Wyoming Administrative Code
Agency 040 - Game and Fish Commission
Sub-Agency 0001 - Game and Fish Commission Regulations
Chapter 14 - MIGRATORY GAME BIRD HUNTING SEASONS AND LIGHT GOOSE CONSERVATION ORDER
Section 14-2 - Hunting Regulations

Universal Citation: WY Code of Rules 14-2

Current through September 21, 2024

(a) Federal Regulations. 50 CFR 20.21(i) revised as of August 8, 2019, which do not include any later amendments or editions of the incorporated matter, governing the baiting of migratory game birds, are adopted as regulations of the Wyoming Game and Fish Commission. Violations of these federal statutes and regulations shall be violations of the Commission regulations. A copy of Title 50 of the Code of Federal Regulations can be viewed at the Cheyenne Headquarters, Department Regional Offices or on the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service website (www.fws.gov).

(b) Federal Migratory Bird Hunting and Conservation Stamp (federal duck stamp). A federal duck stamp is required for persons sixteen (16) years of age and older to hunt ducks, geese and mergansers. A federal duck stamp is not required to hunt coots, sandhill cranes, crows, mourning doves, rail or snipe. Federal duck stamps shall be signed in ink across the face of the stamp and shall be in possession of the hunter while in the field. Hunters possessing an electronic federal duck stamp are exempted from this signature provision during the time their electronic federal duck stamp is valid.

(c) HIP Permit. Each licensed hunter who hunts migratory game birds shall complete a current Wyoming validation for the National Migratory Bird Harvest Information Program (HIP) and shall obtain a Wyoming HIP permit. This requirement also applies to holders of pioneer and lifetime hunting licenses. Each licensed hunter engaged in the act of hunting doves, ducks, geese, mergansers, coots, rails, cranes or snipe shall be in possession of a Wyoming HIP permit and shall immediately produce said permit upon request from any authorized Department representative. HIP permits shall be signed in ink across the face of the permit and shall be in possession of the hunter while in the field. HIP permits expire on June 30 each year. HIP permits are not transferrable to other states. A separate HIP permit is required from each state in which you hunt. Wyoming HIP permits shall be available only on the Department website. Youths under 14 are not required to obtain a HIP permit if they do not hold a valid game bird license.

(d) No person shall take migratory game birds:

(i) With a trap, snare, net, rifle, pistol, swivel gun, shotgun larger than 10 gauge, punt gun, machine gun, fishhook, poison, drug, explosive or stupefying substance;

(ii) With any shotgun that can hold more than three (3) shells in the magazine and chamber combined, except during the light goose conservation order (refer to Section 7 of this regulation);

(iii) From a sink box or any low floating device, which has a depression to hide a person underneath the water's surface;

(iv) From or by means of any motorboat or sailboat unless the motor has been completely shut off or sail furled, and the boat's progress therefrom has ceased;

(v) By the use or aid of live decoys. All live, tame or captive ducks and geese shall be removed for a period of ten (10) consecutive days prior to hunting, and shall be confined within an enclosure which substantially reduces the audibility of their calls and totally conceals such birds from the sight of migratory game birds;

(vi) By the use of records or tapes of migratory bird calls or sounds, or electronically amplified imitations of bird calls, except during the light goose conservation order;

(vii) By driving, rallying or chasing migratory game birds with any motor driven land, water or air conveyance or any sailboat.

(e) Nontoxic Shot. No person shall hunt ducks, geese, mergansers or coots while possessing shot other than nontoxic shot. Nontoxic shot is also required when using a shotgun to hunt any game bird on the Commission's Table Mountain and Springer/Bump-Sullivan wildlife habitat management areas.

(f) Evidence of Species. One fully-feathered wing or the feathered head shall remain naturally attached to the carcass as a means of identification of migratory game birds, except mourning doves, in the field and while the birds are being transported.

(g) Mourning Dove, Rail and Snipe Hunting Seasons.

MOURNING DOVE, RAIL AND SNIPE - STATEWIDE

Species

Season Dates

Closed Areas Section 3 Subsections

Bag Limit

Opens

Closes

Daily

Possession

Mourning Dove

Sep. 1

Nov. 29

b, d, e

a - after Nov. 15

c - after Nov. 14

15

45

Sora and Virginia Rail

Sep. 1

Nov. 9

b, d, e

25

75

Snipe

Sep. 1

Dec. 16

b, d, e

a - after Nov. 15

c - after Nov. 14

8

24

(h) Sandhill Crane Hunting Seasons

LIMITED QUOTA PERMIT - SANDHILL CRANE SEASONS

Hunt Areas

Season Dates

Permit Quota

Closed Areas Section 3 Subsections

Season Bag Limit

Opens

Closes

1

Sep. 1

Sep. 15

41

1

2

Sep. 1

Sep. 15

41

1

3

Sep. 1

Sep. 8

165

d

1

4

Sep. 28

Oct. 20

165

1

5

Sep. 1

Sep. 15

41

1

6

Sep. 14

Oct. 6

165

1

8

Sep. 1

Sep. 30

62

1

GENERAL PERMIT - SANDHILL CRANE SEASONS

Hunt Areas

Season Dates

Closed Areas Section 3 Subsections

Bag Limit

Opens

Closes

Daily

Possession

7

Sep. 7

Nov. 3

b

3

9

(i) Permits. All persons, regardless of age, hunting sandhill cranes shall possess a permit valid for the hunt area in which they are hunting. No person shall apply for or receive more than one (1) limited quota sandhill crane permit during a calendar year. A person may also obtain a permit valid for the general sandhill crane season in Hunt Area 7.
(A) Limited Quota Sandhill Crane Permits. Persons may apply for limited quota sandhill crane permits through the Department's Electronic Licensing Service (ELS). Party applications shall be accepted. Maximum party size shall be two (2). Residents and nonresidents shall not apply together as a party.

(B) General Sandhill Crane Permits. Permits to hunt during the general sandhill crane season (Hunt Area 7) shall be available through the Department's ELS.

(ii) Tagging Sandhill Cranes. When a sandhill crane is killed under a limited quota permit, the permittee shall detach, sign and date the carcass coupon and attach the coupon to the carcass before leaving the site of the kill. The coupon shall remain on the crane carcass at all times until the meat undergoes processing, except that during transportation of the carcass the coupon may be removed to prevent its loss. If the coupon is removed for transportation of the carcass, it shall be in possession of the person accompanying the carcass at all times. When dating a carcass coupon, the entire wedge or block shall be cut out for the date and the month of the kill. The carcass coupon shall be attached to the carcass of a sandhill crane in such a manner as to be plainly visible. Sandhill cranes killed during the general sandhill crane season in Hunt Area 7 are not required to be tagged.

(iii) Limited Quota and General Sandhill Crane Hunt Area Descriptions. Area and Number.

Area 1. All of the Bear River and Ham's Fork River drainages in Lincoln County.

Area 2. All of the Salt River drainage in Lincoln County south of the McCoy Creek Road.

Area 3. All lands within the Bureau of Reclamation's Eden Project in Sweetwater County.

Area 4. All lands within the Bureau of Reclamation's Riverton and Boysen Unit boundaries; those lands within Boysen State Park south of Cottonwood Creek, west of Boysen Reservoir, and south of U.S. Highway 20-26; and all non-indian owned fee title lands within the exterior boundaries of the Wind River Reservation, excluding those lands within Hot Springs County.

Area 5. All of Uinta County.

Area 6. All of Big Horn, Hot Springs, Park and Washakie counties.

Area 7. All of Campbell, Converse, Crook, Goshen, Laramie, Niobrara, Platte and Weston counties.

Area 8. All of Johnson, Natrona and Sheridan counties.

(i) Waterfowl Hunting Seasons

(i) Pacific Flyway

PACIFIC FLYWAY

Species

Season Dates

Closed Areas Section 3 Subsections

Bag Limit

Opens

Closes

Daily

Possession

Ducks and Mergansers

Sep. 21

Jan. 3

d, e

f - through Oct. 8

7*

21*

Coots

Sep. 21

Jan. 3

d, e

f - through Oct. 8

15

45

Early Canada Goose

Sep. 1

Sep. 8

d, e

f - through Oct. 8

5

15

Dark Geese

Sep. 21

Dec. 26

d, e

f - through Oct. 8

5

15

Light Geese

Sep. 21

Dec. 26

d, e

f - through Oct. 8

10

30

* The daily bag limit of seven (7) ducks and mergansers may include any combination of species with the following restrictions:

* no more than two (2) hen mallards;

* no more than one (1) pintail;

* no more than two (2) canvasbacks;

* no more than two (2) redheads; and,

* no more than two (2) scaup. No scaup shall be taken after December 15.

(ii) Central Flyway Zones. The Central Flyway is divided into three (3) zones. Refer to the season dates for the zone in which you are hunting.
(A) ZONE C1 shall include Big Horn, Converse, Hot Springs, Natrona, Park and Washakie counties, and Fremont County excluding those portions south or west of the Continental Divide.

(B) ZONE C1A shall include Goshen and Platte counties.

(C) ZONE C2 shall include Albany, Campbell, Crook, Johnson, Laramie, Niobrara, Sheridan and Weston counties; and that portion of Carbon County east of the Continental Divide.

(iii) Central Flyway

CENTRAL FLYWAY

Species and Hunt Areas

Season Dates

Closed Areas Section 3 Subsections

Bag Limit

Opens

Closes

Daily

Possession

Light Geese

Sep. 28

Dec. 29

b

a - after Nov. 15

c - after Nov. 14

20

60

Feb. 5

Feb. 16

a, b, c

20

60

CENTRAL FLYWAY - ZONE C1

Ducks and Mergansers

Sep. 28

Oct. 13

6**

18**

Nov. 2

Jan. 21

c - after Nov. 14

6**

18**

Coots

Sep. 28

Oct. 13

15

45

Nov. 2

Jan. 21

c - after Nov. 14

15

45

Dark Geese

Sep. 28

Oct. 6

5

15

Nov. 2

Nov. 24

c - after Nov. 14

5

15

Dec. 6

Feb. 16

c

5

15

CENTRAL FLYWAY - ZONE C1A

Species and Hunt Areas

Season Dates

Closed Areas Section 3 Subsections

Bag Limit

Opens

Closes

Daily

Possession

Ducks and Mergansers

Sep. 28

Oct. 13

b

6**

18**

Nov. 2

Jan. 21

b

a - after Nov. 15

6**

18**

Coots

Sep. 28

Oct. 13

b

15

45

Nov. 2

Jan. 21

b

a - after Nov. 15

15

45

Dark Geese*

Sep. 28

Oct. 9

b

2

6

Nov. 16

Feb. 16

a, b

5

15

CENTRAL FLYWAY - ZONE C2

Ducks and Mergansers

Sep. 21

Dec. 1

6**

18**

Dec. 14

Jan. 7

6**

18**

Coots

Sep. 21

Dec. 1

15

45

Dec. 14

Jan. 7

15

45

Dark Geese

Sep. 21

Dec. 1

5

15

Dec. 14

Jan. 15

5

15

*For Bump-Sullivan Managed Goose Hunt information, see Section 6.

**The daily bag limit of six (6) ducks and mergansers may include any combination of species with the following restrictions:

* no more than five (5) mallards of which not more than two (2) shall be hens;

* no more than one (1) pintail;

* no more than three (3) wood ducks;

* no more than two (2) canvasbacks;

* no more than two (2) redheads; and,

* no more than one (1) scaup.

* two (2) blue-winged teal may be taken in addition to the regular limit of six (6) ducks during the following dates:

- Zone C1 and C1A: September 28- October 13

- Zone C2: September 21- October 6

(j) Special Hunting Days for Youths, Veterans and Active Military Personnel (including members of the National Guard and Reserves on active duty). In the Pacific Flyway and in Zone C2 of the Central Flyway, the special hunting days for youths, veterans and active military personnel shall be September 14-15, 2024. In Zone C1 and C1A of the Central Flyway, the special hunting days for youths, veterans and active military personnel shall be September 21-22, 2024. Only qualifying persons may take ducks, mergansers, coots and geese on these special hunting days, subject to the following conditions:

(i) All youth hunters shall be seventeen (17) years of age or younger and shall be accompanied in the field by an adult at least eighteen (18) years of age.

(ii) No more than four (4) youths shall be accompanied by any one (1) adult.

(iii) The accompanying adult shall not take ducks, coots, mergansers or geese unless they also qualify as a veteran or active military personnel. However the accompanying adult may participate in other open seasons.

(iv) All license and stamp requirements, daily bag limits, species and sex restrictions, shooting hours and other regulations that apply to the regular duck and goose seasons, as defined for each flyway, shall apply during the special hunting days for youths, veterans and active military personnel. Exceptions: The additional blue-winged teal limit does not apply on these special hunting days. In Zone C1A, the daily bag limit for dark geese shall be four (4) on the special hunting days for youths, veterans and active military personnel.

(v) All veterans and active military personnel participating in the special hunting days shall be in possession of documentation confirming they are a veteran or active military personnel while hunting in the field.

(vi) The areas described in Section 3 (b), (d), (e) and (f) shall be closed to hunting during the special hunting days for youths, veterans and active military personnel.

Disclaimer: These regulations may not be the most recent version. Wyoming may have more current or accurate information. We make no warranties or guarantees about the accuracy, completeness, or adequacy of the information contained on this site or the information linked to on the state site. Please check official sources.
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