In Wyoming, fall knocks gently before it sweeps through the state. It starts with the first sub-50 degree night, even though the days are scorchers. Next, a few yellowing leaves crown the clusters of green branches. One foggy morning gives way to another, and it’s still dark at 6:30 a.m. With each autumnal gesture, a hunter grows more anxious and excited. And finally, it’s time to head afield. The Wyoming 2020 hunting season is here.
“Wyoming has a tremendous hunting season upcoming, and I want to extend a thank you to hunters for their support to conserve our state’s wildlife,” said Brian Nesvik, Wyoming Game and Fish Department director. “Take time to savor the Wyoming outdoors and your hunting trips. Use the regulations as your guide and best of luck in your harvests.”
This fall, Game and Fish is again asking hunters to help with chronic wasting disease management. Hunters can help by providing a lymph node sample from your deer, elk or moose, for chronic wasting disease testing especially if hunting in a CWD priority monitoring area.
“These samples are important to determine and monitor CWD prevalence for the health of the herd,” said Scott Edberg, deputy chief of wildlife. “Follow all carcass transport and disposal regulations to help limit the spread of CWD, both within Wyoming and other states. Hunters are a key part of CWD management. Please read all you can about CWD, how you can help and the requirements for hunters on our website”
New hunters who haven’t been able to take a required hunter safety course can participate in the hunter mentor program. The program gives new hunters or those who have been unable to attend a hunter education course the opportunity to hunt under the close guidance of an experienced mentor. Forms are available on the Game and Fish website.
Hunters finalizing plans can use the Game and Fish Hunt Planner for maps and previous year’s harvest statistics. Maps are available for offline use, making the hunt boundary and land status lines clear for even the most remote hunt areas. As always, big game hunters are reminded that hunt areas denoted with an asterisk (*) have limited public hunting access and are largely comprised of private lands.
Hunting regulations are available on the Game and Fish website. Public access information is available through Access Yes, including walk-in hunting areas and hunter management areas.