Horn and antler looking season closed for western, southern Wyoming

January 1 shutdown helps huge sport survive winter

3/1/2023 20:53:11

Cheyenne – Many elements 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 Sport and Fish Fee wildlife habitat administration areas in Wyoming takes impact at midnight on January 1.

A Wyoming Sport and Fish Fee regulation prohibits anybody from accumulating shed antlers or antlers on public lands reminiscent of U.S. Forest Service and Land Administration Bureau lands, state lands, and Wyoming Sport and Fish Fee owned or managed lands west of the Continental Divide. From 1 January to six am on 1 Might every year, 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 massive sport in winter ranges,” mentioned Rick King, Sport and Fish’s vp of wildlife. “It is extremely necessary that our huge sport animals don’t expertise extreme stress through the winter months.”

Gathering means trying to find, discovering, stockpiling or conserving massive sport shed antlers and antlers on public land, or searching for, discovering, stocking or making an attempt to retain massive sport antlers and antlers shed on public or authorities land through the off season. . Violation of this regulation consists of the identical potential penalties as many different Sport and Fish violations, reminiscent of fines, confiscation of captured horns and antlers, and lack of looking and fishing privileges.

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

It’s unlawful to enter any particular person’s non-public property to gather horns or antlers, at any time of the 12 months, with out the permission of the proprietor or particular person accountable for the property.

For questions, contact the Laramie, Inexperienced River, Pinedale, and Jackson regional places of work. To report antler casting or antler accumulating violations, name the STOP Poaching Hotline at 1-877-943-3847 (1-877-WGFD-TIP) or kind the WGFD key phrase on TIP411 (847-411). Violations will also be reported on-line at: Game and Fish website.

(Breanna Ball, Public Relations Officer – (breanna.ball1@wyo.gov))

– WGFD –