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25LSO-0227
2025
STATE OF WYOMING
25LSO-0227
Numbered
2.0
SENATE FILE NO. SF0140
Trapping education requirements.
Sponsored by: Senator(s) Dockstader and Representative(s) Erickson
A BILL
for
AN ACT relating to game and fish; requiring any person born on or after January 1, 2000 to obtain a certificate of trapping education to be qualified to trap wildlife; providing for a person to receive special authorization to trap or snare wildlife when accompanied by a qualified mentor 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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2
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308 is created to read:
23
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2
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308.
Trapper education required; exceptions.
(a)
Except as otherwise authorized by law or rule of the commission, no person born on and after January 1, 2000, shall take any wildlife by the use of any trap or snare on land other than that of the person's own family, unless the person possesses or can demonstrate they have obtained a certificate of trapper education approved by the department.
(b)
Any person who has not received a certificate of trapper education as provided by subsection (a) of this section may apply to the department for a special authorization to take wildlife by the use of any trap or snare while being accompanied by a person who has attained the age of majority, acting as a mentor, who possesses or can demonstrate they have obtained a certificate of trapper education, unless otherwise exempted, and who possesses a valid Wyoming hunting license. A mentor shall not provide supervision for more than one (1) person, other than immediate family members, at any one (1) time.
The special authorization shall be valid for not more than one (1) year. A person may reapply or renew the special authorization as provided by this section and pursuant to rule of the commission.
(c)
The commission shall promulgate rules and regulations to carry out the purposes of this section.
Section 2.
W.S. 23
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2
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303(a)(intro) and 23
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3
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103(a) are amended to read:
23
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2
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303.
Trapping licenses; tagging; traps and snares; penalty; confiscation; inspection; interference with trapping.
(a)
Any person
who qualifies under W.S. 23
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2
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308
may, in the discretion of the department upon application and the payment of the proper fee, receive a license to trap any furbearing animal. The department shall issue a trapping license to a nonresident only if his state issues licenses to Wyoming residents to trap the same species for which residents of that state may be licensed to trap in that state. Any nonresident applying for a Wyoming trapping license shall furnish:
23
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3
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103.
Taking predatory animals, predacious birds and trophy animals; taking furbearing animals and game birds without license prohibited.
(a)
Predatory animals and predacious birds may be taken without a license in any manner and at any time except as provided by W.S. 23
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2
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303(d) and (e),
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2
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308,
23
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112, 23
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304(b), 23
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305, 23
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306(b) and 23
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307. The department shall report annually to the Wyoming department of agriculture the number of predatory animals and predacious birds taken by the department's animal damage control agents, and include in the report the area where taken and the control method used.
Section 3.
The game and fish commission shall promulgate all rules necessary to implement the provisions of this act not later than January 1, 2026.
Section 4.
(a)
Except as provided in subsection (b) of this section, this act is effective July 1, 2026.
(b)
Sections 3 and 4 of this act are 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
.
(END)
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SF0140