The Wyoming Game and Fish Department wants to know how your Wyoming hunt went this year. Many hunters have received, or will begin to receive, a harvest survey via e-mail or the Postal Service. The survey gathers harvest information and feedback on the 2020 hunting season. Hunters’ responses about their season are used in making future wildlife management decisions.
“This harvest survey is the best way to gather large amounts of data from the public. We use the responses to estimate harvest, hunter success and hunter effort,” said Emily Gates, Game and Fish harvest survey coordinator. “Hunter feedback is important information and is a valuable tool for monitoring populations, setting future quotas, season dates and other regulations. We appreciate every response.”
Because of the large volume of antelope, deer, elk, small game, upland game bird and migratory game bird license holders, a random sampling of those licensed hunters are surveyed; not all license holders of those species will receive a request to complete a harvest survey.
However, all license holders for moose, bighorn sheep, mountain goat, black bear, mountain lion, gray wolf, fall wild turkey, spring wild turkey, furbearer, sandhill crane and light goose conservation order are included in the survey process.
Hunters who do receive and complete an antelope, deer or elk harvest survey will be entered in a drawing to win one of several donated prizes. Prizes are donated by:
Hi Mountain Jerky
Huntin’ Fool
JAX Outdoor Gear
King’s Camo
Maven Optics
Montana Decoy
Mule Deer Foundation
Muley Fanatic Foundation
National Bowhunter Education Foundation
National Wild Turkey Federation
onX Hunt
Rocky Mountain Elk Foundation
Stone Glacier Hunting Backpacks
West Laramie Fly Store
Wild Sheep Foundation
To be eligible for prizes, hunters who are selected for a survey must submit responses by Jan. 7 for antelope, Jan. 28 for deer and Feb. 4 for elk.
“In Wyoming, it’s not a requirement all hunters fill out a survey,” Gates said. “But, if you get a survey, it’s important to fill it out, even if you didn’t hunt or harvest.”
You can help Game and Fish complete hunter surveys efficiently by providing an e-mail address when you purchase a license.
“Sending hunter surveys through e-mail is more cost-effective,” Gates said. “We survey approximately 100,000 hunting license holders annually, so hunters who provide an e-mail address and complete their surveys online help us reduce costs, by at least $2.50 per response.”
Some hunters may receive a survey before their season ends; but, Game and Fish asks hunters to wait until they are finished hunting or their season is over before filling out the survey. The antelope, deer and elk surveys are conducted by Tetra Tech, the survey research firm that won the competitive bid to conduct these large volume surveys.
Hunters who have questions about the antelope, deer and elk surveys can contact Tetra Tech’s survey team directly at 1-800-216-0477. For all harvest surveys, hunters can also contact Emily Gates, harvest survey coordinator, for assistance at (307) 777-4567.
(Sara DiRienzo (307-777-4540))