Big or trophy game animal-minimum hunting age.

Plain English Breakdown

Checked against official source text during the last sync.

Lowering Minimum Age for Big or Trophy Game Animal Hunting

This law changes the minimum age to hunt big or trophy game animals from twelve (12) years old to eleven (11) years old if the person will turn twelve by the end of that year.

What This Bill Does

• Changes the minimum hunting age for big or trophy game animals from twelve (12) years old to eleven (11) years old under certain conditions.
• Requires hunters who are under fourteen (14) years old and hunt alone to be accompanied by an adult with a valid certificate of competency and safety, or someone who has held a Wyoming big game hunting license within the last five years.
• Specifies that if the accompanying adult is not the hunter's parent or guardian, the hunter must have written permission from their parent or legal guardian.

Who It Names or Affects

• Hunters aged eleven to fourteen years old who want to hunt big or trophy game animals.
• Adults who will accompany young hunters under certain conditions.

Terms To Know

Big or trophy game animal

A type of wildlife that is considered valuable for hunting due to its size, rarity, or other special characteristics.

Certificate of competency and safety

A document proving an adult's ability to safely supervise a young hunter.

Limits and Unknowns

• The law only applies to big or trophy game animals and does not change the minimum age for hunting other types of wildlife.
• It is unclear how this change will affect safety in hunting practices involving younger hunters.

Official Summary Text

Bill Summary - 21LSO-0496
Bill No.:

HB0115

Effective:

7/1/2021 12:00:00 AM

LSO No.:

21LSO-0496

Enrolled Act No.:

HEA No. 0048

Chapter No.:

94

Prime Sponsor:

Paxton

Catch Title:

Big or trophy game animal-minimum hunting age.

Subject:

Minimum age requirement for big or trophy game animal hunting.

Summary/Major Elements:

This act modifies the minimum age for taking any big or trophy game animal from twelve (12) years of age to include any person who is eleven (11) years of age if the person will attain twelve (12) years of age by the end of the calendar year.
The above summary is not an official publication of the Wyoming Legislature and is not an official statement of legislative intent.

While the Legislative Service Office endeavored to provide accurate information in this summary, it should not be relied upon as a comprehensive abstract of the bill.

Current Bill Text

21LSO-0496

ORIGINAL House

Bill No
.
HB0115

ENROLLED ACT NO. 48,

HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

SIXTY-SIXTH LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF WYOMING
2021 General Session

AN ACT relating to game and fish; lowering the minimum age at which a person may take a big or trophy game animal as specified; and providing for an effective date.

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

Section 1
.

W.S. 23
‑
2
‑
102(a) is amended to read:

23
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2
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102.

Age restrictions; game animals; game birds.

(a)

The minimum age to take any big or trophy game animal is twelve (12) years
, except that any person may take a big or trophy game animal at eleven (11) years of age if the person will attain twelve (12) years of age by the end of that calendar year
. Any person authorized by this subsection under the age of fourteen (14) years shall at all times when hunting be accompanied by a person over the age of majority who possesses and can exhibit a certificate of competency and safety as specified in W.S. 23
‑
2
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106 or who currently holds, or has been issued a Wyoming big game hunting license within the last five (5) years. If the person accompanying the hunter under the age of fourteen (14) years is not the parent or guardian of the hunter, the hunter shall have in his possession a permission slip signed by his parent or guardian allowing him to hunt under supervision. Each accompanying adult shall supervise not more than one (1) hunter under the age of fourteen (14) years.

Any person under the age of fourteen (14) years applying for a license to hunt big or trophy game animals under this subsection shall have the application for the license co
‑
signed by his parent or legal guardian.

Section 2
.

This act is effective July 1, 2021
.

(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

1