Wyoming Administrative Code
Agency 040 - Game and Fish Commission
Sub-Agency 0001 - Game and Fish Commission Regulations
Chapter 2 - GENERAL HUNTING REGULATION
Section 2-2 - Definitions

Universal Citation: WY Code of Rules 2-2

Current through September 21, 2024

In addition to the definitions set forth in Title 23 of the Wyoming Statutes, the Commission also adopts the following definitions for the purpose of all hunting and trapping regulations:

(a) "Accompanied by a Mentor" means being directly supervised at all times by a mentor who is within sight and direct voice contact.

(b) "Adult" means a person eighteen (18) years of age or older.

(c) "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.

(d) "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.

(e) "Approved Landfill or Incinerator" means a landfill or incinerator permitted by the State of Wyoming Department of Environmental Quality to dispose of animal carcasses.

(f) "Artificial Light or Lighting Device" means any man-made light or lighting device which projects a visible light outside the device, or any electronic device that provides an enhanced ability to see in the dark.

(g) "Bag Limit" means the maximum number of big game or trophy game animals that may be taken by an individual possessing a proper license.

(h) "Buck Antelope" means male antelope with visible horns and a dark cheek patch at the base of the ear.

(i) "Bureau of Land Management (B.L.M.)" means the land management agency administered by the U.S. Department of the Interior.

(j) "Bureau of Reclamation Land" means lands administered by the U.S. Department of the Interior Bureau of Reclamation.

(k) "Calf" means young-of-the-year elk or young-of-the-year moose.

(l) "Central Flyway" means the portion of Wyoming east of the Continental Divide, excluding the Great Divide Basin.

(m) "Certificate of Competency and Safety in the Use and Handling of Firearms" means a certification issued for the completion of an approved hunter safety course.

(n) "Conservation Order" means an action to reduce the mid-continent population of light geese, which is promulgated in accordance with 50 CFR 20.21 and 50 CFR 21.60, revised as of August 8, 2019, which does not include any later amendments or editions of the incorporated matter. A copy of Title 50 of the Code of Federal Regulations can be viewed at Department Regional Offices.

(o) "Cow" means an adult female elk or an adult female moose.

(p) "Daily Bag Limit" means the maximum number of game birds or small game animals that may be legally taken in a single day.

(q) "Dark Geese" means Canada goose, cackling goose, white-fronted goose and brant.

(r) "Doe" means an adult female antelope or adult female deer.

(s) "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.

(t) "Edible portion of big game animal" means the meat from the front quarters as far down as the knees, meat from 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.

(u) "Ewe" means an adult female bighorn sheep.

(v) "Fawn" means young-of-the-year antelope or young-of-the-year deer.

(w) "Federal Duck Stamp" means Federal Migratory Bird Hunting and Conservation Stamp or Electronic Duck Stamp.

(x) "Handgun" means a firearm that has a barrel length of less than sixteen (16) inches, has a short stock, and is designed to be fired by the use of a single hand without shoulder support.

(y) "Hunt Area" means the area within a defined geographic boundary where a license shall be valid.

(z) "Irrigated land" means agricultural lands that are supplied with supplemental water by ditches, pipes, flooding or spraying.

(aa) "Lamb" means a young-of-the-year bighorn sheep.

(bb) "Light Geese" means snow goose, blue goose and Ross's goose.

(cc) "Mentee" means a person who has received special authorization from the Department to take wildlife and who has not received a certificate of competency and safety in the use and handling of firearms.

(dd) "Mentor" means a person who is at least eighteen (18) years of age, can demonstrate they have a certificate of competency and safety in the use and handling of firearms, possesses a valid Wyoming hunting license and is directly supervising not more than one (1) mentee, other than immediate family members, at a time while in the field.

(ee) "Motorized vehicle" means any vehicle powered by an internal combustion or electric engine.

(ff) "Muzzle-loading firearm" means a muzzle-loading rifle or muzzle-loading handgun of at least .40 caliber and firing an expanding point bullet or lead ball and using a charge of at least fifty (50) grains of black powder or its equivalent.

(gg) "National Elk Refuge Permit" means a permit that allows a properly licensed elk hunter to access the National Elk Refuge to take an elk.

(hh) "Nontoxic Shot" means steel or any other federally approved nontoxic shot.

(ii) "Off National Forest" means lands other than those administered by the U.S. Forest Service.

(jj) "On National Forest" means lands administered by the U.S. Forest Service.

(kk) "On National Grassland" means the Thunder Basin National Grassland and Bankhead-Jones lands administered by the U.S. Forest Service.

(ll) "Pacific Flyway" means the portion of Wyoming west of the Continental Divide, including the Great Divide Basin.

(mm) "Park Permit" means a permit issued by Grand Teton National Park that allows a properly licensed elk hunter to take an elk within Grand Teton National Park.

(nn) "Partridge" means chukar partridge and gray partridge.

(oo) "Point" means any protrusion from an antler one (1) inch or more in length.

(pp) "Possession Limit" means the maximum number of game birds or small game animals that may be legally in possession. Wildlife in transit or storage shall be considered in possession. For migratory game birds, when a person hunts in more than one (1) state, flyway or zone, the person's total limit shall not exceed the largest daily bag or possession limit prescribed for any one of the states, flyways or zones in which the hunting takes place.

(qq) "Private Land" means all fee title/deeded lands owned by a private individual, partnership or corporation.

(rr) "Processor" means a custom meat processor licensed by the Wyoming Department of Agriculture.

(ss) "Public Road or Highway" (except as otherwise provided) means any roadway that is open to vehicular travel by the public. The road surface, the area between the fences on a fenced public road or highway, and an area thirty (30) feet perpendicular to the edge of the road surface on an unfenced public road or highway shall be considered the public road or highway. Two-track trails on public lands are not public roads.

(tt) "Ram" means a male bighorn sheep that is one (1) year or older.

(uu) "Real Time Video Photography Equipment" means any video or photography equipment capable of utilizing cellular or Wi-Fi technology to transmit images or video for remote viewing.

(vv) "Regular Hunting Seasons" mean seasons which delineate the dates and hunt areas for the taking of big game or trophy game animals with legal weapons in accordance with the license types and limitations as set forth in Section 2 of Chapters 5 (Antelope), 6 (Deer), 7 (Elk), 8 (Moose); Sections 3 and 7 of Chapter 9 (Bighorn Sheep and Mountain Goat); Section 9 of Chapter 3 (Black Bear); Section 3 of Chapter 42 (Mountain Lion); and Section 4 of Chapter 47 (Gray Wolf) of the Commission regulations.

(ww) "Season Limit" means the maximum number of sandhill cranes or pheasants that may be legally taken during the entire season.

(xx) "Site of the Kill" means the location where the harvested animal died.

(yy) "Special Archery Seasons" mean seasons that delineate the dates and hunt areas for the taking of big game or trophy game animals with legal archery equipment, in which a hunter with the proper hunting license and an archery license may hunt in addition to the regular hunting seasons in accordance with the limitations as set forth in Section 2 of Chapters 5 (Antelope), 6 (Deer), 7 (Elk), 8 (Moose); Sections 3 and 7 of Chapter 9 (Bighorn Sheep and Mountain Goat); and Section 9 of Chapter 3 (Black Bear).

(zz) "Spike Elk" means an elk with at least one (1) antler consisting of a single unbranched beam.

(aaa) "State Trust Land" or "State Land" means lands administered by the Office of State Land and Investments.

(bbb) "Type" means a limitation on a license in a particular hunt area for the sex of animal, the species of animal, the length of the season, the type of weapon or a portion of the hunt area in which the license shall be valid.

(ccc) "Upland Game Birds" means any sage grouse, blue grouse, ruffed grouse, partridge, sharp-tailed grouse or pheasant.

(ddd) "Waste" means to leave, abandon or allow any edible portion of meat from a big game animal, game bird, game fish or small game animal to become tainted, rotten or otherwise unfit for human consumption prior to processing at a person's home or at a processor.

(eee) "Waterfowl" means ducks, geese, coots and mergansers.

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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