Bighorn sheep ewe and lamb licenses.

WORKING DRAFT

ORIGINAL HOUSE

BILL

NO.
0225

ENROLLED ACT NO. 67, HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

SIXTIETH LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF
WYOMING
2009 GENERAL SESSION

AN ACT relating to
game and fish; providing for issuance of ewe
and
lamb
bighorn sheep licenses without preference points; providing for issuance of ewe
and
lamb
bighorn sheep licenses through reduced price licenses;

clarifying issuance of specified delayed licenses is limited to same sex of species; and
providing for an effective date.

Be It Enacted by the Legislature of the State of
Wyoming
:

S
ection 1
.

W.S. 23
‑
1
‑
703(b)
,

(e)
and (f)
and
23
‑
2
‑
101(g), (k) and (m) are amended to read:

23
‑
1
‑
703.

Limitation of number of big or trophy game animal licenses; reservation of certain licenses; reservation of certain unused licenses.

(b)

Except as specifically provided under this subsection, subsection (f) of this section or W.S. 23
‑
1
‑
705(a), no person may apply for and receive more than one (1) moose or one (1)
ram
bighorn sheep license in any consecutive five (5) year period. Effective for the 1995 hunting season and each hunting season thereafter, licenses issued under this subsection shall be based upon the number of points assigned to each applicant for a particular species. Effective January 1, 2000, licenses issued under this subsection shall be issued partially through a preference point drawing and partially through a random drawing of all remaining unsuccessful applicants for that year. The department shall assign points to each license applicant for a specific species by multiplying the number of years the applicant has unsuccessfully applied for a license times one (1). The calculation used to assign points to an applicant for a particular species under this subsection shall include any year the applicant does not apply for a big or trophy game animal hunting license for that species, provided in the case of a resident the applicant pays the fee specified in W.S. 23
‑
2
‑
101(k) and in the case of a nonresident the applicant pays the appropriate fee established by the commission under W.S. 23
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2
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101(m). License applicants within each hunt area for a species shall be grouped according to the number of assigned points for that species. Not less than seventy-five percent (75%) of available licenses within any hunt area shall be randomly selected through a preference point drawing from among the group of applicants with the largest number of assigned points and shall continue until all applicants within that group have been exhausted or until all available licenses have been issued, whichever first occurs. If any applicant grouping has been exhausted and licenses remain available within that hunt area, selection shall continue from among the group of applicants with the next largest number of assigned points. After the selections through the preference point drawing have been completed within a hunt area, the remaining licenses available from that drawing and the licenses available for the random drawing for that hunt area will be issued through a random selection from among all applicants in the hunt area who were not selected for issuance of a license for the species through the preference point drawing in that hunt area. For purposes of assigning points under this subsection, any unsuccessful license applicant failing to apply for a license, or pay the applicable fee in lieu of applying, during the second calendar year shall be considered to be a first year applicant for any subsequent calendar year in which the applicant submits license application for that particular species.

(e)

The commission shall reserve eighty percent (80%) of the moose and seventy
‑
five percent (75%) of the
ram and ewe
and lamb
bighorn sheep, mountain goat and grizzly bear licenses to be issued in any one (1) year for resident hunters.

(
f)

Notwithstanding W.S. 23
‑
1
‑
704 and 23
‑
2
‑
101(j), any person who is issued and purchases a big or trophy game animal license for any species

and sex of animal
specified under subsections (b) and (c) of this section and is unable to use for good cause as provided by regulations that license for the year in which issued, may reserve a license for the particular species

and sex of animal
designated on the unused license for use during the immediately succeeding calendar year by applying to the commission before the opening date of the season for the designated species

and sex of animal
during the year for which the initial license is issued.

The initial big or trophy game animal license shall accompany the application.

Upon receipt, the commission shall cancel the initial license and prior to the season opening date for the designated species

and sex of animal
during the immediately succeeding calendar year, issue at no cost to the applicant a license for the designated big or trophy game animal valid for that year.

23
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2
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101.

Fees; restrictions; nonresident application fee; nonresident licenses; verification of residency required.

(g)

In promulgating rules and regulations for the taking of bighorn sheep and moose, the commission shall not discriminate between residents and nonresidents regarding the maturity, horn size or sex of the animals which may be taken. Nothing in this subsection shall be construed as prohibiting the commission from issuing a different number of licenses for residents and nonresidents
,

or
from requiring a preference point fee from nonresidents only pursuant to subsection (m) of this section
or from issuing reduce
d
price ewe
and lamb
bighorn sheep licenses as provided in subsection (d) of this section
.

(k)

Any resident qualified to purchase a moose or
ram
big horn sheep hunting license under subsection (b) of this section may pay a fee of seven dollars ($7.00) in lieu of applying for a moose or
ram

big horn sheep hunting license. Payment of the fee for a particular species under this subsection shall authorize the person to accumulate points under W.S. 23
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1
‑
703(b) for that year in the same manner as if he had unsuccessfully applied for a hunting license for that species. Payment of the fee shall be made in compliance with application dates.

(m)

Subject to the provisions of this subsection, as part of any preference point program for nonresident antelope, nonresident
ram

bighorn sheep, nonresident moose, nonresident deer or nonresident elk, the commission may establish a nonrefundable fee to be either withheld from the license fee remitted or submitted separately when application for a license or preference point is made through electronic licensing, and may also establish a fee to be paid in lieu of applying for licenses that are limited in quota. Retention of the established fee or payment of the fee in lieu of applying shall authorize the person to accumulate a preference point for future drawings for licenses that are limited in quota for the applicable species in accordance with rules of the commission. The rules may provide for the loss of all accumulated points for persons failing to apply or to pay the in lieu fee in two (2) consecutive calendar years. The fee for any program under this subsection for antelope, deer or elk shall be established by rule and shall not exceed fifty dollars ($50.00) per species. Payment of the fee shall be made in compliance with application dates. Nothing in this subsection authorizes the commission to establish or retain a fee for resident moose or resident
ram

bighorn sheep license preference points in addition to the fee established by subsection (k) of this section or to establish rules for

ram
bighorn sheep or moose preference point drawings in conflict with the provisions of W.S. 23
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1
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703(b). For nonresident

ram
bighorn sheep and nonresident moose licenses, the commission may establish by rule a nonrefundable preference point fee to be withheld from either the license fee remitted or submitted separately when application for a license or preference point is made through electronic licensing and may establish a fee in lieu of making application in an amount greater than that established under subsection (k) of this section, but neither fee shall exceed one hundred dollars ($100.00). Fees established under this subsection may be set at lower amounts for youth license applicants.

Section 2.

This act is effective July 1, 2009.

(END)

Speaker of the House

President of the Senate

Governor

TIME APPROVED: _________

DATE APPROVED: _________

I hereby certify that this act originated in the House.

Chief Clerk

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