mentioned. “And all wildlife fanatics might help out the massive sport by inserting them within the winter and early spring.”

It’s unlawful to enter any individual’s personal property to gather horns or antlers, at any time of the yr, with out the permission of the proprietor or individual answerable for the property.

For questions, contact the Laramie, Inexperienced River, Pinedale, and Jackson regional workplaces. To report antler dumping or antler harvesting violations, name the Cease Poaching Helpline at 1-877-943-3847 (1-877-WGFD-TIP) or sort the WGFD key phrase into TIP411 (847-411). Violations may also be reported on-line at: Game and Fish website.