Wyoming committee advances bill letting Game and Fish cap landowner hunting licenses

The Joint Travel, Recreation, Wildlife & Cultural Resources Committee on Nov. 6 voted to send forward LSO 192, a bill draft that would authorize the Wyoming Game and Fish Commission to adopt rules limiting the number of landowner hunting licenses available in limited-quota hunting areas. The motion to advance the draft passed on a roll call of 11 ayes, 1 no and 2 excused.

The bill draft would add a sentence to Wyoming Statute 23-1-1302(h) giving the commission rule-making authority to set caps by limited-quota area. LSO 192, as presented by legislative staff, would be effective July 1, 2026. "This bill gives the general hunter the opportunity to draw in limited quota areas of the state," Wyoming Game and Fish Director Angie Bruce told the committee.

Why it matters: Committee members and stakeholders said the issue has grown in visibility because landowner licenses have increased in some areas, reducing draw opportunities for public hunters. The committee heard that the Game and Fish wildlife task force studied the issue for about 18 months and recommended giving the commission tools to address local imbalances.

What proponents said: Rusty Bell, a commissioner who co-chaired the wildlife task force, told the committee the 40% figure that surfaced in a separate Joint Agriculture amendment "is not a magic number but a reasonable floor" for many areas. He said the task force examined ownership and license-distribution data across every limited-quota area and concluded some cap was needed.

Stock growers testified in favor of a 40% floor. A stock growers representative said the 40% amendment had previously been proposed to the commission and would ‘‘assure the commission respects the concept of landowner licenses’’ while allowing flexibility by area.

What opponents and cautious members said: Several legislators urged caution. Representative Ward and others said Game and Fish should complete field reviews to confirm landowner eligibility and to collect more data before statutory changes. Some members said they favored using commission rule-making and existing review processes rather than immediately changing statute.

Process and next steps: Representative Provenza moved to advance the draft; the motion was seconded by Cochair Byron. The committee recorded 11 ayes, 1 no and 2 excused and forwarded LSO 192 to the session. The committee chair and department officials said the draft is intended as a starting point for more deliberation, and the department would conduct public rulemaking before any area-level caps would take effect.

Attribution: Quotes and factual summaries are drawn from committee staff presentations and testimony by Wyoming Game and Fish Director Angie Bruce and Commissioner Rusty Bell at the Nov. 6 meeting.