Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Come Home Hunting topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
Committee declines to advance 'come home' reduced-price hunting license draft after agency warns of complexity
Summary
LSO and Game and Fish presented a 'come home' reduced-price big-game license (26LSO0116) aimed at nonresidents with family ties to Wyoming. Game and Fish warned of IT, accounting, draw-odds and fiscal consequences; the committee did not advance the bill (no second).
The Travel, Recreation, Wildlife & Cultural Resources committee reviewed bill draft 26LSO0116, a proposal to create a "come home" hunting license for nonresidents who have qualifying family sponsorship and previously purchased a Wyoming resident license.
LSO staff described the draft as modeled on a Montana program and noted that many figures in the text were placeholders. Under the draft, the commission could offer up to 500 licenses for each big-game species per calendar year, applicants would pay half the nonresident fee, and sponsors must be Wyoming residents who meet defined familial relationships.
Doug Brimire, deputy director for external operations with the Wyoming Game and Fish Department, and Chief Game Warden Dan Smith warned the committee that implementing the program would be complex. Smith told members the draft could require changes to the department's licensing and accounting systems, create a third category of licenses and affect nonresident quota pools and preference-point accounting. Using 2024 sales and quota assumptions, the department estimated a potential revenue impact (illustrative) of up to about $617,439 depending on how the commission allocated licenses and which species were included.
Public comment reflected mixed views. Jess Johnson of the Wyoming Wildlife Federation supported the concept's intent but urged extreme caution, noting the licensing system's existing complexity and the department's limited capacity without a dedicated funding source for additional workload.
Senator Schueller moved the draft but no second was offered. Chairman Byron announced "Not hearing a second. This bill will not advance," and the committee proceeded to the next item.
Key unresolved questions included whether the program should be limited to general-season deer and elk (as in Montana), which quota pool(s) the commission would draw from (nonresident vs. resident pools), how preference points would be handled, and whether the commission or statute should set a percentage or numeric limit for allocations. Game and Fish recommended the committee give the commission rulemaking flexibility if the concept moves forward and suggested that limiting the initial proposal to general-season deer and elk would simplify implementation.
What’s next: LSO and members signaled interest in further study; the department offered to provide more detailed fiscal scenarios and quota-impact analysis if the idea is resurrected or amended.
