Wyoming allocation and fee increase bill???

[dvolmer]

I got a email today from a source in Wyoming about a bill that was being introduced by State Senator Larry Hicks of Wyoming that would reduce the out of state license quota and increase the out of state tag/license costs.  The bill will be heard by committee on March 4th.  Anyone know the particulars of this bill and its actual content and overall affects??

[dvolmer]

I think the bill would put the quota at 10% non-res and 90% resident quota's.  Not sure but I think the quota currently is closed to 17% non-res but not totally sure about that.  Price increase in licenses would make up for the lost revenue of lowering the quota to 10% is my guess but not sure.  I haven't heard increased tag costs yet.  Its Senate file #103.

[Karl Blanchard]

Limits nr to 10% of tags and no nr in hunts with less than 11 tags. Raises prices a ton too. $650 for deer, $600 for antelope, $1100 for elk

[trophyhunt]

Man I hate to see this.  Pretty soon only the King will personally hand out hunting permits!

[dvolmer]

Limits nr to 10% of tags and no nr in hunts with less than 11 tags. Raises prices a ton too. $650 for deer, $600 for antelope, $1100 for elk

Carl, do you know if the prices you quoted are the reg or special?  Will they still have two categories reg/special or just go to one??

[vandeman17]

Limits nr to 10% of tags and no nr in hunts with less than 11 tags. Raises prices a ton too. $650 for deer, $600 for antelope, $1100 for elk

Ouch. Hopefully we draw at least our elk tags this year before this goes into effect if it passes

[Mtnwalker]

Bummer. Had planned on burning my points this year til we found out we had another kid on the way. I figured something like this was coming soon but the quotas are a bit of a surprise

[Karl Blanchard]

Limits nr to 10% of tags and no nr in hunts with less than 11 tags. Raises prices a ton too. $650 for deer, $600 for antelope, $1100 for elk

Carl, do you know if the prices you quoted are the reg or special?  Will they still have two categories reg/special or just go to one??

thats regular draw. I didn't see anything in there about special draws or eliminating them but I skimmed it pretty fast 

https://www.wyoleg.gov/Legislation/2021/SF0103

[Stein]

Wow, if that goes through I don't think I will pay $600 to drive a day and a half each way to shoot an antelope.  I like hunting them, but that's a bunch of money for 30 pounds of meat at the end of the day.

Maybe I need to burn my points this year....

[dvolmer]

The bill is just in committee right now and the outfitters are mad as hornets because it will be hard for them to get tags for their clients.  There will be a lot of pushback by outfitters and non-residents but I am sure residents will be pushing back the other direction I would imagine.

[BULLBLASTER]

Limits nr to 10% of tags and no nr in hunts with less than 11 tags. Raises prices a ton too. $650 for deer, $600 for antelope, $1100 for elk

Carl, do you know if the prices you quoted are the reg or special?  Will they still have two categories reg/special or just go to one??

thats regular draw. I didn't see anything in there about special draws or eliminating them but I skimmed it pretty fast 

https://www.wyoleg.gov/Legislation/2021/SF0103

i
It doesnt address the special at all and just gives one fee

[trophyhunt]

I just sent out 6 emails to those committee members asking to kill the bill.  This needs to die before it goes further! 

[trophyhunt]

These are the senators emails.

[dvolmer]

I personally feel the tag increases will be inevitable and probably not be able to control.  Its the reduced quota that is the biggest killer!  You think point creep is bad now, it will be terrible if this passes and the quota is reduced like they want it to.  Wouldn't shock me if their greed for money overcomes their desire to reduce quota.  I could see the bill go through committee and the quota goes back to the way it is currently but the cost increases pass.  This way Wyoming would make max money.  If they reduce their quota it lowers their overall total income.  They would make bank to keep the quota and raise the prices.  Who knows what they will come up with!  We are just bystanders that have to drink the Koolaid they make for us! I guess we should all comment on this to the politicians involved.  Pretty much all we can do!

Interesting that they waited until the elk applications had to be in to announce this.  Probably a lot of people that would have tried to burn their points this year if they knew this was coming. 

[bobcat]

I read on another site that the special category would be eliminated by this bill.

[actionshooter]

The bill is just in committee right now and the outfitters are mad as hornets because it will be hard for them to get tags for their clients.  There will be a lot of pushback by outfitters and non-residents but I am sure residents will be pushing back the other direction I would imagine.

  I agree and believe the outfitters have more pull in Wyoming than an other state... this is one time, I hope they get their way.

[WAcoyotehunter]

This died in committee this morning, but there was a lot of talk about a task force to bring back a proposal next year

[Stein]

Not surprising, I would expect a "normal" fee increase at least at some point.

[Karl Blanchard]

This died in committee this morning, but there was a lot of talk about a task force to bring back a proposal next year

thanks for the update 

[Bob33]

This died in committee this morning, but there was a lot of talk about a task force to bring back a proposal next year

Good news. Thanks for the update.

[Ridgerunner]

Dodged that bullet for another year.  If Wyoming every goes to a 90-10 split it will be a very sad day, I love hunting that state. 

[stew pidasso]

Randy Newberg covered this last night if you wanted to watch/listen to Elk talk on YouTube.

[DOUBLELUNG]

FWIW, this proposal comes around in similar form every few sessions.  I thought it had a better chance this year since Biden's "pause" on oil and gas leasing hurts Wyoming's economy more than any other state.  It invariably comes down to a majority of Wyoming sportsmen not wanting to see the Department's budget gutted and not wanting to foot more of the bill themselves.  Revenues from NR deer and antelope hunters are the funding backbone of WGFD, and nonresident hunters and anglers expenditures make up around 5% of the state's economy.  The majority don't want that economic input reduced.

[Stein]

Out of all the western states I hunt, WY is certainly the friendliest to NRs in general and hunters in particular.  I'm sure there are exceptions that will get pointed out, but they seem to have a better understanding of the "partnership" between NR and R hunters and businesses than other states.

[Bob33]

FWIW, this proposal comes around in similar form every few sessions.  I thought it had a better chance this year since Biden's "pause" on oil and gas leasing hurts Wyoming's economy more than any other state.  It invariably comes down to a majority of Wyoming sportsmen not wanting to see the Department's budget gutted and not wanting to foot more of the bill themselves.  Revenues from NR deer and antelope hunters are the funding backbone of WGFD, and nonresident hunters and anglers expenditures make up around 5% of the state's economy.  The majority don't want that economic input reduced.

I thought that Biden's pause on energy made it less likely to pass. As you stated, the loss of hunter revenues when their economy has already been bludgeoned would have been a tough hit to take.