040-39 Wyo. Code R. § 39-2

Current through April 27, 2019

Section 39-2 - Hunting Regulations

(a) Federal Regulations. 16 USC 703 - 711 and 718 a; 50 CFR 10, 50 CFR 20 revised as of October 1, 2014, which do not include any later amendments or editions of the incorporated matter, governing the hunting, taking and possession of migratory birds and migratory game birds, the requirement for a valid migratory bird hunting and conservation stamp and the requirement for state participation in the National Harvest Information Program are adopted as regulations of the Wyoming Game and Fish Commission. Violations of these federal statutes and regulations shall be violations of the Commission regulations. A copy of Title 50 of the Code of Federal Regulations can be viewed at Department Regional Offices.

• (i) Automatic loading, pump, or repeating shotguns shall be plugged to admit no more than one (1) shell in the chamber and two (2) shells in the magazine.

• (ii) Federal Migratory Bird Hunting and Conservation Stamp. A federal duck stamp is required for persons sixteen (16) years of age and older to hunt ducks, geese and mergansers, but a federal duck stamp is not required to hunt coots, sandhill cranes, crows, mourning doves, rail or snipe.

• (iii) National Migratory Bird Harvest Information Program. Each licensed hunter who hunts migratory game birds shall complete a current Wyoming validation for the National Harvest Information Program (HIP) and shall obtain a Wyoming HIP permit. This requirement also applies to holders of pioneer and lifetime hunting licenses. Each licensed hunter engaged in the act of hunting doves, ducks, geese, mergansers, coots, rails, cranes or snipe shall be in possession of a Wyoming HIP permit and shall immediately produce said permit upon request from any authorized Department representative. Each person obtaining a HIP permit for the purpose set forth in this section shall validate the permit by signing the persons name in ink across the face of the permit. HIP permits expire on June 30 each year. HIP permits are not transferrable to other states. A separate validation is required from each state in which you hunt. Wyoming HIP permits shall be available only on the Departments website at http://wgfd.wyo.gov.

(b) Evidence of Species. One fully-feathered wing or the feathered head shall remain naturally attached to the carcass as a means of identification of migratory game birds, except mourning doves, in the field and while the birds are being transported.

(c) Nontoxic Shot Restrictions.

• (i) No person shall hunt, ducks, geese, mergansers or coots while possessing shot shells loaded with shot other than nontoxic shot.

(d) Limited Quota Sandhill Crane Permits. Persons may apply for limited quota sandhill crane permits on the Departments website at http://wgfd.wyo.gov/ between 8:00 a.m. July 1 and 12:00 midnight July 31, 2015. Party applications shall be accepted. Maximum party size shall be two (2). Party applications shall specify the same hunt area preference.

(e) General Sandhill Crane Permits. Permits to hunt in the general sandhill crane season (Hunt Area 7) shall be available only on the Departments website at http://wgfd.wyo.gov/ after August 1.

(f) Species, Hunt Areas and Limitations, Season Dates, Shooting Hours, Closed Areas, and Bag Limit.

• (i) Mourning Dove, Rail and Snipe Statewide

  MOURNING DOVE, RAIL AND SNIPE
  Species, Hunt Areas and Limitations	Season Dates		Shooting Hours	Closed Areas Section 3 Subsections	Bag Limit
  	Opens	Closes			Daily	Possession
  MOURNING DOVE -STATEWIDE	Sep. 1	Nov. 9	See Sec. 4	b, d, e	15	45
  SORA AND VIRGINIA RAIL -STATEWIDE	Sep. 1	Nov. 9	See Sec. 4	b, d, e	25	75
  SNIPE STATEWIDE	Sep. 1	Dec. 16	See Sec. 4	b, d, e a - after Nov. 20 c - after Nov. 14	8	24

• (ii) Sandhill Crane Central and Pacific Flyways (see Section 6 for hunt area descriptions)

  LIMITED QUOTA SANDHILL CRANE SEASONS
  Hunt Areas and Limitations	Permit Quota	Season Dates		Shooting Hours	Closed Areas Section 3 Subsections	Season Bag Limit
  		Opens	Closes
  Hunt Area 1 Limited quota permits	20	Sep. 1	Sep. 8	See Sec. 4		1
  Hunt Area 2 Limited quota permits	20	Sep. 1	Sep. 8	See Sec. 4	e	1
  Hunt Area 3 Limited quota permits	45	Sep. 1	Sep. 8	See Sec. 4	d	1
  Hunt Area 4 Limited quota permits	60	Sep. 19	Oct. 11	See Sec. 4		1
  Hunt Area 5 Limited quota permits	10	Sep. 1	Sep. 8	See Sec. 4		1
  Hunt Area 6 Limited quota permits	60	Sep. 19	Oct. 11	See Sec. 4		1

  GENERAL SANDHILL CRANE SEASON
  Hunt Areas and Limitations	Season Dates		Shooting Hours	Closed Areas Subsections	Bag Limits
  	Opens	Closes			Daily	Possession
  Hunt Area 7 Permit required	Sep. 19	Nov. 15	See Sec. 4	b	3	9

• (iii) Early Canada Goose Pacific Flyway

  EARLY CANADA GOOSE ANY CANADA GOOSE OR CACKLING GOOSE
  Hunt Areas and Limitations	Season Dates		Shooting Hours	Closed Areas Section 3 Subsections	Bag Limit
  	Opens Closes				Daily Possession
  Pacific Flyway All counties except Teton County	Sep. 1	Sep. 8	See Sec. 4	d, e	2	6
  Teton County	Sep. 1	Sep. 8	See Sec. 4		3	9

(g) Permits. All persons, regardless of age, hunting sandhill cranes shall possess a permit valid for the area in which they are hunting. No person shall apply for or receive more than one (1) limited quota permit to hunt sandhill cranes. A person may also obtain a permit valid for the general sandhill crane season in Hunt Area 7.

(h) Tagging Sandhill Cranes. When a sandhill crane is killed under a limited quota permit, the permittee shall detach, sign and date the proper coupon and attach the coupon to the carcass before leaving the site of kill. The coupon shall remain on the crane carcass at all times until the meat undergoes processing, except that during transportation of the carcass the coupon may be removed to prevent its loss. If the coupon is removed for transportation of the carcass, it must be in possession of the person accompanying the carcass at all times. When dating a carcass coupon, the entire wedge or block shall be cut out for the date and the month of kill. The carcass coupon shall be attached to the carcass of a crane in such a manner as to be plainly visible. Sandhill cranes killed during the general crane season in Hunt Area 7 are not required to be tagged.

040-39 Wyo. Code R. § 39-2

Amended, Eff. 6/3/2015.