ARR14-010.Pdf
Total Page:16
File Type:pdf, Size:1020Kb
STATEMENT OF REASONS WYOMING GAME AND FISH COMMISSION W.S. §23-1-302 directs and empowers the Commission to fix seasons and bag limits, open, shorten or close seasons on any species or sex of wildlife except predatory animals, predacious birds, protected animals and protected birds. W.S. §23-2-107 empowers the Commission to promulgate reasonable rules and regulations regulating wild bison licenses and the management of wild bison. The Commission proposes to amend Wyoming Game and Fish Commission Regulations listed below to establish annual hunting seasons, limitations and bag limits for the 2014 hunting seasons. The 2013 big game harvest information is not available at the time these draft regulations are filed and made available for public comment. Any additional proposed changes to season dates, numbers of limited quota licenses, types of licenses, hunt area boundaries or other hunting provisions will be made available for public comment during all public meetings held around the state. Chapter 2, General Hunting Regulation Chapter 5, Antelope Hunting Seasons Chapter 6, Deer Hunting Seasons Chapter 7, Elk Hunting Seasons Chapter 8, Moose Hunting Seasons Chapter 9, Bighorn Sheep Hunting Seasons Chapter 11, Sage Grouse Hunting Seasons Chapter 12, Blue and Ruffed Grouse Hunting Seasons Chapter 13, Partridge Hunting Seasons Chapter 15, Wild Bison Recreational Hunting Season Chapter 17, Small Game Hunting Seasons Chapter 18, Pheasant Hunting Seasons Chapter 19, Sharp-Tailed Grouse Hunting Seasons Chapter 20, Wild Turkey Fall And Spring Hunting Seasons Chapter 24, Mountain Goat Hunting Seasons Chapter 39, Early Migratory Game Bird Hunting Seasons Chapter 48, Light Goose Conservation Order Chapter 2, General Hunting Regulation, Section 4. The Department is currently evaluating the number of doe/fawn licenses a person may apply for and receive for certain Hunt Areas. The 2013 harvest data is not available in time to identify exact proposed changes for the draft 2014 deer, elk and antelope hunting season regulations. Numerous defined terms are being added to this regulation which previously had been duplicated in other regulations. This action will cut down on redundancy within regulations. 1 Chapter 5, Antelope Hunting Seasons. Antelope Hunt Areas 34, 35 and 36 are being combined into a new Hunt Area 34. Hunt Areas 38, 39, 40 and 104 are being combined into a new Hunt Area 38. New boundary descriptions for Hunt Areas 34 and 38 are being provided. Chapter 6, Deer Hunting Seasons. Deer Hunt Areas 15, 16, 55 and 57 are being combined into a new Hunt Area 15. A new boundary description for Hunt Area 15 is being provided. Chapter 7, Elk Hunting Seasons. Elk Hunt Areas 5 and 6 are being combined into a new Hunt Area 6. Elk Hunt Areas 50, 52, 65 and 121 are being combined into new Hunt Areas 51, 53 and 54. New boundary descriptions for Hunt Area 6, 51, 53 and 54 are being provided. Chapter 8, Moose Hunting Seasons. Moose Hunt Area 33 will be opened for the 2014 hunting season and will be hunted in combination with Hunt Areas 36 and 40. Chapter 9, Bighorn Sheep Hunting Seasons, has been combined with Chapter 24, Mountain Goat Hunting Seasons, resulting in one regulation governing Bighorn Sheep and Mountain Goat Hunting Seasons. This is in response to the Governor’s initiative to streamline government regulations and reduce the overall size of regulations. Separate hunting seasons have been maintained for these species. Once these regulations are combined, the old Chapter 24 will be repealed. Bighorn Sheep Hunt Area 21 will be opened for the 2014 hunting season and will be hunted in combination with Hunt Area 18. Chapter 11, Sage Grouse Hunting Seasons, has been combined with Chapter 12, Blue and Ruffed Grouse Hunting Seasons; Chapter 13, Partridge Hunting Seasons; Chapter 17, Small Game Hunting Seasons; Chapter 18, Pheasant Hunting Seasons; and, Chapter 19, Sharp-Tailed Grouse Hunting Seasons, resulting in one regulation governing Upland Game Bird and Small Game Hunting Seasons. Combining these regulations is in response to the Governor’s initiative to streamline government regulations and reduce the overall size of regulations. Once these regulations are combined, the previous Chapters 12, 13, 17, 18 and 19 will be repealed. Chapter 15, Wild Bison Recreational Hunting Season. Numerous edits have been proposed for this regulation which will remove the Wild Bison Priority List and allow the Department to conduct a limited quota license drawing for wild bison licenses. Sections 4, 5, 6, 7, 8 and 10 are being removed to allow for this change. The new Section 11, Mandatory Reporting, is being revised to assure wild bison hunter success is adequately reported. Edits have been made to comply with HEA 117 – 2013, W.S. §23-2-107, limiting the number of wild bison licenses a person may obtain and gender specific wild bison harvest. Chapter 20, Wild Turkey Fall and Spring Hunting Seasons. Edits have been made to reduce the length of this regulation. Some of this deleted language already exists in other Commission regulations. 2 Chapter 39, Early Migratory Game Bird Hunting Seasons. Edits have been made to the process of applying for or receiving Limited Quota Sandhill Crane Permits and General Sandhill Crane Permits. Chapter 48, Light Goose Conservation Order. Edits have been made to the process of applying for or receiving Conservation Order Special Management Permits. Several regulation Sections have been deleted as a result of the Governor’s initiative to streamline government regulations and reduce the overall size of regulations. The removal of these Sections does not change the original intent or meaning of these regulations. In several regulations, defined terms and general information has been removed as being duplicative since this information is already available in state statute or in other Commission Regulations. Hunt Areas and boundary descriptions may be modified, realigned or updated for clarity or management purposes. The realignment of some hunt area boundary lines may move a portion of a Hunt Area from limited quota to general license hunting, or general license to limited quota license hunting. Minor grammatical and formatting edits have also been incorporated in the above regulations that do not change the intent of these regulations. 3 DRAFT 4-21-14.7 WYOMING GAME AND FISH COMMISSION CHAPTER 2 GENERAL HUNTING REGULATION Section 1. Authority. This regulation is promulgated by authority of W.S. §23-1-103, §23-1-302, §23-1-703, §23-2-101, §23-2-106, §23-3-104, §23-3-111, §23-3-304, §23-3-305, §23-3-306 and §23-3-308. Section 2. Definitions. For the purpose of this regulationall hunting and trapping regulations, definitions shall be as set forth in Title 23, Wyoming Statutes, Commission regulations and the Commission also adopts the following definitions: (a) “Antlered” means a deer, elk, or moose that has visible antler growth plainly protruding from the skull. Where a minimum number of antler points are specified, points shall be counted on the side with the greater number of points. (b) “Antlerless” means a deer, elk, or moose that has no antler growth plainly protruding from the skull. Females and young-of-the-year without visible antlers are antlerless big game animals. (c) “Approved Landfill” means a municipal or county landfill permitted by the State of Wyoming Department of Environmental Quality Solid Waste Rules and Regulations, Chapter 2 revised as of October 15, 1998, which does not include any later amendments or additions of the incorporated matter. A copy of State of Wyoming Department of Environmental Quality Solid Waste Rules and Regulations can be viewed at any Department Regional Office or the Headquarters Office. (d) “Archery Equipment” means crossbows, longbows, recurve bows, compound bows and arrows. (e) “Artificial Light or Lighting Device” means any man-made light or lighting device which projects a light visible to the unaided eye outside of the device, or any battery-powered device that provides an enhanced ability to see in the dark. (f) “Bag Limit” means the maximum number of big game or trophy game animals that may be taken by an individual possessing a proper license. (g) “Buck Antelope” means male antelope with visible horns and a dark cheek patch at the base of the ear. (h) “Bureau of Land Management (B.L.M.)” means the land management agency administered by the U.S. Department of the Interior. (i) “Bureau of Reclamation land” means lands administered by the U.S. Department of the Interior Bureau of Reclamation. (j) “Calf” means young-of-the-year elk or young-of-the-year moose. (k) “Central Flyway” means that portion of Wyoming east of the Continental Divide, excluding the Great Divide Basin. 2-1 (kl) “Cow” means an adult female elk or an adult female moose. (m) “Daily Bag Limit” means the maximum number of game birds, migratory game birds, waterfowl or small game animals that may be legally taken in a single day. (n) “Dark Geese” means Canada goose, cackling goose, white-fronted goose and brant. (lo) “Doe” means an adult female antelope or adult female deer. (mp) “Drainage” means all lands within the watershed of a named river or stream, including all tributaries and standing waters, which drain into that river or stream. (nq) “Edible portion of big game animal” means the meat of the front quarters as far down as the knees, meat of the hindquarters as far down as the hocks, and the meat along the backbone between the neck and hindquarters including the loins and tenderloins, excluding meat on the ribs and neck. (or) “Ewe” means an adult female bighorn sheep. (ps) “Fawn” means young-of-the-year antelope or young-of-the-year deer. (t) “Federal Duck Stamp” means Federal Migratory Bird Hunting and Conservation Stamp.