For Immediate Release:

 

 

Hunters urged to use caution when hunting in grizzly bear country....................................................... 1

Crane, goose, dove hunting seasons open Sept. 1..................................................................................... 3

Apply now for Springer, Glendo pheasant hunts....................................................................................... 4                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                            

Ask Game and Fish......................................................................................................................................... 5

Game and Fish Calendar................................................................................................................................ 5

 

 

Hunters urged to use caution when hunting in grizzly bear country

 

CODY – The Wyoming Game and Fish Department urges hunters and other backcountry users to be cautious when recreating in bear country, and to carry and know how to use bear spray.

           

“As bears become more active and hunters begin to pursue game in the field, we want our recreationists to be ‘bear aware’,” said Dusty Lasseter, Bear Wise community coordinator for Game and Fish.        

 

“As hunters, we do exactly the opposite of what we would have most recreationists do to avoid bear encounters,” Lasseter said. “Hunters typically move quietly, camouflage their bodies, mask their human scent, are active at dawn and dusk, and use game calls to mimic what bears consider prey. All of these behaviors make hunters successful, but at the same time, there is an inherent risk of attracting bears or bumping into one.

 

“If you hunt in bear country, it is critical that you are prepared mentally and physically. Hunters should be prepared for an encounter and knowing what to do when you encounter a bear should be as automatic or routine as packing an extra jacket so that you are prepared for inclement weather,” Lasseter said. “The most important tool people can use when hunting and recreating in bear country is their brain, awareness of your surroundings and how to react to situations one encounters off the beaten path are part of the privilege to hunt in Wyoming.”

 

To improve the odds of minimizing conflicts, Lasseter suggests the following:

• Carry a bear deterrent and know how to use it. Many aggressive bears have been deterred through the use of bear spray. Hunters should carry bear spray where it can be reached and know how, and when, to use it.
• Hunt with a partner and stay within sight of each other.
• Remain alert and watchful for bear activity; avoid “tunnel vision” while pursuing game.
• Learn to recognize bear sign such as scat, tracks, and diggings.
• Know where seasonal food sources are present and either avoid or be especially cautious in those areas.
• Be aware that the presence of ravens and other scavengers is a good indication that a potential food source is nearby and a bear may be in the area. Avoid these areas if possible.
• Retrieve game animals as quickly as possible and watch for approaching bears when field dressing and quartering.
• If game must be left on the ground overnight, separate the carcass from the entrails and place the carcass in an area that can be safely viewed from a distance.
• When retrieving game, make noise; use binoculars to search the area for bears and to determine if the game has been disturbed by bears prior to walking in on the carcass.
• Be aware that bears often daybed near food sources.
• If a bear has claimed your carcass, leave the scene and report the incident to Game and Fish.
• Remember that bears actively defend their food, their young, and their personal space. During the fall, all bears are on the lookout for food before going to winter slumber.

 

“Human safety has to be a person's number one concern in any bear encounter,” Lasseter said. “Bear spray is an effective deterrent and we encourage all hunters to consider carrying and, when appropriate, using bear spray.”

 

“No matter what type of deterrent a person chooses, it is essential that they have practiced and can use the deterrent in sudden, high stress situations,” Lasseter added. “Again, we emphasize that people make sure to report any human/bear conflicts to Wyoming Game and Fish Department personnel as soon as they may occur so we can respond in a timely fashion.”                                                                   (Contact: Dusty Lasseter 307-527-7125)

-WGFD-

 

Crane, goose, dove hunting seasons open Sept. 1                                                      

 

GREEN RIVER - Seasons for mourning dove, rail and snipe open statewide on Sept. 1. Sandhill crane hunt areas in the Pacific Flyway portion of Wyoming also open Sept. 1 to limited quota permit holders and include hunt area 1 (Bear River and Ham’s Fork Drainages in Lincoln County), hunt area 3 (Bureau of Reclamation Eden Project in Sweetwater County), and hunt area 5 (all of Uinta County).

 

The early Canada goose season in the Pacific Flyway also opens Sept. 1 and ends on Sept. 8. The daily bag limit on any Canada or cackling geese is two, and the possession limit is six; except in Teton County where the daily limit is three and possession limit is nine. The Pacific Flyway means that portion of Wyoming west of the Continental Divide, including the Great Divide Basin.

 

In addition to a game bird licenses and conservation stamp, licensed migratory bird hunters must have a Federal Harvest Information Program (HIP) permit. The Federal Migratory Bird Hunting and Conservation Stamp (“Duck Stamp”) is not required of dove, crane, rail and snipe hunters but is required of hunters 16 years of age or older who plan to hunt geese.

 

Specifically, HIP permits are required of licensed hunters for doves, ducks, geese, mergansers, coots, sandhill cranes, snipe, and rails. HIP is a federal program that improves the ability to estimate harvest for management of migratory game species. HIP validation permits are free of charge and only available from the Wyoming Game and Fish Department website https://wgfoapps.wyo.gov/HIPS/frmMenu.aspx. Only one HIP permit is needed to hunt all species for the entire migratory game bird season. HIP permits are only valid in the state in which they are issued.

 

Hunters are urged to read the Early Migratory Game Bird Hunting Regulations available at license agents or online at: https://wgfd.wyo.gov/Regulations/Regulation-PDFs/REGULATIONS_CH39_BROCHURE before going hunting.

-WGFD-

 

 

Apply now for Springer, Glendo pheasant hunts

CHEYENNE – The Wyoming Game and Fish Department is notifying bird hunters wanting to get into the drawings for the Springer and Glendo special pheasant hunts a that the deadline is 12 midnight on Sept. 15. All applications must be made online.  

 

The Springer hunt begins Oct. 22 and will run through Nov. 6. Two of the hunt days, Oct. 24 and Nov. 1 are reserved for youth under 18. Pheasants are stocked each day for the special 16-day season. Even though a hunter may not draw a permit on a particular day, openings may be available and hunters can also access the unit by signing up on the walk on list posted at the check station. All hunters must check in and out at the Springer Check Station during the dates of the Springer special pheasant hunt.

 

Season for the Glendo hunt is Nov. 7 through Dec. 31. Glendo permits are required to hunt each Friday, Saturday, and Monday in November. Permits are not required to hunt pheasants on other days during the open season.   Youth only hunts are held Nov. 8, 15, 22, 29. There is no check station at the Glendo hunt but hunters must have the proper permit in their possession during permitted days. Pheasants are periodically stocked at Glendo during the hunting season.

 

Additional information on the Springer and Glendo hunts can be found on pp. 15-17 in the Upland Game Bird regulations or online at https://wgfd.wyo.gov/Regulations/Regulation-PDFs/REGULATIONS_CH11_BROCHURE or hunters can call the Game and Fish at 307-777-4600 for more information.

 

Hunters are reminded that in addition to appropriate licensing, the $12.50 pheasant special management permit is required for all ages for the Springer and Glendo hunts. A state park permit is also required for the Glendo hunt locations other than the County Line area.                                                                                                                                                                    (Contact: Al Langston (307) 777-4540)

-WGFD-

 

 

 

Game and Fish Calendar

 

 

Aug. 25 – Public meeting on waterfowl seasons, AIS decals, licensing; Green River WGFD office, 7 p.m.

Aug. 25 – Public meeting on waterfowl seasons, AIS decals, licensing; Jackson WGFD office, 6 p.m.

Aug. 31 – Public meeting on waterfowl seasons, AIS decals, licensing; Casper WGFD office, 6 p.m.

Sept. 1 – Archery deer and elk season opens in most hunt areas

Sept. 1 – Season opens for mourning doves

Sept. 1 – Season opens for blue, ruffed and sharp-tailed grouse

Sept. 1 – Small game seasons open for cottontail rabbits, snowshoe hare and red gray and fox squirrels

Sept. 8 – Public meeting on waterfowl seasons, AIS decals, licensing; Sheridan WGFD office, 5 p.m.

Sept. 9 – Public meeting on waterfowl seasons, AIS decals, licensing; Lander WGFD office, 6 p.m.

Sept. 15 – Public meeting on waterfowl seasons, AIS decals, licensing; Laramie WGFD office, 6 p.m.

 

Ask Game and Fish