040-14 Wyo. Code R. § 14-2

Current through April 27, 2019

Section 14-2 - Hunting Regulations

(a) Federal Regulations. 50 CFR 10, 20 and 21 revised as of March 28, 2018, 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 light goose conservation order, the requirement for a valid federal 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 the Cheyenne Headquarters or Department Regional Offices.

• (i) Shotgun Shell Capacity. 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 while hunting migratory game birds. This shell restriction does not apply during the light goose conservation order (refer to Section 7 of this regulation).

• (ii) Federal Migratory Bird Hunting and Conservation Stamp (federal duck stamp). A federal duck stamp is required for persons sixteen (16) years of age and older to hunt ducks, geese and mergansers. A federal duck stamp is not required to hunt coots, sandhill cranes, crows, mourning doves, rail or snipe. Federal duck stamps shall be signed in ink across the face of the stamp and shall be in possession of the hunter while in the field. Hunters possessing an electronic federal duck stamp are exempted from this signature provision during the time their electronic federal duck stamp is valid.

• (iii) HIP Permit. Each licensed hunter who hunts migratory game birds shall complete a current Wyoming validation for the National Migratory Bird 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. HIP permits shall be signed in ink across the face of the permit and shall be in possession of the hunter while in the field. HIP permits expire on June 30 each year. HIP permits are not transferrable to other states. A separate HIP permit is required from each state in which you hunt. Wyoming HIP permits shall be available only on the Department website. Youths under 14 are not required to obtain a HIP permit if they do not hold a valid game bird license.

• (iv) 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.

• (v) Nontoxic Shot. No person shall hunt ducks, geese, mergansers or coots while possessing shot other than nontoxic shot. Nontoxic shot is also required when using a shotgun to hunt any game bird on the Commission's Table Mountain and Springer/Bump-Sullivan wildlife habitat management areas.

(b) Mourning Dove, Rail and Snipe Hunting Seasons.

MOURNING DOVE, RAIL AND SNIPE - STATEWIDE
Species	Season Dates		Closed Areas Section 3 Subsections	Bag Limit
	Opens	Closes		Daily	Possession
Mourning Dove	Sep. 1	Nov. 29	b, d, e a - after Nov. 16 c - after Nov. 14	15	45
Sora and Virginia Rail	Sep. 1	Nov. 9	b, d, e	25	75
Snipe	Sep. 1	Dec. 16	b, d, e a - after Nov. 16 c - after Nov. 14	8	24

(c) Sandhill Crane Hunting Seasons

LIMITED QUOTA PERMIT - SANDHILL CRANE SEASONS
Hunt Areas	Season Dates		Permit Quota	Closed Areas Section 3 Subsections	Season Bag Limit
	Opens	Closes
1	Sep. 1	Sep. 8	25		1
2	Sep. 1	Sep. 8	30		1
3	Sep. 1	Sep. 8	100	d	1
4	Sep. 15	Oct. 7	110		1
5	Sep. 1	Sep. 8	15		1
6	Sep. 15	Oct. 7	110		1
8	Sep. 1	Sep. 30	20		1

GENERAL PERMIT - SANDHILL CRANE SEASONS
Hunt Area	Season Dates		Closed Areas Section 3 Subsections	Bag Limits
	Opens	Closes		Daily	Possession
7	Sep. 15	Nov. 11	b	3	9

• (i) Permits. All persons, regardless of age, hunting sandhill cranes shall possess a permit valid for the hunt area in which they are hunting. No person shall apply for or receive more than one (1) limited quota sandhill crane permit. A person may also obtain a permit valid for the general sandhill crane season in Hunt Area 7.
  • (A) Limited Quota Sandhill Crane Permits. Persons may apply for limited quota sandhill crane permits through the Department's Electronic Licensing Service (ELS). Party applications shall be accepted. Maximum party size shall be two (2). Residents and nonresidents shall not apply together as a party.
  • (B) General Sandhill Crane Permits. Permits to hunt during the general sandhill crane season (Hunt Area 7) shall be available through the Department's ELS.

• (ii) Tagging Sandhill Cranes. When a sandhill crane is killed under a limited quota permit, the permitee shall detach, sign and date the proper coupon and attach the coupon to the carcass before leaving the site of the 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 the kill. The carcass coupon shall be attached to the carcass of a sandhill crane in such a manner as to be plainly visible. Sandhill cranes killed during the general sandhill crane season in Hunt Area 7 are not required to be tagged.

• (iii) Limited Quota and General Sandhill Crane Hunt Area Descriptions.

  Area and Number.

Area 1. All of the Bear River and Ham's Fork River drainages in Lincoln County.

Area 2. All of the Salt River drainage in Lincoln County south of the McCoy Creek Road.

Area 3. All lands within the Bureau of Reclamation's Eden Project in Sweetwater County.

Area 4. All lands within the Bureau of Reclamation's Riverton and Boysen Unit boundaries; those lands within Boysen State Park south of Cottonwood Creek, west of Boysen Reservoir, and south of U.S. Highway 20-26; and all non-indian owned fee title lands within the exterior boundaries of the Wind River Reservation, excluding those lands within Hot Springs County.

Area 5. All of Uinta County.

Area 6. All of Big Horn, Hot Springs, Park and Washakie counties.

Area 7. All of Campbell, Converse, Crook, Goshen, Laramie, Niobrara, Platte and Weston counties.

Area 8. All of Johnson, Natrona and Sheridan counties.

(d) Waterfowl Hunting Seasons

• (i) Pacific Flyway

  PACIFIC FLYWAY
  Species	Season Dates		Closed Areas Section 3 Subsections	Bag Limit
  	Opens	Closes		Daily	Possession
  Ducks and Mergansers	Sep. 22	Jan. 4	d, e	7*	21*
  Coots	Sep. 22	Jan. 4	d, e	15	45
  Early Canada Goose	Sep. 1	Sep. 8	d, e	4	12
  Dark Geese	Sep. 22	Dec. 27	d, e	4	12
  Light Geese	Sep. 22	Dec. 27	d, e	10	30

  * The daily bag limit of seven (7) ducks and mergansers may include any combination of species with the following restrictions:

  * no more than two (2) hen mallards;

  * no more than two (2) pintails;

  * no more than two (2) canvasbacks;

  * no more than two (2) redheads; and,

  * no more than three (3) scaup. No scaup shall be taken after December 16.

• (ii) Central Flyway Zones. The Central Flyway is divided into two (2) zones. Refer to the season dates for the zone in which you are hunting.
  • (A) ZONE C1 shall include Big Horn, Converse, Goshen, Hot Springs, Natrona, Park, Platte and Washakie counties, and Fremont County excluding those portions south or west of the Continental Divide.
  • (B) ZONE C2 shall include Albany, Campbell, Crook, Johnson, Laramie, Niobrara, Sheridan and Weston counties; and that portion of Carbon County east of the Continental Divide.

• (iii) Central Flyway

  CENTRAL FLYWAY
  Species and Hunt Areas	Season Dates		Closed Areas Section 3 Subsections	Bag Limit
  	Opens	Closes		Daily	Possession
  Light Geese	Sep. 29	Dec. 30	b a after Nov. 16 c after Nov. 14	10	30
  	Feb. 6	Feb. 17	a, b, c	10	30
  CENTRAL FLYWAY - ZONE C1
  Ducks	Sep. 29	Oct. 16	b	6**	18**
  	Oct. 27	Jan. 13	b a after Nov. 16 c after Nov. 14	6**	18**
  Mergansers	Sep. 29	Oct. 16	b	5***	15***
  	Oct. 27	Jan. 13	b a after Nov. 16 c after Nov. 14	5***	15***
  Coots	Sep. 29	Oct. 16	b	15	45
  	Oct. 27	Jan. 13	b a after Nov. 16 c after Nov. 14	15	45
  Dark Geese All counties in Zone C1 except Goshen and Platte counties	Sep. 29	Oct. 7		5	15
  	Nov. 3	Nov. 25	c after Nov. 14	5	15
  	Dec. 7	Feb. 17	c	5	15
  Dark Geese Goshen and Platte counties*	Sep. 29	Oct. 10	b	2	6
  	Nov. 17	Feb. 17	a, b	4	12
  CENTRAL FLYWAY - ZONE C2
  Ducks	Sep. 22	Dec. 2		6**	18**
  	Dec. 8	Jan. 1		6**	18**
  Mergansers	Sep. 22	Dec. 2		5***	15***
  	Dec. 8	Jan. 1		5***	15***
  Coots	Sep. 22	Dec. 2		15	45
  	Dec. 8	Jan. 1		15	45
  Dark Geese	Sep. 22	Dec. 2		5	15
  	Dec. 8	Jan. 9		5	15

  *For Bump-Sullivan Managed Goose Hunt information, see Section 6.

  **The daily bag limit of six (6) ducks may include any combination of species with the following restrictions:

  * no more than five (5) mallards of which not more than two (2) shall be hens;

  * no more than two (2) pintails;

  * no more than three (3) wood ducks;

  * no more than two (2) canvasbacks;

  * no more than two (2) redheads; and,

  * no more than three (3) scaup.

  * two (2) blue-winged teal may be taken in addition to the regular limit of six (6) ducks during the following dates:

  - Zone C1: September 29 - October 14

  - Zone C2: September 22 - October 7

  *** The daily bag limit of five (5) mergansers shall not include more than two (2) hooded mergansers.

(e) Special Youth Waterfowl Hunting Days. In the Pacific Flyway and in Zone C2 of the Central Flyway, the special youth waterfowl hunting days are September 15-16, 2018. In Zone C1 of the Central Flyway, the special youth waterfowl hunting days are September 22-23, 2018. Only persons seventeen (17) years of age and younger may take ducks, mergansers, coots and geese on the special youth waterfowl hunting days, subject to the following conditions:

• (i) All youth hunters shall be accompanied in the field by an adult at least eighteen (18) years of age.

• (ii) No more than four (4) youths shall be supervised by any one (1) adult.

• (iii) The adult shall not take ducks, coots, mergansers or geese, but may participate in other open seasons.

• (iv) All license and stamp requirements, daily bag limits, species and sex restrictions, shooting hours and other regulations that apply to the regular duck and goose seasons, as defined for each flyway, shall apply during the special youth waterfowl hunting days. Exceptions: The additional blue-winged teal limit does not apply on the youth waterfowl hunting days. In Goshen and Platte counties, the daily bag limit for dark geese shall be four (4) on the youth waterfowl hunting days.

• (v) The areas described in Section 3(b), (d) and (e) shall be closed to hunting during youth days.

040-14 Wyo. Code R. § 14-2

Amended, Eff. 1/8/2015.

Amended, Eff. 6/8/2016.

Amended, Eff. 6/8/2017.

Amended, Eff. 6/7/2018.