HB0286 would substantially revise Wyoming’s mountain lion hunting framework. It creates a mandatory annual mountain lion hunting season running from September 1 through August 31 and directs the Game and Fish Commission not to divide the state into hunt areas for mountain lions, set hunt-area mortality limits, statewide mortality limits, or bag limits, or restrict the hours when a mountain lion may be taken. The bill also allows a mountain lion to be taken at any hour of the day and authorizes people holding valid antelope, deer, or elk licenses to take a mountain lion without obtaining a separate mountain lion license.
The bill further authorizes mountain lions to be trapped or snared and makes conforming changes to Wyoming’s wildlife enforcement statutes. It amends criminal penalty provisions to include mountain lions among the species subject to penalties for taking an animal without the proper license or during a closed season, and it requires the Game and Fish Commission to adopt rules needed to implement the new framework. It also repeals existing mountain lion pursuit-season provisions, replacing them with the new season and licensing structure.
Impact
HB0286 would change Wyoming game and fish law by limiting the Game and Fish Commission’s discretion over mountain lion season structure and harvest controls, while expanding lawful methods and license pathways for taking mountain lions. It would repeal existing pursuit-season authority, remove hunt-area and quota-based management tools for mountain lions, and require new implementing rules. The bill also updates enforcement statutes so mountain lions are expressly covered by the misdemeanor and felony penalties for unlawful taking of trophy game animals.
Sentiment
No committee transcript or recorded vote information was provided, so the bill’s sentiment can only be inferred from its sponsorship and text. The measure appears strongly pro-hunting and pro-harvest expansion, reflecting a preference for fewer regulatory limits on mountain lion take and broader access for licensed hunters. At the same time, the absence of discussion records means there is no documented public or legislative sentiment in the provided materials.
Contention
The main points of contention likely concern wildlife management and conservation policy. Opponents may object to eliminating hunt areas, mortality limits, bag limits, and time-of-day restrictions, arguing that these tools are important for population management and sustainability. The bill’s allowance for mountain lions to be taken with antelope, deer, or elk licenses, and its authorization of trapping or snaring, may also be controversial among wildlife advocates, conservation groups, and those concerned about fair-chase hunting standards or impacts on mountain lion populations.