REMEMBER NEW LICENSES FOR 2012
JACKSON – Wyoming hunters and anglers are reminded that 2011 licenses expire Friday, Dec. 31. The 2012 hunting, fishing and trapping licenses and conservation stamps are available at local license selling agents statewide or online at: https://gf.state.wy.us .
The new 2012-2013 fishing regulations are also available at license selling agents. For regulation changes new for 2012 anglers need to check information concerning the water they intend to fish.
When buying your new licenses for 2012 don’t forget to donate to the AccessYes program. In 2011 anglers were able to enjoy Walk-In access to about 5,000 lake or pond acres and more than 100 miles of streams. Hunters were provided access to 3.58 million acres of land. All dollars donated to the program go towards purchasing access. For every dollar donated to AccessYes, the access program can provide around 4.2 acres of access.
Hunters and anglers who have continuously resided in Wyoming for at least 10 years may want to consider purchasing a lifetime game bird/fish/small game license or a lifetime fishing license. Anyone can purchase a lifetime conservation stamp. A lifetime license or conservation stamp is a great gift idea for last minute shoppers with a hunter or angler on their list. Once a lifetime license is purchased it can be used even if the owner moves out of the state.
HUNTER EDUCATION INSTRUCTORS NEEDED
JACKSON – The Wyoming Game and Fish Department is looking for persons age 18 or older interested in becoming volunteer hunter education instructors.
According to Hunter Education Coordinator Jim Dawson, there is an ever-present need for new volunteer instructors to teach hunter education throughout Wyoming, and recruitment of new instructors to meet public demands is an ongoing task. Dawson said demand for hunter education classes increases at the beginning of each year, with a steady demand for classes in most Wyoming communities throughout the year.
For those interested in becoming a volunteer instructor, now is the time to look at hunter education class schedules to get teamed up with a mentoring instructor. This fulfills one of the requirements to become a volunteer instructor. All upcoming classes are posted on the Game and Fish website http://gf.state.wy.us.
In 2011, Wyoming’s more than 350 instructors conducted 215 classes and certified 4,972 young hunters. Volunteers are not paid, but Dawson said many volunteers have expressed satisfaction in knowing they have helped enhance hunting traditions and values while promoting safe, responsible, and ethical hunting practices.
Wyoming’s volunteer instructors come from a variety of backgrounds including game wardens, professional educators, and the general public. Those wanting to become an instructor must work with a mentoring instructor and follow these steps:
q Must have completed a hunter education certification
q Complete the hunter education application form
q Attend the entire class of a mentoring instructor
q Teach one lesson of the class under the direction of the mentor
q Submit a formal lesson plan in writing to the Wyoming hunter education coordinator
q Complete the Instructor Worksheet with the help of the mentor
q Have the mentoring instructor complete the practice teaching evaluation form
q Complete the Wild Work volunteer form
q Completion of Child Abuse/Neglect and Adult Central Registry Screens and Wyoming Criminal History Record Prescreens.
q Submit all paperwork for review to the State hunter education coordinator.
q Attend a new instructor orientation within two years of certification. The orientation academy is conducted over a weekend each summer at the WGFD Whiskey Mountain Conservation Camp at no charge to the new instructor. The 2012 New Instructor Academy will be conducted June 22 -24 and is filling quickly.
Persons interested in becoming a hunter education instructor can call the state Game and Fish office in Cheyenne at (307)777-4538 or Jim Dawson at the Casper office at (307) 473-3439 for more details. All Hunter Education Forms are on the WGFD Education web-page at: http://gf.state.wy.us/services/education/huntereducationhome/index.asp
Q. Is it legal to hunt big game with a shotgun?
A. Yes, it is as long as you are using shotgun slugs.
Wyoming law allows big game hunting with any firearm that has a barrel bore
diameter of at least .23 of an inch and chambered to fire a centerfire
cartridge of not less than two inches in overall length including a soft or
expanding point bullet. A shotgun, when using slugs for ammo, fits all of
these criteria. However, buckshot or other shotgun loads are not legal for
big game hunting because they fire multiple projectiles.
Q. Is it legal to use a .22 handgun or rifle to hunt
grouse?
A. Yes … as long as the species you are hunting are blue or ruffed grouse.
These species may be taken with a number of weapons including handguns and
rifles. For Wyoming’s other grouse species, sage and sharp-tailed grouse,
shotguns and archery equipment are the only legal weapons that may be used.
Q. Can I get more than one
license to hunt a buck antelope?
A. You can get up to two licenses for a buck antelope provided the second
license comes from certain areas and is obtained after the drawing which
was completed in June. Information on applying for licenses and license
availability is on the Game and Fish website
http://gf.state.wy.us.
Q. Are mechanical broadheads legal for archery
hunting?
A. Yes they are as long as they provide a one-inch cutting width. Wyoming
law specifies that “Broadheads of arrows or bolts must be of sharp steel and
have a minimum cutting width of one (1) inch.” A complete description of
legal specifications for archery equipment is found in the archery section
of the big game regulation.
Thanks to the Wyoming Game and Fish Department for the info!
Visit the Wyoming Game & Fish Website!
Questions? Comments? Info? Email Ray
