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25LSO-0449
2025
STATE OF WYOMING
25LSO-0449
Numbered
2.0
HOUSE BILL NO. HB0186
Bear coupons-game and fish.
Sponsored by: Representative(s) Wharff, Rodriguez-Williams, Schmid, Webber and Winter and Senator(s) Dockstader, French, Ide and McKeown
A BILL
for
AN ACT relating to game and fish; requiring the game and fish commission to issue bear coupons as specified; making legislative findings; requiring the game and fish commission to provide evidence of grizzly bear population recovery as specified; making conforming amendments; requiring rulemaking; and providing for effective dates.
Be It Enacted by the Legislature of the State of Wyoming:
Section 1
.
W.S. 23
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1
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703(c), 23
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2
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101(j)(intro) and 23
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3
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105(a) and by creating a new subsection (d) are amended to read:
23
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1
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703.
Limitation of number of certain licenses; reservation of certain licenses; reservation of certain unused licenses.
(c)
Except as provided in
W.S. 23
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3
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105(d) and except as provided in
this subsection and subsection (f) of this section or by rule of the commission, no person who is issued a hunting license on and after July 1, 2022 for a grizzly bear, or for a mountain goat, any moose or antlered moose, any ram bighorn sheep, any bighorn sheep and any wild bison, and no person who, on July 1, 2022, is subject to the five (5) year restriction under subsection (b) of this section for a moose or bighorn sheep license, shall be eligible to apply for or receive a hunting license for that particular species in any future year. The commission may issue hunting licenses to any person in future years when necessary for wildlife management purposes to harvest grizzly bear, mountain goat, ewe or lamb bighorn sheep or cow or calf moose. The commission may issue hunting licenses to any person to harvest cow or calf wild bison pursuant to W.S. 23
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2
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107(f).
23
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2
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101.
Fees; restrictions; nonresident application fee; nonresident licenses; verification of residency required; donation of refunded application fees.
(j)
Subject to W.S.
23
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1
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705(e),
23
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2
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101(f)
, 23
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1
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705(e)
and 23
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3
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105(d)
and the applicable fee under W.S. 23
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1
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701, the following hunting licenses and tags may be purchased for the fee indicated and subject to the limitations provided:
23
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3
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105.
Antelope, deer and elk coupons; payment to landowner; kill on federal or state land; bear coupons.
(a)
Antelope, deer and elk licenses shall have two (2) coupons attached, each bearing the same serial number as the body of the permit, one (1) designated "antelope, deer or elk coupon" and one (1) designated "landowner's coupon".
Each resident elk license may have an additional coupon attached as provided in subsection (d) of this section.
(d)
Each resident elk license issued for 2026 and 2027 in a hunt area that is entirely outside of the greater Yellowstone ecosystem recovery zone as established by the United States fish and wildlife service shall include a bear coupon. Nothing in this subsection shall prohibit the issuance of a bear coupon for a hunt area that is in whole or in part within any demographic monitoring area established outside the greater Yellowstone ecosystem recovery zone. The bear coupon shall not require an additional license fee under W.S. 23
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2
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101(j) and shall not be considered a license for purposes of W.S. 23
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1
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703(c). A bear coupon under this subsection shall only authorize the holder of the bear coupon to take not more than one (1) brown or black bear or grizzly bear that is in an area where the licensee would be authorized to take an elk as designated by the elk license. If any licensee takes a bear pursuant to a coupon under this subsection, the licensee shall:
(i)
Attach the bear coupon to the carcass of the bear as provided in W.S. 23
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3
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104;
(ii)
As soon as practicable, notify the game and fish commission of the time, place and manner of the taking of the bear;
(iii)
If the bear is a grizzly bear, provide any additional information required by the game and fish commission to ensure that a sustainable population of grizzly bears is maintained within the Yellowstone recovery area.
Section 2
.
(a)
The legislature finds that grizzly bears have recovered in Wyoming and should be removed from the endangered species and threatened species list and that the state should be responsible for management of grizzly bears in Wyoming.
(b)
Not later than July 1, 2025 and prior to issuing any bear coupon in accordance with W.S. 23
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3
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105(d) as created by section 1 of this act, the game and fish commission shall present all evidence to the United States fish and wildlife service supporting the fact that grizzly bears have recovered in Wyoming and should be removed from the endangered species and threatened species list and that the state should be responsible for management of grizzly bears in Wyoming.
(c)
Nothing in this act shall be deemed to allow any taking of grizzly bears within the greater Yellowstone ecosystem recovery zone as established by the United States fish and wildlife service.
Section 3.
The Wyoming game and fish commission shall adopt any rules necessary to implement this act not later than January 1, 2026.
Section 4
.
(a)
Except as provided in subsection (b) of this section, this act is effective immediately upon completion of all acts necessary for a bill to become law as provided by Article 4, Section 8 of the Wyoming Constitution.
(b)
Section 1 of this act is effective on the earlier of the following dates:
(i)
Ten (10) days after the date that the Wyoming game and fish commission certifies to the secretary of state that grizzly bears have been removed from the endangered species and threatened species list;
(ii)
January 1, 2026.
(END)
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HB0186