August 14, 2024 |
Photo – Silhouette of strutting grouse – Courtesy WY Game and Fish website
The Wyoming Game and Fish Department is informing the public that starting this year, all licensed sage grouse hunters will be required to carry a free, annual sage grouse hunting permit.
This new regulation aims to enhance Game and Fish efforts to survey sage grouse hunters and gather valuable data on their hunting experiences.
The game and fish agency reports that all licensed sage grouse hunters must carry the permit alongside their game bird license. This requirement applies to daily, annual, lifetime and pioneer license holders.
Wyoming hunters under the age of 14 are exempt from needing the permit as they do not require a license to hunt game birds. However, nonresident hunters under the age of 14 who purchase a game bird license and take their own limit will need a sage grouse permit.
Falconers hunting sage grouse must possess the sage grouse permit and their falconry and game bird licenses.
About 60,000 game bird licenses are purchased each year. Only a few thousand are for sage grouse, according to agency officials.
The new annual permit system will allow Game and Fish to send targeted surveys to sage grouse hunters, ensuring more accurate and timely data to aid in the management of this iconic species.
The sage grouse permit can be acquired at Game and Fish offices or online through the department’s website. It can be obtained as a paper copy or electronically via a mobile device. A screenshot or downloaded PDF of the permit on a mobile device is acceptable in the field. The permit will not be available at license selling agents.
