Hunting licenses-weighted bonus points system.
SF0002 restructures Wyoming’s hunting license allocation system for two highly sought-after big game species: antlered moose and ram bighorn sheep. The bill replaces the existing preference-point drawing for those licenses with a weighted bonus points random drawing, and it directs the Game and Fish Commission to adopt rules to transition current preference points into the new bonus-point system. It also removes the current preference-point drawing framework for these species and repeals a related statutory provision, while preserving and conforming other licensing rules that apply to resident status, application procedures, and license restrictions.
The bill also makes related changes to several Game and Fish statutes governing residency verification, resident license eligibility, competitive raffles, complimentary licenses, donated licenses for veterans and persons with disabilities, and nonresident preference-point programs. It clarifies that the commission may establish rules to ensure only bona fide Wyoming residents receive resident licenses and may set fees and procedures for nonresident preference-point systems for antelope, deer, elk, moose, and bighorn sheep, subject to statutory caps. The act is generally delayed until January 1, 2032, with immediate effective dates only for certain sections needed to begin implementation and rulemaking.
The bill would amend Wyoming game and fish law by replacing the preference-point draw for antlered moose and ram bighorn sheep with a weighted bonus-point random draw beginning with hunting seasons on or after January 1, 2032. It repeals W.S. 23-1-703(b) and requires the Game and Fish Commission to promulgate rules for converting existing preference points and administering the new system. The bill also makes conforming amendments to residency, application, raffle, and license-reissuance provisions in Title 23, affecting resident and nonresident applicants, license agents, the commission, and special-license recipients such as veterans and persons with disabilities.
The bill appears to have had mixed but overall substantial support in the Senate, where it passed third reading 29-2 after a committee recommendation to amend and do pass. However, the House Travel committee later failed to advance it on a 2-7 vote, indicating significant resistance in that chamber. With no committee transcript available, the recorded votes suggest the proposal was acceptable to many senators but remained controversial or unresolved in the House.
The main policy dispute appears to be the shift from a preference-point system to a weighted bonus-point random draw for moose and bighorn sheep, which changes how applicants’ odds are accumulated and may affect long-term applicants differently. Related concerns likely include how existing preference points will be transitioned, whether the new system is fair to residents and nonresidents, and how much discretion the commission should have in rulemaking. The bill also touches on sensitive issues such as resident verification, nonresident fees, and special license exceptions, any of which could draw opposition from hunters, outfitters, and wildlife-management stakeholders with differing views on access and equity.