Hard to draw hunting licenses.

2015
STATE OF WYOMING
15LSO-0521
ENGROSSED
3.1

HOUSE BILL

NO.

HB0208

Hard to draw hunting licenses.

Sponsored by:
Representative(s) Burkhart and Senator(s) Hicks

A BILL

for

AN ACT relating to game and fish; limiting issuance of resident deer and resident elk licenses as specified; providing exceptions; providing for rulemaking; requiring maintenance of records; specifying fees; and providing for an effective date.

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

Section
1
.

W.S. 23
‑
1
‑
302(
p), 23
‑
1
‑
703(f), (h) and by creating a new subsection (j)
and
23
‑
1
‑
705 by creating a new subsection (m)
are amended to read:

23
‑
1
‑
302
.

Powers and duties.

(p)

The commission may, by rule and regulation, establish a process by which big game licenses, trophy game licenses and wild bison licenses may be issued by a competitive raffle and prescribe the manner of payment for which raffle chances are sold and the amount of payment for each raffle chance. No more than two (2) licenses for each big game species and trophy game species and no more than two (2) wild bison license
s shall be issued under this subsection. Each license issued for bighorn sheep, moose, mountain goat or grizzly bear through a competitive raffle shall, when applicable, be counted against any nonresident quota. The five (5) year restriction imposed on the receipt of a moose or big horn sheep license by W.S. 23
‑
1
‑
703(b)
, the five (5) year restriction imposed on the receipt of a
resident
deer or
resident
elk license by W.S. 23
‑
1
‑
703(
j
)
or the lifetime restriction imposed on the receipt of a grizzly bear or mountain goat license by W.S. 23
‑
1
‑
703(c), and any restriction imposed on the receipt of a wild bison license by W.S. 23
‑
2
‑
107 shall not be applicable in any manner to a license issued pursuant to this subsection. The commission shall issue licenses upon receipt of the proper license fee by the successful competitive raffle winner. Nothing in this subsection shall authorize the
issuance of a license to any person whose privilege to procure, purchase or possess a license has been suspended pursuant to this act or by operation of law.

23
‑
1
‑
703
.

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

(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)
and (j)
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.

(h)

Rules and regulations shall be promulgated by the game and fish commission to carry out subsections (a) through (f)
and (j)
of this section and may be promulgated as provided in subsection (g) of this section.

(j)

Except as specifically provided under subsection (f) of this section or W.S. 23
‑
1
‑
705(
m
), no person may apply for and receive more than one (1) resident deer or one (1) resident elk hard to draw license in any consecutive five (5) year period. For purposes of this subsection, "hard to draw" means a license which is limited in quota by hunt area and type and which had a
drawing
success rate of ten percent (10%) or less in the immediately preceding limited quota random drawing for that particular species. The commission shall, through rules and regulations, specify which resident deer or resident elk licenses are hard to draw before each application period for that particular species. The commission shall
maintain records of hard to draw licenses received pursuant to this subsection. Notwithstanding W.S. 23
‑
2
‑
101(
e), the commission may charge a nonrefundable fee not to exceed ten dollars ($10.00) for each application for a resident hard to draw license.

23
‑
1
‑
7
05
.

Complimentary licenses; one
‑
shot antelope hunt licenses; gunpowder and buckskin hunt licenses; gratuitous licenses; donated licenses.

(m)

The five (5) year restriction imposed on the receipt of a resident deer or resident elk license by W.S. 23
‑
1
‑
703(
j) shall not be applicable in any manner to a license issued pursuant to this section.

Section
2
.

This
act is effective
January 1, 2016.

(END)

1
HB0208