Wyo. Code R. 040-0001-3
Effective Date: 05/22/1997 to 04/13/1998
Rule Type: Superceded Rules & Regulations
Reference Number: 040.0001.3.05221997
Section 1. Authority. These rules are promulgated by authority of W.S. '23-1-302 and '23-2-104.
Section 2. Definitions. For the purpose of this regulation, definitions shall be as set forth in Wyoming Statute '6-3-204 and Title 23, Wyoming Statutes. The Commission also adopts the following definitions:
(a) A Bait® means a nontoxic biodegradable substance, not to exceed 200 pounds, enclosed in a rigid container(s) of wood, metal or plastic not to exceed eight cubic feet. Holes in containers shall be smooth and not constructed to function as a trap. Refer to Section 4(i) for prohibited baits.
(b) A Baiting® means placing or utilizing a bait as a lure or attractant for the purpose of taking black bear.
(c) A Cub® means any black bear less than one year old.
(d) A Immediately® means following the observation of a grizzly bear using a bait, the person placing the bait and/or the person hunting over the bait must report, without delay, said use to the Wyoming Game and Fish Department or the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service; immediately also means any person taking a grizzly bear must report, without delay, to the Wyoming Game and Fish Department and to the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service in accordance with Section 6 of this regulation.
(e) A Mortality® means any female black bear death, excluding bears taken as depredating bears.
Section 3. Hunting Seasons Established. There shall be open seasons for the hunting of black bear as set forth in the Hunting Regulations (Section 4), Archery Regulations (Section 5) and Hunt Area Descriptions (Section 7) of this Chapter. This regulation shall remain in effect until modified or rescinded by the Commission.
Section 4. Hunting Regulations.
(a) Open Hours for Taking of Trophy Game Animals. Trophy game animals may only be taken one-half hour before sunrise to one-half hour after sunset.
(b) Bag and Possession Limits. Bag and possession limits for black bear shall be one black bear during any one calendar year (January 1 - December 31). Hunters may take any black bear except cubs and female bears with cubs at side.
(c) Reporting Kills. Hunters taking black bear shall retain the pelt and skull from each black bear taken. Even if the skull is damaged, it shall accompany the pelt. Visible external evidence of sex shall remain naturally attached to the pelt. Within three (3) days, seventy-two (72) hours, after taking of a black bear, the pelt and skull shall be presented by the licensee to a district game warden, district wildlife biologist or department personnel at a Game and Fish Department regional office during business hours for examination and reporting. The pelt and skull shall be presented in an unfrozen condition in order to allow collection of two premolar teeth to determine the age of the bear and to allow examination of the pelt to determine the sex of the bear. The licensee shall provide the legal description (section, township and range) where the black bear was harvested.
(d) Baiting. Baiting for black bear hunting shall be permitted in all hunt areas, except as otherwise provided in Subsection (f) of Section 4.
(e) Identification of Baits. The hunter's name and/or name of the person placing the bait, his/her address and telephone number shall be legible and permanently affixed to or painted on the outside of the container.
(f) Placement of Baits. On U.S. Forest Service and Bureau of Land Management lands no baits shall be placed more than seven (7) days before the opening day of the bear special archery season within the hunt area in which the bait is placed. Baits must be placed not less than 200 yards from water, including permanent streams, lakes and ponds; not less than 200 yards from roads and pack trails; and not less than one-half mile from developed campgrounds and picnic grounds or buildings. Bait density shall be no more than one per section as illustrated on U.S. Forest Service or Bureau of Land Management maps. Prior to placing baits on U.S. Forest Service lands, public lands administered by the Bureau of Land Management, or lands owned by the Wyoming Game and Fish Department, persons are required to provide a written description of the location of the bait to the district ranger, area manager, or regional wildlife supervisor in whose jurisdiction the bait will be placed. Upon request, persons placing baits shall be required to escort the district ranger, area manager, regional wildlife supervisor or designee to the bait site. Registration of baits will begin April 1.
Baits shall not be placed in Area 22, Area 25, Area 26 or within the designated recovery area for grizzly bears. Hunters should check maps of the recovery zones at the Wyoming Game and Fish Department or U.S. Forest Service offices.
Baits placed more than seven (7) days before the opening day of the bear special archery season shall be considered litter.
The person placing the bait or the person hunting over the bait shall immediately report use of a bait by a grizzly bear to the Wyoming Game and Fish Department or the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. No person shall hunt black bear over such a bait site for the remainder of the calendar year. The bait station shall be closed and bait will be removed by personnel of the Wyoming Game and Fish Department, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and/or U.S. Forest Service.
(g) Number of Bear Baits. No hunter and/or person placing bear baits shall place more than two baits during any one time period. Outfitters and professional guides may place no more than two baits per client during any one time period.
(h) Bait Removal. All containers and bait materials must be removed no more than seven (7) days after the close of the season for which the bait was placed. Containers and bait materials not so removed shall be considered litter. The person who placed the bait and/or whose name appears on the container shall be responsible for its removal. Burial does not constitute removal.
(i) Prohibited bait. No big game animals, game birds, game fish, protected animals, protected birds, small game animals or parts thereof shall be placed or utilized as bear bait. Any attractant other than that specified in Section 2(a) is prohibited.
(j) Other Regulations. Violations of U.S. Forest Service and U.S. Bureau of Land Management regulations on the placement of baits and littering shall be violations of this Wyoming Game and Fish Commission regulation.
(k) Area Mortality Quota Limitation. The black bear season shall close when the female mortality quota is reached. Female mortality quotas in this regulation are for spring and fall. If female mortality quotas for the spring hunting season are exceeded, hunting mortalities above the quotas shall be subtracted from the fall mortality quotas. Conversely, if female mortality quotas in the spring aren't reached, the portion of the quota remaining shall be added to the fall mortality quota. It is the hunter's responsibility to confirm that the area he/she intends to hunt is open. The status of hunt area closures is available 24 hours a day by calling toll free 1-800-264-1280.
(I) Open areas, general and special archery season dates and limitations.
| Bear Management Unit | Annual Female Mortality Quota | Hunt Area | Season Type | Spring Begin/End | Fall Begin/End |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bighorns | 10 Spring | 1-6 | Archery | April 15-30 | Sept. 1-14 |
| 3 Fall | General | May 1-June 15 | Sept. 15-Oct. 31 | ||
| Laramie Peak | 2 Spring | 7 | Archery | April 15-30 | Sept. 1-30 |
| 1 Fall | General | May 1-June 7 | Oct. 15-31 | ||
| Snowy Range | 2 Spring | 8 | Archery | April 15-30 | Sept. 1-30 |
| 1 Fall | General | May 1-June 7 | Oct. 1-31 | ||
| Sierra Madres | 2 Spring | 9 | Archery | April 15-30 | Sept. 1-30 |
| 2 Fall | General | May 1-June 15 | Oct. 1-31 | ||
| Uinta | 10 | CLOSED | |||
| Greys River | 7 Spring | 14,15,16, 17,30 | Archery General | April 15-30 May 1-June 15 | |
| 2 Spring | 11 | Archery | April 15-30 | Sept. 1-30 | |
| 2 Fall | General | May 1-June 15 | Oct. 1-31 | ||
| 3 Fall | 14,15,16, 17,30 | Archery General | Sept. 1-19 Sept. 20-Oct. 31 |
| Bear Management Unit | Annual Female Mortality Quota | Hunt Area | Season Type | Spring Begin/End | Fall Begin/End |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Wind River | 4 Spring | 13 | Archery | April 15-30 | Aug. 15-31 |
| 2 Fall | General | May 1-June 15 | Aug. 1-31, valid only in that portion of Area 13 within the Popo Agie Wilderness | ||
| Sept. 1-Oct. 31 | |||||
| 28 | Archery | April 15-30 | Aug. 1-14 | ||
| General | May 1-June 15 | Aug. 15-Oct. 31 | |||
| 3 Spring | 19 | Archery | April 15-30 | Sept. 1-19 | |
| 3 Fall | General | May 1-June 15 | Sept. 20-Oct. 31 | ||
| Jackson | 9 Spring | 18,20,21 | Archery | April 15-30 | Sept. 1-19 |
| 7 Fall | 24,29 | General | May 1-June 15 | Sept. 20-Oct. 31 | |
| Absaroka | 6 Spring | 22 | Archery | April 15-30 | Sept. 1-19 |
| 8 Fall | General | May 1-June 15 | Sept. 20-Oct. 31 | ||
| 23 | Archery | April 15-30 | Aug. 1-14 | ||
| General | May 1-June 15 | Aug. 15-Oct. 31 | |||
| 25,26,27 | Archery | April 15-30 | Sept. 1-19 | ||
| General | May 1-June 15 | Sept. 20-Oct. 31 |
(a) There shall be special archery seasons for the hunting of black bear by the use of legal archery equipment in all areas as set forth in Section 4 of this Chapter.
Section 6. Reporting Grizzly Bear Mortalities. Any taking of a grizzly bear shall be reported immediately to Biological Services, Wyoming Game and Fish Department, (307)777-4588, and to the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, Division of Law Enforcement, (303)236-7540.
Section 7. Hunt Area Descriptions.
(a) Area and Number.
Area 1. Northwest Bighorn. Beginning at the town of Greybull; northerly along the Big Horn River to the Wyoming-Montana state line; east along said line to the Sheep Mountain Road; southerly along said road to U.S. Highway 14; southerly then westerly along said highway to the town of Greybull.
Area 2. Burgess Junction. Beginning where Interstate Highway 90 crosses the Wyoming-Montana state line; southeasterly along said highway to U.S. Highway 14 at the town of Ranchester; southwesterly along said highway to the Black Mountain Road (U.S.F.S. Road 16); southerly and westerly along said road to the Goose (Red Grade) Road (U.S.F.S. Road 26); southerly along said road to the Woodchuck Pass Road (U.S.F.S. Road 226); southerly along said road to Woodchuck Pass and the Big Horn Mountain Divide; northwesterly along said divide to U.S. Highway 14 at Granite Pass; northerly along said highway to the Hunt Mountain Road (U.S.F.S. Road 10); northwesterly along said road to U.S. Highway 14A; westerly along said highway to the Sheep Mountain Road (U.S.F.S. Road 11); northerly along said road to the Wyoming-Montana state line; easterly along said line to Interstate Highway 90.
Area 3. Paint Rock. Beginning at the town of Greybull; easterly and northerly along U.S. Highway 14 to the Bighorn Mountain Divide; southerly along said divide to the Rome Hill Road (Washakie County Road 56); westerly along said road to U.S. Highway 16; westerly along said highway to the town of Ten Sleep and the Nowood River; northwesterly along said river to the Big Horn River; northerly along said river to the town of Greybull.
Area 4. Story. Beginning at Interstate Highway 90 at the town of Sheridan; southerly along said highway to U.S. Highway 16; westerly along said highway to Wyoming Highway 196; southerly along said highway to the Crazy Woman Canyon Road; westerly along said road to U.S. Highway 16; westerly along said highway to the Big Horn Mountain Divide at Powder River Pass; northwesterly along said divide to Woodchuck Pass and the Woodchuck Pass Road (U.S.F.S. Road 226); northerly along said road to the Goose (Red Grade) Road (U.S.F.S. Road 26); northerly along said road to the Black Mountain Road (U.S.F.S. Road 16; easterly and northerly along said road to U.S. Highway 14; northeasterly along said highway to Interstate Highway 90 at the town of Ranchester; southeasterly along said highway to the town of Sheridan.
Area 5. Upper Nowood. Beginning at the town of Ten Sleep; easterly along U.S. Highway 16 to the Rome Hill Road (Washakie County Road 56); easterly up said road to the Big Horn Divide Road; southerly along said road to the Big Horn Mountain Road (Natrona County Road 109); southwesterly along said road to the divide between the Nowood River and Badwater Creek; westerly along said divide to Cottonwood Pass and the Upper Nowood Road; northerly down said road to the town of Ten Sleep.
Area 6. Mayoworth. Beginning at the junction of the Crazy Woman Canyon Road and Wyoming Highway 196; southerly along said highway to the town of Kaycee and Interstate Highway 25; southeasterly along said highway to the Midwest interchange and the Smoky Gap Road (Natrona County Road 115); westerly along said road to the Dead Horse Road (Natrona County Road 114); southwesterly along said road to the Wild Horse Trail Road (Natrona County Road 113); westerly along said road to the
33 Mile Road (Natrona County Road 110); northwesterly along said road to the Bighorn Mountain Divide Road; northerly along said road to the Gold Mine Road (U.S.F.S. Road 452); northerly along said road to the Canyon Creek Road (U.S.F.S. Road 25); northerly along said road to U.S. Highway 16; easterly along said road to the Crazy Woman Canyon Road; easterly along said road to Wyoming Highway 196.
Area 7. Laramie Peak. Beginning at the junction of U.S. Highway 30 and Wyoming Highway 487 in the town of Medicine Bow; northerly and westerly along Wyoming 487 to Wyoming Highway 220; southwesterly along said highway to the North Platte River; easterly and southerly down said river to Interstate highway 25 at Orin Junction; southerly along said highway to Wyoming Highway 34; southerly and westerly along said highway to U.S. Highway 30; northerly and westerly along said highway to Wyoming Highway 487.
Area 8. Snowy Range. Beginning where U.S. Highway 287 crosses the Wyoming-Colorado state line; west along said line to Wyoming Highway 230; northerly along said highway to Wyoming Highway 130; northerly along said highway to U.S. Highway 30; easterly and southerly along said highway to U.S. Highway 287; southerly along said highway to the Wyoming-Colorado state line.
Area 9. Sierra Madre. Beginning where Wyoming Highway 789 crosses the Wyoming-Colorado state line; northerly along said highway to Interstate Highway 80; easterly along said highway to Wyoming Highway 130; southerly along said highway to Wyoming Highway 230; southeasterly along said highway to the Wyoming-Colorado state line; west along said line to Wyoming Highway 789.
Area 10. Uinta. Beginning where Interstate Highway 80 crosses the Wyoming-Utah state line; easterly along said highway to Wyoming Highway 414; southerly along said highway through the town of Lone Tree to the Hoop Lake-Hole-in-the-Rock Road (Uinta County Road 295); southerly along said road to the Wyoming-Utah state line; westerly then northerly along said line to Interstate Highway 80.
Area 11. Smith's Fork. Beginning where Wyoming Highway 89 crosses the Wyoming-Utah state line west of Sage Junction; northerly along said line to the Wyoming-Idaho state line; northerly along said line to the divide between the Bear River and Salt River; easterly along said divide to the divide between the Salt River and Smith's Fork; northeasterly along said divide to the divide between the Smith's Fork and Greys River; southeasterly along said divide to LaBarge Creek; southeasterly down said creek to the Green River; southeasterly down said river to the CCC Bridge and the Lincoln-Sweetwater Road (Lincoln County Road 311); westerly along said road to Wyoming Highway 372; westerly along said highway to U.S. Highway 189; westerly then southerly along said highway to U.S. Highway 30; westerly along said highway to Wyoming Highway 89 at Sage Junction; westerly along said highway to the Wyoming-Utah state line.
Area 13. Lander. Beginning where U.S. Highway 287 crosses the south boundary of the Wind River Indian Reservation; southerly and easterly along said highway to the Sweetwater River; westerly up said river to Wyoming Highway 28; southwesterly along said highway to the Continental Divide; northwesterly along said divide to the south boundary of the Wind River Indian Reservation; easterly along said boundary to U.S. Highway 287.
Area 14. South Piney. Beginning where LaBarge Creek enters the Green River; westerly up said creek to the divide between the Green River and Greys River; northerly along said divide to South Cottonwood Creek; easterly down said creek to the Green River; southerly down said river to LaBarge Creek.
Area 15. Piney-Horse Creek. Beginning where the Mesa Road (Sublette County Road 23-110) joins Wyoming Highway 351; westerly along said highway to the Green River; northerly up said river to
South Cottonwood Creek; westerly up said creek to the divide between the Green River and Greys River; northerly along said divide to the Bridger-Teton interforest boundary and the Hoback Rim; easterly and northerly along said rim to U.S. Highway 191; southerly along said highway to the Mesa Road (Sublette County Road 23-110) at Cora Junction; southerly along said road to Wyoming Highway 351.
Area 16. Greys River. All of the drainages of Greys River, Little Greys River and the drainages south of Snake River from Alpine east to and including Bailey Creek.
Area 17. Hoback. Beginning where U.S. Highway 191 crosses the Bridger-Teton interforest boundary at the Hoback Rim; southerly and northerly along said boundary to the Snake River; northerly up said river to the Hoback River; southeasterly up said river to Highway 191 at Bondurant; southerly and easterly along said highway to the Bridger-Teton interforest boundary at Hoback Rim.
Area 18. Fall Creek. Beginning where Wyoming Highway 22 crosses the Snake River; southerly and westerly down said river to the Wyoming-Idaho state line; northerly along said line to Wyoming Highway 22; easterly along said highway to the Snake River.
Area 19. Green River. Beginning at the town of Farson; northerly along U.S. Highway 191 to the Bridger-Teton interforest boundary at the Hoback Rim; northerly along said boundary to the Union Pass-Mosquito Lake-Darwin Ranch Road; northeasterly along said road to the Continental Divide; southerly along said divide to U.S. Highway 28; southwesterly along said highway to the town of Farson.
Area 20. Gros Ventre. By beginning at the southeast corner boundary of the National Elk Refuge near the town of Jackson; northerly along the refuge boundary to the Gros Ventre River; easterly up said river to Kinky Creek; easterly up said creek to the Bridger-Teton interforest boundary; southwesterly along said boundary to Highway 191 at Hoback Rim; northerly and westerly along said highway to the Hoback River at Bondurant; westerly down said river to the Snake River; northerly along said river to Wyoming Highway 22; easterly along said highway to Highway 26; northerly along said highway to the national Elk Refuge boundary; easterly along said boundary to the southeast corner.
Area 21. Conant Basin. Beginning where U.S. Highway 26-287 intersects the south boundary of John D. Rockefeller Memorial Parkway; westerly along said boundary to the Targhee National Forest boundary; southerly along said boundary to the head of the north fork of Teton Creek; westerly down said creek to the Wyoming-Idaho state line; northerly along said line to the Yellowstone National Park boundary; easterly along said boundary to U.S. Highway 26-287; southerly along said highway to the south boundary of John D. Rockefeller Memorial Parkway.
Area 22. Pacific Creek. Beginning where U.S. Highway 26-287 intersects the Grand Teton National Park boundary; northwesterly along said boundary to the John D. Rockefeller Memorial Parkway boundary; westerly along said boundary to U.S. Highway 26-287; northerly along said highway to the Yellowstone National Park boundary; easterly along said boundary to the Continental Divide; southeasterly along said divide to U.S. Highway 26-287; westerly along said highway to the Grand Teton National Park boundary.
Area 23. Ramshorn. All of the drainage of the Wind River that lies north of U.S. Highway 287 and west of the Wind River Indian Reservation.
Area 24. Darby Creek. Beginning at the town of Jackson; westerly along Wyoming Highway 22 to the Wyoming-Idaho state line; northerly along said line to Teton Creek; easterly along said creek to the north fork to Teton Creek; northeasterly along said creek to the Grand Teton National Park boundary; southerly and easterly along said boundary to the Snake River; northerly and southerly along said park boundary to U.S. Highway 189; southerly along said highway to Wyoming Highway 22.
Area 25. North Absaroka. Beginning where U.S. Highway 120 crosses the Wyoming-Montana state line; southerly along said highway to U.S. Highway 14,16,20; westerly along said highway to the east boundary of Yellowstone National Park; northerly along said boundary to the Wyoming-Montana state line; east along said line to U.S. Highway 120.
Area 26. South Absaroka. Beginning at the town of Cody; southerly along U.S. Highway 120 to the Greybull River; westerly then southerly up said river to the divide between the Greybull River and the Wind River; westerly along said divide to the divide between the South Fork of the Shoshone River and the Wind River; westerly along said divide to the Continental Divide; northwesterly along said divide to the south boundary of Yellowstone National Park; east then northerly along said boundary to U.S. Highway 14-16-20; easterly along said highway to the town of Cody.
Area 27. Grass Creek. Beginning where U.S. Highway 120 crosses the Greybull River; southeasterly along said highway to the Big Horn River; southerly up said river to the north boundary of the Wind River Indian Reservation; westerly along said boundary to the divide between the Wood River and the Wind River; northwesterly along said divide to the divide between the Greybull River and the Wind River northwesterly along said divide to the Greybull River; northerly then easterly down the Greybull River to U.S. Highway 120.
Area 28. Wind River. Beginning where U.S. Highway 287 crosses the west boundary of the Wind River Indian Reservation; southerly along said boundary to the Continental Divide; northwesterly along said divide to U.S. Highway 287 at Togwotee Pass; southeasterly along said highway to the Wind River Indian Reservation.
Area 29. Spread Creek. Beginning where the Grand Teton National Park boundary crosses the Gros Ventre River; northerly along said boundary to U.S. Highway 26-287; easterly along said highway to Togwotee Pass and the Continental Divide; southerly along said divide to the Union Pass-Mosquito Lake-Darwin Ranch Road; southerly along said road to Kinky Creek; westerly down said creek to the Gros Ventre River; westerly down said river to the Grand Teton National Park.
Area 30. Star Valley. All of the drainage of the Salt River east of the Wyoming-Idaho state line.
WYOMING GAME AND FISH COMMISSION
BY:
PRESIDENT
Dated: March 24, 1997